Recent Reads

Herewith a few comments on books I've read recently. You won't find any fiction here (although some may argue differently) -- just history, biography and political commentary. The saddest part is that I forget so much of what I read. I enjoy the books as I'm reading them, but afterwards I can't remember much about them.I just finished this one that friends gave me for Christmas. Figured I'd better read it quickly before it became dated. It's not a rant, as the title might suggest. It might have been better titled "What Makes Obama Tick" or "The Roots of President Obama's Political Philosophy." The book is a thoughtful attempt to analyze and rationalize President Obama's positions on various international and domestic issues into a coherent political philosophy. D'Souza concludes that Obama cannot be understood as a traditional liberal -- too many liberal issues haven't seemed to evoke the support or passion that would have been expected. Rather he believes he is best explained as an "anti-colonialist," having taken on the "dreams of his father." D'Souza quotes extensively from Obama's own writings and makes an interesting case that although he was abandoned first by his father, then by his mother, Obama sought a personal identity in the father he hardly knew, but who was idealized by his mother.

I enjoyed Palin's book -- other than a few slow parts where she enumerates friends and others that mean nothing to me. I wanted to hear her side of the story, as most of what I've read/seen has been the SNL version of her and other such caricatures. I thought she made credible explanations of such events as the Katie Couric interview and her decision to resign from the governorship. Ready to be president? Not my first choice. But she seems to have shown more leadership than, for example, the recent governors of Arkansas (both president and candidate), having taken on corruption in her own party, Big Oil and pork barrel spending in the little over two years she spent in the Governor's office. And she's clearly no fool.

My other thought as I read the account of the VP campaign was how frustrating it must be to be continually subjected to the direction of the President's campaign manager. I had been disappointed in Lieberman during his campaign, feeling he had prostituted himself on many issues. Now I can imagine he was simply doing what many a VP candidate has had to do, namely, do what he is told, not necessarily by the Presidential candidate himself, but by his campaign managers.

I enjoyed this first volume of Morris's Roosevelt biography. A very thorough treatment -- 775 pages gets you though the election of 1901 and Teddy's first 43 years of life. TR was an aristocrat -- not really one of us. Never worked for a salary except while in political office. Otherwise, he wrote biographies or rode the range in South Dakota where he had bought a ranch with a portion of his inheritance. Very driven -- initially to overcome his physical weaknesses, but continuing with every endeavor. He had a strong personality and seemed to dominate those around him. He began his political career in the NY State Legislature at 23 years of age. He was appointed a U.S. civil service commissioner and, later a NY City police commissioner, each time resigning after a couple of years to do something else. He was eager for war with Spain and resigned as Asst. Secretary of the Navy to take a commission in the Army and pursue his dream of fighting for his country. He had no fear in battle. Two more volumes to go, but I needed a break.