Barack Obama’s neighborhood newspaper, the Hyde Park Herald, has a longstanding tradition of opening its pages to elected officials-from Chicago aldermen to state legislators to U.S. senators. Obama himself, as a state senator, wrote more than 40 columns for the Herald, under the title “Springfield Report,” between 1996 and 2004. Read in isolation, Obama’s columns from the state capital tell us little. Placed in the context of political and policy battles then raging in Illinois, however, the young legislator’s dispatches powerfully illuminate his political beliefs. Even more revealing are hundreds of articles chronicling Obama’s early political and legislative activities in the pages not only of the Hyde Park Herald, but also of another South Side fixture, the Chicago Defender.
*******
Reportage in these two papers is particularly significant because Obama’s early political career-the time between his first campaign for the Illinois State Senate in 1995 and his race for U.S. Senate in 2004-can fairly be called the “lost years,” the period Obama seems least eager to talk about, in contrast to his formative years in Hawaii, California, and New York or his days as a community organizer, both of which are recounted in his memoir, Dreams from My Father. The pages of the Hyde Park Herald and the Chicago Defender thus offer entrée into Obama’s heretofore hidden world.
What they portray is a Barack Obama sharply at variance with the image of the post-racial, post-ideological, bipartisan, culture-war-shunning politician familiar from current media coverage and purveyed by the Obama campaign.
Comment by JD on 8/6 @ 10:10 am #
Noooooooo. Shocka.
Comment by Dan Collins on 8/6 @ 10:12 am #
As for me, I’m happy to see he’s published something other than his two books on his favorite subject.
Comment by BJTexs on 8/6 @ 10:17 am #
Yeesh, I’m going to need some time on the big Cray computer to decode the racialism hidden in that story. I’ll be in my cubicle.
Comment by N. O'Brain on 8/6 @ 10:37 am #
The Mysterium Tremendum of O!, part of H. P. Lovecrafts library, along with the terrible Saducismus Triumphatus of Joseph Glanvil, published in 1681, the shocking Daemonolatreja of Remigius, printed in 1595 at Lyons, and worst of all, the unmentionable Necronomicon of the mad Arab Abdul Alhazred, all collected at the library of Miskatonic University.
Comment by Neo on 8/6 @ 10:49 am #
This may explain why Obama isn’t winning real big …
I’ve been warning about this since the last election cycle when the House race in my district, which was fairly close, caused the Democrat challenger to pour on the TV and radio ads until it been sickening. She eventually lost (for the second time). I hope she doesn’t run again this year because I’m still sick to death of her.
Yes Virginia, there is a limit to what money can do for you in an election.
Comment by Barrett Brown on 8/6 @ 10:55 am #
“As for me, I’m happy to see he’s published something other than his two books on his favorite subject.”
I suppose you can be forgiven for not realizing that McCain has also written “two books on his favorite subject,” which is to say that both Obama and McCain are putting out memoirs at a faster rate than the perpetually pompous Gore Vidal. Pick your battles.
Comment by Dan Collins on 8/6 @ 11:01 am #
Sure. But I reckon I can find lots of McCain’s political writings in the pages of the newspapers, Barrett, and that they reflect on his political beliefs.
Comment by Carin on 8/6 @ 11:05 am #
One could argue that McCain, given his history, has a bit more to write about than O!™.
Comment by Barrett Brown on 8/6 @ 11:08 am #
“But I reckon I can find lots of McCain’s political writings in the pages of the newspapers, Barrett, and that they reflect on his political beliefs.”
True that. There’s some good stuff from 1993 about the importance of timelines.
Comment by TheGeezer on 8/6 @ 11:09 am #
And, Carin, as someone else said here, Obama has written two autobiographies and he hasn’t even done anything yet.
Comment by N. O'Brain on 8/6 @ 11:12 am #
“And, Carin, as someone else said here, Obama has written two autobiographies and he hasn’t even done anything yet.”
And when he does something?
Blockbuster, baby.
Comment by N. O'Brain on 8/6 @ 11:13 am #
“True that. There’s some good stuff from 1993 about the importance of timelines.”
Timelines about what?
Comment by Barrett Brown on 8/6 @ 11:17 am #
“Timelines about what?”
I’m sorry, no time to hold your hand through this one; it’s my turn to guard Hitler’s brain!
Comment by N. O'Brain on 8/6 @ 11:23 am #
Comment by Barrett Brown on 8/6 @ 11:17 am #
Ooooo, snarky.
Still a bit sensitive?
Comment by N. O'Brain on 8/6 @ 11:24 am #
What timelines?
Comment by Jeff G. on 8/6 @ 11:25 am #
— And of course, this site is a veritable hotbed of McCainamania!
Were I interested in holding your hand, Barrett, I’d do the site search for you that would direct you to my discussion of Matt Welch’s take on McCain (and my agreement), as well as to the excerpts from McCain’s writings that lead me to believe he is, in many ways, a “progressive” when it comes to underlying political principles.
So, yeah. Picking your battles turns out to be good advice — and should be internalized first before one jumps immediately to trying to use it ironically.
Comment by N. O'Brain on 8/6 @ 11:26 am #
You’ve piqued my curiosity.
What timelines about what?
Comment by kelly on 8/6 @ 11:29 am #
BB is above it all, Jeff.
Comment by thor on 8/6 @ 11:30 am #
Black people who talk about being black shouldn’t be allowed to be black. It’s just that simple.
Comment by Barrett Brown on 8/6 @ 11:36 am #
“ And of course, this site is a veritable hotbed of McCainamania!”
I’ve never implied that it was, but rather that some of you will take shots at Obama for things you wouldn’t take shots at McCain for.
“So, yeah. Picking your battles turns out to be good advice  and should be internalized first before one jumps immediately to trying to use it ironically.”
See above.
“Were I interested in holding your hand, Barrett, I’d do the site search for you that would direct you to my discussion of Matt Welch’s take on McCain (and my agreement), as well as to the excerpts from McCain’s writings that lead me to believe he is, in many ways, a “progressive†when it comes to underlying political principles.”
If I were interested in holding *your* hand, Jeff, I’d take you out to a nice Italian restaurant and get you loaded. I would also claim to play the violin. If you asked me to do so, I would say that it is in the shop. If you asked me where the shop is, I would run off and stick you with the bill. This is how I get free dinners.
Comment by Mr. Pink on 8/6 @ 11:46 am #
I am curious too about the time table deal.
Comment by Mr. Pink on 8/6 @ 11:48 am #
Thor do me a favor, go through that article and replace the word “black” with “white” and reread it. If you do not find it teh racist bang yourself on the head about 2000 times until sanity is restored.
Comment by Obstreperous Infidel on 8/6 @ 11:49 am #
I suppose you can be forgiven for not realizing that “McCain has also written “two books on his favorite subject,†which is to say that both Obama and McCain are putting out memoirs at a faster rate than the perpetually pompous Gore Vidal. Pick your battles.”
No, the rates are not similar. The one guy is a very accomplished politican (not much kudos for that, imo, but he is accomplished). The other guy has done what again? Oh, he beat Alan Keys in Illinois. One of these things is not like the other.
Comment by McGehee on 8/6 @ 11:54 am #
Take shots at a 71-year-old man? What do you want us to do, kick over his walker?
Comment by Salt Lick on 8/6 @ 12:19 pm #
In Barrett’s world, a “leader” decides where they’ll have lunch. Decisively.
Comment by Cave Bear on 8/6 @ 1:00 pm #
What do you want to bet that these “timelines” that our new leftie pseudointellectual is going on about has something to do with the “Keating Five”?
Comment by Sdferr on 8/6 @ 1:06 pm #
Found at JOM, under a comment by Sara, attributed to City-Data.com:
“1. Occidental College records  Not released
2. Columbia College records  Not released
3. Columbia Thesis paper  “not availableâ€Â
4. Harvard College records  Not released
5. Selective Service Registration  Not released
6. Medical records  Not released
7. Illinois State Senate schedule  “not availableâ€Â
8. Law practice client list  Not released
9. Certified Copy of original Birth certificate  Not released
10. Embossed, signed paper Certification of Live Birth  Not released
11. Harvard Law Review articles published  None
12. University of Chicago scholarly articles  None”
Comment by Clint on 8/6 @ 1:11 pm #
Are “timelines” the new code word? The language, it changes so fast with these young kids that once I get the word down, they’ve moved on to a new word.
But in the future, the government will tell me what is acceptable right? That’s what I’m counting on, anyway.
Comment by Barrett Brown on 8/6 @ 1:22 pm #
“But in the future, the government will tell me what is acceptable right?”
It already does. See the Office of National Drug Control Policy, for starters. Enjoy your GOP.
“Are ‘timelines’ the new code word?”
No. “Time horizons” is the new code, although the term appears to have disappeared amidst a cloud of ridicule. “Timeline” is the old code word. McCain was once very fond of it; no need to blame it on us young folks.
“What do you want to bet that these “timelines†that our new leftie pseudointellectual is going on about has something to do with the “Keating Fiveâ€Â?”
Better stay away from Atlantic City. 1993 – 1989 = 4. Doesn’t quite make the spread where I come from.
“In Barrett’s world, a ‘leader’ decides where they’ll have lunch. Decisively.”
Yes. And that is all they would do. The 20th century would have been much more pleasant if this had been the case.
Comment by Salt Lick on 8/6 @ 2:28 pm #
You’re a good sport, Barrett, but I miss Sugartits. I was thinking we could hook you two up. There are a lot worse date stories than “We met on a wingnut site run by a Jewish-Italian catch wrestler who wrote the Moby Dick of intentionalism.”
Comment by bergerbilder on 8/6 @ 2:43 pm #
What’s all this fuss I keep hearing about timeliness. I think that timeliness is a very important personal trait. Myself, I just hate it when someone is always late. They make you wait and wait, and… What?
Did you say timelines?
Never mind.
Comment by Barrett Brown on 8/6 @ 3:16 pm #
“You’re a good sport, Barrett, but I miss Sugartits. I was thinking we could hook you two up. There are a lot worse date stories than “We met on a wingnut site run by a Jewish-Italian catch wrestler who wrote the Moby Dick of intentionalism.—
Dude, hook me up.
Comment by McGehee on 8/6 @ 3:57 pm #
Quick: name the viable political candidates of either major party that has continued to have a political career after openly supporting the legalization of drugs other than marijuana.
Don’t just stand there, man — hop to it!
Comment by Carin on 8/6 @ 4:30 pm #
I don’t think that BB could carry Sugartit’s bra.
Oops, sorry. Detroit joke.
Comment by Jeff G. on 8/6 @ 4:56 pm #
Actually, black people who talk about how they don’t want to talk about being black shouldn’t talk about being black — which would in turn curb the racism of the horrific, anti-negro whites who notice it. You, of course, not being among them, as you are able to notice for the rightreasons. I mean, you’ve read Calvino, and I hear you’ve poked a Russian bushka.
Like what? Have a missed a pot shot at McCain? Help a brother out. I’ll shred the bitch.
You say that now, but only because you haven’t looked into the sweet, pooled caramel that is my eyes…
Comment by B Moe on 8/6 @ 5:10 pm #
I’ve never implied that it was, but rather that some of you will take shots at Obama for things you wouldn’t take shots at McCain for.
BECAUSE OF THE HYPOCR… ah, fuck it, why bother.
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