Obama's loss to Bobby Rush

Obama's loss to Bobby Rush in the race for U.S. congress is representative of his first true political lesson. Due to a variety of largely chance circumstances and blunders, Rush's prospects for election skyrocket, while Obama's decline significantly. Obama says of the race, "When talking to young people about politics, I sometimes offer this story as an object lesson of what not to do" (37). Nevertheless he carries this experience with him forward in his next bid for public office, which turns out successful when he is elected to the U.S. Senate.

The Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina

The failures of American military operations in Iraq and the bungled response to the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina increase Obama's resolve to effect change and further motivate him to run for president. After witnessing the human consequences of these events, he writes: "Change...