11.08.2006

Hard to sleep last night

First of all, a hearty congrats to the Democrats for taking back the House!

When I went to bed last night, the race had just turned in the Dems favor in Missouri, and Montana was looking good with over 50 percent reporting. This morning, the news looks even better, although it appears were far from out of the woods in Virginia and Montana. Initial reporting says the Dems won in each state by the slimmest of margins, but we all know what can happen from this point forward (as they likely recount votes) is anyone's guess. Still, the Dems have almost regained control of the Senate, too!

Not to look too far ahead ... but if you haven't read Barack Obama's first book, Dreams from My Father, you most definitely should. I'm in the process of doing so now, and it's such a compelling read. Written over a decade ago, the book chronicles the life of now 45 year-old Obama, much of it dealing with his youth. It reads more like a work of fiction, in part because the writing is so good, and in part because Obama's story is so magnificent and foreign (he spent time as a youth growing up in Indonesia, for example). But mostly, it's because you get so far inside Obama's head that you find yourself wondering -- often -- why anyone with political aspirations would ever let you in there in the first place. How refreshing to read a book written by a politician that seems genuine. It's an engaging story of searching for one's identity and purpose, something I suspect will resonate with plenty of strivers on either side of the political fence. If you have any interest in the most-hyped man in U.S. politics, then this is a must read (not that you haven't heard that a thousand times already).

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