I don’t have anything special to add to the subject, but I do recommend Jeff Zeleny’s piece in the Chicago Tribune this week profiling Barack Obama’s transition from rock-star candidate to hard-working freshman senator. It’s a fascinating behind-the-scenes look.
As Zeleny notes, Obama is in a unique position among his colleagues, rivaled only, perhaps, by the expectations surrounding Hillary Clinton five years ago. The hype surrounding Obama is so intense, it’s almost impossible for a mere mortal to meet, worse yet surpass, what supporters expect him to produce. Simultaneously, the freshman senator, just three months on the job, is working to “balance competing interests of race, politics and celebrity to shape his image and become an effective senator.” Some can learn slowly, benefiting from conditions in which mistakes are easily hidden. Obama, with a bright spotlight, has no such luxury.
Obama came to Washington emboldened by confidence and fame. His autobiography, on the best-seller list for 30 weeks, had already made him wealthy and generated a signing bonus of nearly $2 million for three more books. At the start of a national political career, he could hardly be better positioned.
But in a capital that can carry its own special cruelties, could Obama be just as easily poised for a fall as rapid as his rise?
One doesn’t build a political brand, he knows, simply by trading jokes with David Letterman or sitting in an easy chair across from Oprah Winfrey.
No, if his appeal is to outlast the politics of the moment, he concluded he must do one thing above all: learn how to become a diligent senator.
Admittedly, I consider myself an admirer. I thought Obama’s convention address was among the better speeches I’ve heard in recent memory, his campaign was brilliant, and his policy positions largely in tune with my own. I have high hopes for this man’s almost limitless future.
Having said that, I can appreciate that Obama has barely gotten started, and burdening him with unreachable expectations isn’t fair. The Zeleny piece was interesting because it highlights the challenges of a man whom everyone wants a piece of, but who can’t make everyone happy. It’s a solid piece; be sure to take a look.