Making It: How Chicago shaped Obama

"Making It: How Chicago shaped Obama"
The New Yorker, July 21, 2008

By Ryan Lizza

Well, I finally finished reading this 16-page, 17,000-word article on Barack Obama's political career in Chicago from the early 1990s through 2004. It's strange, because in sticking with this article over the past two weeks, it feels like I have been performing a civic duty; I felt a need to better understand the candidate, even though I was often on the verge of giving up on reading about him altogether.

It's not that the article is boring or poorly-written. This is a showcase of exemplary writing, and The New Yorker's never-before-seen - at least by me - photographs of Obama provide wonderful snippets of his career. There are simply so many insights provided by so many people that it grows overwhelming. It would have been nice if Lizza had, in the manner of Russian novels, provided a list of all the people he interviewed and their relation to Obama, because I forgot who they were almost immediately after he initially wrote about them.

Despite the enormous breadth and length of "Making It," I still find it to be a fascinating and logically-constructed article on who Obama really is. We read about a politician, not a Messiah-figure, who is so adept at maintaining networks, organizing campaigns, and using the current institutions in his favor that his bid for the presidency seems inevitable. I like how Lizza gives equal care to those who used to be close to Obama and now criticize him; he has shifted his friendships over the years, leaving a number of people feeling disillusioned. But this is all inevitable in the life of a politician, and it is fascinating to read about how Obama quickly learned from his many mistakes to transform himself into a better politician - he switched from the stiff speaking style of an "arrogant academic" to that of a more laid-back, charismatic leader, for instance.

"Making It" is a long and challenging read, but it is certainly a worthy time investment.

Rating: 9

A Link to the Article, on The New Yorker's Website