The Life and Times of ‘Barry Obama’
EmailThe Chicago Tribune, hometown paper of — and emerging experts on — Senator Barack Obama, D-Ill., conducted more than 40 interviews with former classmates, teachers, friends and neighbors of the political wunderkind and aspiring presidential candidate, producing a must-read tome tracing the arc of the Senator’s life to-date.
From Hawaii to Indonesia, Chicago and back, the Trib finds several of Obama’s “oft-recited stories may not have happened in the way he has recounted them, sometimes making him look better in the retelling, and sometimes omitting some of the most painful, private moments of his life.”
“The life stories, when the presidential candidate tells them, have a common theme: the quest to belong,” Tribune correspondents Kirsten Scharnberg and Kim Barker begin.
They continue, “A boy wants to find his place in a family where he is visibly different: chubby where others are thin, dark where others are light. A youth living in a distant land searches and finds new friends, a new language and a heartbreaking lesson about his identity in the pages of an American magazine.”
“But,” the authors shortly thereafter conclude, “the reality of Obama’s narrative is not that simple.”
Click here to read the amazingly detailed story from the reporters in the place where Obama now calls home.
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He is a politician what do you expect….the real truth…..
Posted by: Cecil | March 24, 2007, 1:01 pm 1:01 pm
Every major news outlet in this country, including ABC, dropped the ball in failing to dissect this aministration’s claims of Iraq’s WMD’s and attempts to procure uranium, but now it wants to flex its investigative journalist muscles by delving into the childhood of Barack Obama to question is recollection at 9 year’s old? The racist, white supremacy on display is mind numbing. What the hell does it matter if he got remembers incorrectly where he read the story of Black man scarring himself with skin lightners. News flash: every Black household in America, before the late 70′s and 80′s owned a bottle of skin bleaching cream. I had the same reaction Senator Obama had the first time I saw a bottle of skin bleaching cream in my mother’s cabinet. Black Magazine’s like Ebony and Jet still run ads for skin bleaching cream. What the hell does it matter WHERE he read the story, unfortunately it’s a sad reality of the past of a minority defined by white standards of beauty–that he didn’t invent or stretch.
Posted by: dtd | March 24, 2007, 1:08 pm 1:08 pm
The Chicago Tribune’s most famous headline…
“Dewey Defeats Truman”
Yes, it’s nice to know they consider themselves the “emerging experts” on another politician.
Posted by: Ryan | March 24, 2007, 2:51 pm 2:51 pm
I just read the Chicago Tribune story. Your headline is VERY irresponsible. It makes it sound as if Obama has been caught being dishonest, or disingenuous, or stretching the truth. That’s not what the Chicago Tribune story shows, or suggests, at all! Many people will read only your headline, and be given an entirely unfair impression.
Posted by: Fred | March 24, 2007, 3:03 pm 3:03 pm
Believeing every thing that is in print during election cycle is folly!
Posted by: charlene Bostrom | March 24, 2007, 3:23 pm 3:23 pm
If you put the investigative resources that went into this together with those the NY Times put into resolving the burning question of just how often the Clintons sleep in the same bed, maybe you could find out just exactly where one George W. Bush was when he was supposed to be serving in the Texas Air National Guard.
Posted by: Ken C. | March 24, 2007, 3:29 pm 3:29 pm
Please stop feeling bad for yourself and blaming others. No one dropped the ball. No one is being a racist. You are just making up stereotypes for people who say things you don’t want to hear. Grow up.
Posted by: Tanya | March 24, 2007, 3:42 pm 3:42 pm
What?? is Hillary that scared by him that Bill had to sic the Tribune onto this.
Help us please, as stated above — this much concern should have been shown in the justification for the war in Iraq.
Posted by: paulet | March 24, 2007, 3:48 pm 3:48 pm
What is “mind numbing” is the way some people make a racial issue out of EVERYTHING! This story is about a man who wants to be the President of the United States and whether or not he is a truthful, honest person. Apparently he is not, as many politicians are not.
Posted by: David | March 24, 2007, 4:00 pm 4:00 pm
“Every major news outlet in this country, including ABC, dropped the ball in failing to dissect this aministration’s claims of Iraq’s WMD’s and attempts to procure uranium, but now it wants to flex its investigative journalist muscles by delving into the childhood of Barack Obama to question is recollection at 9 year’s old?”
AMEN, Cecil! This is abcnew.com’s idea of a “Top Headline?” What a joke! Get some real reporters.
Posted by: Robin | March 24, 2007, 4:08 pm 4:08 pm
It’s about time. This slick liar has gotten a pass by the media. How about more investigation into how his wife suddenly gets to sit on boards and makes over $300,000 after he becomes a Senator. This guy is full of it!!
He is the one trying to make a racial issue. He is half white and half black. Thats fine. He wants to only talk about his “blackness” to score political points. If he really wants us to get into his background, how about his Muslim family members. Remember is middle name is Hussein. He rejected the name Barry for Barak. Do not trust him.
Posted by: Sara | March 24, 2007, 4:40 pm 4:40 pm
And when is the media going to ignore this kind of tripe and insist that they be given the candidates views on the real issues in this country like health care, the impending demise of social security, the national debt, global warming, the 10′s of millions in this country that can’t afford health care and the restoration of the constitutional rights of the people?
The media spends fractions of sound bites on these wolves at America’s door without digging beyond softball questions and the non-commital party lines offered by the all of the candidates. But we can go on for days and weeks about the personal trivia of the candidates.
This isn’t news. This isn’t informing people so they can make an intelligent choice in leadership for this country.
This isn’t hard journalism.
This stuff is Entertainment Tonight!
Posted by: Zach | March 24, 2007, 5:32 pm 5:32 pm
It doesn’t matter how the CLINTON”S campaign try to drag Obama down. My mind is set, and Obamba will get my vote and well as my family vote. We, in Miami, Florida love Obama. By the way, We Are African Americans, And too, all blacks are not for the CLINTONS.
The Chicago Tribune printed a story from ‘hear say’ which has no merit. I don’t belive a word that I read.
It is time for Senate Clinton to throw her hat in and jump on the Band Wagon with Obamba.
She yet has to acknowledge her mistake for voting for the WAR.
Posted by: Mickey | March 24, 2007, 7:01 pm 7:01 pm
People are concerned about a Mormon running for prsident, what about a Muslim? Shady land deals, deceptions, and lies, Obama is a real politician. How can anyone, in their right mind, vote for him. The Dem’s need to find a qualified candidate, right now there is nobody I would vote for.
Posted by: Alden | March 25, 2007, 11:52 am 11:52 am
As a Canadian, I find Obamba a refreshing voice in the wilderness of American politics. Let us all remember that each one of us has had some soiled linen in our closets at times. Anyone says “THEY DO NOT” is a complete liar.
Posted by: John Templeman | March 25, 2007, 2:12 pm 2:12 pm
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