Customer Reviews

The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama

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3 star:		(8)
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The Obama presidency --- less than a month old as this is written --- is already generating a tsunami of commentary, appraisal, praise, criticism, advice, warning and general can-we-really-believe-this wonderment.

The voices producing all this punditry come overwhelmingly from white observers. In this wide-ranging book, TV journalist Gwen Ifill (remember her as moderator of the 2008 vice presidential debate?) gives us a much-needed perspective from the black community itself.

Some of her conclusions may surprise you. There are, for example, sharp generational divisions within the black community over what the election meant and what it may mean for our political future. Race still looms as a major issue in American politics. A huge step forward has indeed been taken, but where the path leads and who will blaze it are unanswered questions.

The major theme of Ifill's book is the deep psychological and tactical division between the older generation of black civil rights activists --- those who endured the fire hoses, the attack dogs, the beatings --- and the newer crop of young black political hopefuls who want to build in their own way on what their elders accomplished. The younger group reveres and respects what the pioneers did, but their own objectives are quite different. The situation is nicely summed up by a quote from Michael Steele, the Maryland politician just elected chairman of the Republican National Committee: "This generation is less interested in having a seat at the lunch counter and more interested in owning the diner."

This amounts, in Ifill's phrase, to a "redefinition" of black politics and politicians. In his campaign Barack Obama tried to straddle the divide by soft-pedaling the idea of past black militancy and struggle, speaking instead of the need for blacks and whites to seek common ground for the general good. It was a kind of unconscious echo of Thomas Jefferson's "We are all Republicans; we are all Federalists."

Obama's election certainly marked a milestone in the long road toward racial tolerance in America, but most of the politicians Ifill consulted have no rosy illusions that we have entered a "post-racial" political era, and Ifill seems to agree with them. She repeatedly invokes the image of sandpaper to characterize the uneasy state of friction that still exists below the political surface.

The younger generation of rising black politicians is still irritated by the idea that they should "wait their turn" instead of pushing aggressively toward their political goals. In this regard, Ifill focuses on three highly visible black activists: Newark Mayor Corey Booker, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Alabama Congressman Artur Davis. While admiring the political skills of Booker and Patrick, she is somewhat critical of both men for ignoring sound advice and trying to accomplish all their goals in too short a time. She sees Davis as obviously planning a run for governor of Alabama, a risky move to put it mildly.

Within the black community, Ifill finds an undercurrent of unease with politicians perceived as not "black enough." When the young Deval Patrick came home to Illinois on a break from Milton Academy in Massachusetts, his sister taunted him with "you talk like a white boy!" And there were those who wondered why Barack Obama did not say more about specifically black concerns during his campaign. (Of course, on the other side stood those whites who rejected any black candidate simply because his skin was black and dismissed Obama as a secret Muslim or even the Antichrist. Ifill pays them little heed other than to implicitly acknowledge that they are indeed still with us.)

The last section of Ifill's book is a survey of promising second-level black politicians from around the country --- state legislators, mayors, government officials. These are the people, she says, who may make up the next wave of nationally prominent black political figures. This final chapter reads a little like a baseball scouting report from the minor leagues, listing the hottest young prospects for future seasons.

THE BREAKTHROUGH is well written, but it is perhaps most valuable for the questions it raises than for any answers Ifill provides. These answers we must all figure out for ourselves. If we blithely ignore the questions, there still could be troubled days ahead.

--- Reviewed by Robert Finn

Ifill's take on politics in the current age of Obama examines the past, the present, and hints at the future. The breakthrough, she argues, did not happen overnight but rather was the outcome of many long struggles fought by individuals in politics, from the civil rights movement up to recent years. Ifill examines both young and old members of politics who have made breakthroughs in their own right, and leaves one thinking about how race will continue to play out as a factor in politics. Without pressing a singular opinion throughout the book, Ifill presents interviews and quotes from others that establish ground from which one can form their own opinions and ideas. The book is insightful and interesting, capturing a topic that would surely intrigue anyone living in the age of Obama.

Few public figures are better positioned to write a book on race and politics than Gwen Ifill (b. 1955). As the moderator and managing editor of Washington Week and senior correspondent of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, for thirty years the affable and articulate journalist has reported on the sweeping changes in American politics that culminated in what she calls the "Obama effect." As an African-American woman she has also lived this story. The professional and the personal collided with this book, which was released on Inauguration Day (January 20, 2009), when critics charged her with promoting and in turn benefiting from Obama's election.

Obama is only the "leading edge" of radical changes that have redefined the role of blacks in American politics. Today, for example, there are over forty black city mayors. In 2008, 43% of white Americans voted for Obama, an incredible figure when you consider that John Kerry received only 41% in 2004. But there are barriers and boundaries everywhere you turn in this house of mirrors. Obama did his best to run something like a "post-racial" campaign, but Ifill shows that American society remains far from color blind.

Ifill's book is almost entirely anecdotal. She devotes one chapter each to four "case studies" of the new generation of black politicians-- Obama, Artur Davis, a congressman from Birmingham, Alabama; Cory Booker, mayor of Newark, New Jersey; and then Deval Patrick, mayor of Massachusetts. She then explores four themes-- the complex relationship of generation change, in which younger black politicians must relate to their older forbears who carried the torch during the days of the civil rights movement when many of them weren't even born; race and gender-- which group is more disadvantaged, and which identity helps or hurts more; legacy politics, in which a younger generation enjoys the advantages and negotiates the disadvantages of a parent politician (eg, Jesse Jackson, Jr.); and then the "politics of identity" that examines how the new generation walks the tightrope of being "too black" for whites and/or "too white" for blacks.

The many stories in Ifill's book show that there's no such thing as a monolithic "black politics." Rather, there are multiple layers, nuances, challenges and opportunities. For the up and coming generation of political super stars, some times race helped them, often it hurt them, but for all of them it always mattered. Not a single person that Ifill interviewed said that race did not matter. My only complaint about this book is that we learn almost nothing about Ifill's own personal experiences as a highly public black woman. Rather, the book reads like a version of her television pieces, scrubbed clean of any private reflections of a deeply personal nature. But since this is only Ifill's first book, I'm hoping for more good things from her.

Gwen Ifill's book is a very well written look at the current state of African-American politics. It highlights the current crop of black leaders and shows how they view themselves and their place in American politics. The most interesting aspect of the book is the apparent division between the civil rights era leaders and the current leaders, who view their roles differently. While Obama's election is a pivotal moment in race relations in America, the book doesn't really focus on him alone, but rather uses his election as a mirror for the other black leaders in the book. How do they view Obama? What does his election mean? What does that mean for their political future?

As a white male, I was very uninformed on this subject, but thankfully I can speak a little more confidently on the current generation of black leaders and what they stand for.

Gwen Ifill's new book, The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama, presents readers with an extensive cast of characters across multiple generations. As a result of lots of interviews, Ifill is able to assemble the outlook, perspective and experience of both well-known and lesser-known individuals. Ifill excels at allowing the voices of the individuals she interviews express themselves. Despite an overall structure in The Breakthrough, there isn't a great deal of analysis. Consider this for what it is: a journalist using her skills at interviewing to assemble a book that provides readers with the insights of many individuals. A bonus for me was reading about individuals who are up and coming in the political world, and gaining some understanding of what race may mean for the next generation of politicians and voters.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)

Gwen Ifill's analysis of emergence of new black political leaders is very insightful and interesting. She captures a unique quality in each of the politicians including their determination to rise above the criticisms of older civil rights leaders from the past. In many of the documented cases, young leaders were breaking with the traditions of their own parents who encouraged them to go into politics. Breakthrough is a fascinating read and I will be interested to see what becomes of many of the leaders highlighted in the book.

An excellent work of written art that provides a serious perspective about politics and race in the 21st Century. I would recommend this as a "required reading" for all minorities, regardless of their ethnic origin, who are interested in pursuing a leadership and/or political career.

Since I'm enjoying this book so much (25 more pages to go), I wanted to read other reviews to make sure I've been critical enough. For me, it has been the right balance of election rehash (which I thoroughly enjoy) and post-Civil-Rights-era history lesson. I love slicing and dicing of exit polls and analysis of what the presidential candidates did well and poorly. I was not looking for a book about Barack Obama alone (there are plenty out there), and I knew that the point of the book is to discuss the sons and daughters of Jesse Jackson and his contemporaries. I especially appreciate the discussions of criticism and skepticism that these younger politicians have faced from other African Americans (for not "waiting their turn," not being "black enough," etc.) I have not been disappointed.

I found the this book a great read. Her dicussion of President Obama's election and the old guard leaders' reaction to his running for the presidency was enlightening. It was also fantastic to read about the up and coming young black politicians that are the current and future leaders that will make a difference in government. Ifill has tremendous insight and I enjoyed reading her book.

This is a terrific analysis of recent historical events. Many of the politicians profiled in this book have been the subject of extensive media coverage but the behind the scenes strategies and challenges have not been explained and revealed in this way previously. It is fascinating for anyone who is interested in politics or in the changes occurring in the political landscape today. It does an excellent job of analyzing the generational shift in African American politics, without taking sides or exhibiting any bias. A typical superior job by Ms. Ifill.