1.27.2007
Obama's Harvard Days Marked by Bridge-building (LATimes.com)
By Richard A. Serrano and David G. Savage, Times Staff Writers
7:45 PM PST, January 26, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Barack Obama's entry into politics came on a winter morning at the white-columned Harvard Law Review building when, about 2 a.m., a deeply divided editorial staff chose him as the first African American to lead the prestigious publication.
It was no small accomplishment. Obama, who at nearly 30 was older and more world-wise than most of his classmates, had to navigate among sharply drawn factions of conservatives and liberals to beat 18 other candidates for the job.
Today, as he weighs a bid for the White House, Obama has provoked questions about whether he has the experience to build a winning coalition of voters. But at Harvard Law he showed that — on a much smaller scale — he had the savvy to maneuver through turbulent political waters.
"The Harvard Law Review was a place of petty and vicious internal politics," said Brad Berenson, an editorial board member with Obama and, more recently, an associate White House counsel to President Bush.
"Compared to Washington and the White House and the Supreme Court, the Harvard Law Review was much more politically vicious," Berenson said. "The conservatives threw their support to Obama because he could bridge the gap between both camps and retain the trust and confidence of both."
Whether Obama can reprise his role as political bridge-builder remains to be seen. Now a Democratic senator from Illinois, he plans to announce a decision Feb. 10 about the 2008 campaign — though most observers believe that he is in the race.
(More ... Los Angeles Times > Politics)
7:45 PM PST, January 26, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Barack Obama's entry into politics came on a winter morning at the white-columned Harvard Law Review building when, about 2 a.m., a deeply divided editorial staff chose him as the first African American to lead the prestigious publication.
It was no small accomplishment. Obama, who at nearly 30 was older and more world-wise than most of his classmates, had to navigate among sharply drawn factions of conservatives and liberals to beat 18 other candidates for the job.
Today, as he weighs a bid for the White House, Obama has provoked questions about whether he has the experience to build a winning coalition of voters. But at Harvard Law he showed that — on a much smaller scale — he had the savvy to maneuver through turbulent political waters.
"The Harvard Law Review was a place of petty and vicious internal politics," said Brad Berenson, an editorial board member with Obama and, more recently, an associate White House counsel to President Bush.
"Compared to Washington and the White House and the Supreme Court, the Harvard Law Review was much more politically vicious," Berenson said. "The conservatives threw their support to Obama because he could bridge the gap between both camps and retain the trust and confidence of both."
Whether Obama can reprise his role as political bridge-builder remains to be seen. Now a Democratic senator from Illinois, he plans to announce a decision Feb. 10 about the 2008 campaign — though most observers believe that he is in the race.
(More ... Los Angeles Times > Politics)
Labels: 2008 election, LATimes, Obama
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