CHAPTER THREE
The Path to the Corridors of Power
As a community organizer in Chicago and then as president of the Harvard Law Review, Obama learns about coalition building, hones his political talents.
- Related Interviews
Pete Rouse
Obama's chief of staff since 2005, and longtime congressional staffer, Rouse's power has led to him being called "the 101st senator."
Tom Daschle
Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle advised Obama in 2006 not to miss the window of opportunity in 2008 to make a run for the presidency.
David Mendell
Obama's biographer talks about the two-year plan his aides put together for Obama's first years in the Senate, and also his early political career in Chicago.
Cassandra Butts
Obama's domestic policy adviser met the future candidate on their first day at Harvard Law School and describes their experience in that politically polarized environment.
RELATED CONTENT FOR CHAPTER THREE
Obama in the U.S. Senate
The New Senator
A roundup of views from people interviewed for this FRONTLINE report.
A roundup of views from people interviewed for this FRONTLINE report.
Obama in Senate: Star Power, Minor Role
"They were the two competing elements in Mr. Obama's time in the Senate: his megawatt celebrity and the realities of the job he was elected to do." (The New York Times, March 9, 2008)
"They were the two competing elements in Mr. Obama's time in the Senate: his megawatt celebrity and the realities of the job he was elected to do." (The New York Times, March 9, 2008)
The First Time Around
One in a series of stories from Jeff Zeleny profiling Obama's first year in office. A sidebar contains links to related stories, as well as interviews with Barack and Michelle Obama. (Chicago Tribune, Dec. 24, 2005)
One in a series of stories from Jeff Zeleny profiling Obama's first year in office. A sidebar contains links to related stories, as well as interviews with Barack and Michelle Obama. (Chicago Tribune, Dec. 24, 2005)
The Outsider's Insider
"After three decades in Washington, Pete Rouse is a voice of experience for Sen. Barack Obama." (The Washington Post, Aug. 27, 2007)
"After three decades in Washington, Pete Rouse is a voice of experience for Sen. Barack Obama." (The Washington Post, Aug. 27, 2007)
The Chicago Years
Obama's Political Skills & Insight
A roundup of views from people interviewed for this FRONTLINE report.
A roundup of views from people interviewed for this FRONTLINE report.
Obama's Nature & Character
A roundup of views from people interviewed for this FRONTLINE report.
A roundup of views from people interviewed for this FRONTLINE report.
Making It
"His life in Chicago from 1991 until his victorious Senate campaign is a lacuna in his autobiography. It is also the period that formed him as a politician." (The New Yorker, July 21, 2008)
"His life in Chicago from 1991 until his victorious Senate campaign is a lacuna in his autobiography. It is also the period that formed him as a politician." (The New Yorker, July 21, 2008)
Pragmatic Politics, Forged on the South Side
"The secret of his transformation … can be described as the politics of maximum unity." (The New York Times, May 11, 2008)
"The secret of his transformation … can be described as the politics of maximum unity." (The New York Times, May 11, 2008)
Obama's Organizing Years, Guiding Others and Finding Himself
"Obama's three-year stretch as a grass-roots organizer has figured prominently, if not profoundly, in his own narrative of his life." (The New York Times, July 7, 2008)
"Obama's three-year stretch as a grass-roots organizer has figured prominently, if not profoundly, in his own narrative of his life." (The New York Times, July 7, 2008)
Creation Myth
"What Barack Obama won't tell you about his community organizing past." (The New Republic, Sept. 10, 2008)
"What Barack Obama won't tell you about his community organizing past." (The New Republic, Sept. 10, 2008)
At Harvard Law School
Harvard Law Days
A roundup of views from people interviewed for this FRONTLINE report.
A roundup of views from people interviewed for this FRONTLINE report.
In Law School, Obama Found Political Voice
"He arrived there as an unknown, Afro-wearing community organizer who had spent years searching for his identity; by the time he left, he had his first national news media exposure, a book contract and a shot of confidence from running the most powerful legal journal in the country." (The New York Times, Jan. 28, 2007)
"He arrived there as an unknown, Afro-wearing community organizer who had spent years searching for his identity; by the time he left, he had his first national news media exposure, a book contract and a shot of confidence from running the most powerful legal journal in the country." (The New York Times, Jan. 28, 2007)
First Black Elected to Head Harvard's Law Review
The New York Times covers Obama's election as president of the Harvard Law Review. (Feb. 6, 1990)
The New York Times covers Obama's election as president of the Harvard Law Review. (Feb. 6, 1990)
Obama Kept Law Review Balanced
The Politico.com reviews the content of the "eight dense volumes" produced during Obama's tenure. (June 23, 2008)
The Politico.com reviews the content of the "eight dense volumes" produced during Obama's tenure. (June 23, 2008)
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