The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama

by Gwen Ifill

Book Overview

In The Breakthrough, veteran journalist Gwen Ifill surveys the American political landscape, shedding new light on the impact of Barack Obama's stunning presidential victory and introducing the emerging young African American politicians forging a bold new path to political power.

Ifill argues that the Black political structure formed during the Civil Rights movement is giving way to a generation of men and women who are the direct beneficiaries...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0767928903
• ISBN13: 9780767928908
• Release Date: October 2009
• Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Very Good Quality and Reliable Service

I am very satisfied with this purchase; as I have been in the past with the purchases of several books. I received my product within 3 days -- in mint condition. I would have wanted to know if this book was in large print, but I am still satisfied, and I have reading glasses. Yes, I will recommend this site to my family and friends.

If you ever wondered why some never let go...

If you ever wondered why some black politicians never seem to let go, this book is an excellent read. I live in a city (Memphis) with a 70 year old black mayor who has not shown interest in the job in at least eight years yet continues to run and win just because he knows he has a blind base that will continue to elect him and stroke his ego. Well, this book has helped me understand his mindset. It also help me see that my beloved city has absolutely no young (under 50) black political hotshots on the horizon. The guy who is in line to become our next mayor is well past 60. Oh well. Ms. Ifill does a wonderful job of bringing the various "characters" to life and the book reads almost like a novel in the way it spins the tale of how various young politicians tiptoed through the political minefields of snatching power from the old heads (except for those that inherited offices). This book adds proof to the fact that often times the oppressed easily become the oppressors and civil rights-era black politicians are/were no different. It amuses me now how the Republican party tried to make an issue of this book prior to the VP debate before it even came out. And, of course, their arguments were proven wrong. As the book is not really about Pres. Obama but rather the struggle between the old guard and the new guard of black politics. Overall, a very good informative read.

If we blithely ignore the questions, there still could be troubled days ahead.

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 mild

New Leader Emerge

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.

Excellent and Awesome!

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.