In July 2004, Barack Obama electrified the Democratic National Convention with an address that spoke to Americans across the political spectrum. One phrase in particular anchored itself in listeners' minds, a reminder that for all the discord and struggle to be found in our history as a nation, we have always been guided by a dogged optimism in the future, or what Senator Obama called 'the audacity of hope'. Now, in 'The audacity of hope', Senator Obama calls for a different brand of politics - a politics for those weary of bitter partisanship and alienated by the 'endless clash of armies' we see in congress and on the campaign trail; a politics rooted in the faith, inclusiveness, and nobility of spirit. He explores those forces - from the fear of losing to the perpetual need to raise money to the power of the media - that can stifle even the best-intentioned politician.

