Page 35 - Šolsko polje, XXVIII, 2017, no. 3-4: Education and the American Dream, ed. Mitja Sardoč
P. 35
a. peters ■ conflicting narratives of the american dream
Obama on the American Dream
Obama is a savvy politician who knows the currency and power of the
concept of the American Dream. His second book, entitled “The Audac-
ity of Hope,” (2006) was subtitled, “Thoughts on Reclaiming the Amer-
ican Dream.”
Most Americans have simple dreams. A job that can support a family.
Health care we can count on and afford. A retirement that is dignified
and secure. Education and opportunity for our kids. But today, the price
of the American dream is going up. All across the country, Americans
are working harder for less. We’ve never paid more for health care or
for college. It’s harder to save, and it’s harder to retire. There are things
we need to do right now to give our economy a boost, but a short-term
stimulus is not enough. We have to put the American dream on a firmer
foundation.
His recipe was clear: “stop giving tax breaks to companies that ship
jobs overseas, and to put a tax cut in the pocket of middle class Amer-
icans”; “protect a secure retirement by easing the burden on America’s
seniors”; “change our bankruptcy laws to protect workers’ pensions in-
stead of protecting banks”; “make health care affordable and accessible for
all Americans.” He wrote, “We also have to be clear that the American
dream must never come at the expense of the American family.” He also
indicated the, “need to expand paid leave” and, perhaps most fundamen-
tally, “It’s time to put a college education within reach of every American.”
The book became a national bestseller in the fall of 2006, and its
promises and policy sketches became part of his 2008 campaign for the
presidency. The phrase, “the audacity of hope” was one adopted from his
pastor, Jeremiah Wright (whose version was, “the audacity to hope”), and
Obama also used it as the basis also for his keynote at the 2004 Demo-
cratic Convention.5 In that speech, he began by recalling his grandfather’s
dream and his family heritage to say: “I stand here today, grateful for the
diversity of my heritage, aware that my parents’ dreams live on in my pre-
cious daughters. I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger
American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and
that, in no other country on earth, is my story even possible.”
In the same paragraph, Obama then alludes to the Declaration as a
basis for America Dream: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with
certain inalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty and the pur-
suit of happiness,” and he goes on to say, “That is the true genius of Amer-
5 For the full speech, see http://www.librarian.net/dnc/speeches/obama.txt.
33
Obama on the American Dream
Obama is a savvy politician who knows the currency and power of the
concept of the American Dream. His second book, entitled “The Audac-
ity of Hope,” (2006) was subtitled, “Thoughts on Reclaiming the Amer-
ican Dream.”
Most Americans have simple dreams. A job that can support a family.
Health care we can count on and afford. A retirement that is dignified
and secure. Education and opportunity for our kids. But today, the price
of the American dream is going up. All across the country, Americans
are working harder for less. We’ve never paid more for health care or
for college. It’s harder to save, and it’s harder to retire. There are things
we need to do right now to give our economy a boost, but a short-term
stimulus is not enough. We have to put the American dream on a firmer
foundation.
His recipe was clear: “stop giving tax breaks to companies that ship
jobs overseas, and to put a tax cut in the pocket of middle class Amer-
icans”; “protect a secure retirement by easing the burden on America’s
seniors”; “change our bankruptcy laws to protect workers’ pensions in-
stead of protecting banks”; “make health care affordable and accessible for
all Americans.” He wrote, “We also have to be clear that the American
dream must never come at the expense of the American family.” He also
indicated the, “need to expand paid leave” and, perhaps most fundamen-
tally, “It’s time to put a college education within reach of every American.”
The book became a national bestseller in the fall of 2006, and its
promises and policy sketches became part of his 2008 campaign for the
presidency. The phrase, “the audacity of hope” was one adopted from his
pastor, Jeremiah Wright (whose version was, “the audacity to hope”), and
Obama also used it as the basis also for his keynote at the 2004 Demo-
cratic Convention.5 In that speech, he began by recalling his grandfather’s
dream and his family heritage to say: “I stand here today, grateful for the
diversity of my heritage, aware that my parents’ dreams live on in my pre-
cious daughters. I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger
American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and
that, in no other country on earth, is my story even possible.”
In the same paragraph, Obama then alludes to the Declaration as a
basis for America Dream: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with
certain inalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty and the pur-
suit of happiness,” and he goes on to say, “That is the true genius of Amer-
5 For the full speech, see http://www.librarian.net/dnc/speeches/obama.txt.
33
