Part of the Kennedy myth that propelled him into the White House was that he wrote a Pulitzer-winning book. Only many years later was it revealed that the actual author, or at least ghost writer, was Ted Sorenson.
Well, now we have an interesting question.
Who wrote Dreams of My Father?
A 1990 New York Times profile on Obama's election as Harvard's first black president caught the eye of agent Jane Dystel. She persuaded Poseidon, a small imprint of Simon & Schuster, to authorize a roughly $125,000 advance for Obama's proposed memoir.
With advance in hand, Obama repaired to Chicago where he dithered. At one point, in order to finish without interruption, he and wife Michelle decamped to Bali. Obama was supposed to have finished the book within a year. Bali or not, advance or no, he could not. He was surely in way over his head.
According to a surprisingly harsh 2006 article by liberal publisher Peter Osnos, which detailed the "ruthlessness" of Obama's literary ascent, Simon & Schuster canceled the contract. Dystel did not give up. She solicited Times Book, the division of Random House at which Osnos was publisher. He met with Obama, took his word that he could finish the book, and authorized a new advance of $40,000.
Then suddenly, somehow, the muse descended on Obama and transformed him from a struggling, unschooled amateur, with no paper trail beyond an unremarkable legal note and a poem about fig-stomping apes, into a literary superstar.
...In 1997, Obama was an obscure state senator, a lawyer, and a law school instructor with one book under his belt that had debuted two years earlier to little acclaim and lesser sales. In terms of identity, he had more in common with mayor Sawyer than poet Brooks. The "writer" identification seems forced and purposefully so, a signal perhaps to those in the know of a persona in the making that Ayers had himself helped forge.
None of this, of course, proves Ayers' authorship conclusively, but the evidence makes him a much more likely candidate than Obama to have written the best parts of Dreams.
The Obama camp could put all such speculation to rest by producing some intermediary sign of impending greatness -- a school paper, an article, a notebook, his Columbia thesis, his LSAT scores -- but Obama guards these more zealously than Saddam did his nuclear secrets. And I suspect, at the end of the day, we will pay an equally high price for Obama's concealment as Saddam's.
An interesting, and very plausible thesis. Much more so, in fact, than the official story. And if true, one more bit of evidence that Bill Ayers was more, much more, than "a guy in his neighborhood." It is also one more bit of continually accumulating evidence that Barack Obama is a fraud.
And as Andy McCarthy notes, given that Chris Buckley's insouciance about an Obama presidency is predicated on the intellectual brilliance evidenced by his books, he might want to reconsider, if his books are in fact those of someone else.
And no, don't expect the press to cover this.
Publishing (in my limited experience and more extensive research) moves exceedingly slowly. AARCs (Advanced Reader Copies - books for reviewers) would be going out in March / April '95, so story editing needed to be done a month or so prior. (Copy-editing could proceed while the ARCs were out).
This means the editor would have had to get the revisions back from the author in early '95. Since the revisions are based on the editorial letter, the manuscript had to be in hand by October '94 at the earliest.
So for Ayers to be the ghostwriter, he would have had to be signed up in early 1994.
Regarding writing in general - I released a not-very-good self-published novel in 2006. That was the fifth draft of a book I started in 2001. If Obama started writing in 1990, it's entirely possible it took him that long (and multiple drafts) to find his authorial voice.
Last issue - ghostwriters are usually paid. Did Ayers do the ghosting for free?
Rand, I'm afraid you are going completely and certifiably NUTS.
Yeah right: Ayers wrote Obama's books.
Next up: Ayers is actually Obama's father ?
Did Ayers do the ghosting for free?
Of course not. I'm sure that if he did it, he's been well recompensed, in many ways.
I'm afraid you are going completely and certifiably NUTS.
This from someone who repeatedly demands to see Trig Palin's birth records.
In fairness to Rand, read the article -- the article might be wrong, but it isn't nuts. Rand might be crazy anyway, but linking to the article isn't even slightly indicative of that.
I did think the article would have been a little stronger if the author hadn't used his own book as the control, but that didn't invalidate the argument.
By the way, Rand, The Audacity of Hope is the policy-oriented book people should be paying attention to if they want to see what an Obama presidency might be like.
It's simply an implausible theory.
Listen to Obama speak, as in the last debate. Or hear him in myriad interviews off the cuff. Or hear what his students at the University of Chicago thought of his lectures - he was a celebrity - surely he has the capability to craft thoughts in an attractive form.
There is a strong similarity in his formation of sentences and arguments to what one finds in "Dreams of my Father." This style is also evident in his speeches. Or take the various snippets of information one gets from those once skeptics who have talked with him, such as David Brooks. Brooks talks about the spontaneous discussion they had on Niebhur for twenty minutes and how impressed he he was with Obama's analysis. His early speeches in the campaign were all written by him until his speechwriter Favreaux figured out exactly how to capture the essential Obama, as he puts it.
Now in all fairness, if a Sarah Palin had written such a book, well then the disconnect between the style of the book and the gibberish and-also-but speaking style would make such a theory far more plausible. Even then it is possible that with painstaking work even a Sarah Palin could write good stuff; she is after all a journalism major. It's just that the improbability is that much higher. So yes, the theory is plausible, just as theories on the authorship of the works of Shakespeare are plausible.
For more analysis of the matter, a generally appropriate starting point for Rand would be to actually read the book. A book by the way he has previously scorned until the fortunate possibility of linking it to Bill Ayers emerged at NRO.
The good news is that if you buy the whole caboodle, then Ayers must be a great writer as well as an unrepentant terrorist. Ayers bombed the Pentagon, but boy can he write!
if a Sarah Palin had written such a book, well then the disconnect between the style of the book and the gibberish and-also-but speaking style would make such a theory far more plausible.
Plausible only to those that are unaware that writing and speaking are too different things. Many if not most people write in an entirely different way from the way they speak. As a matter of fact, it is considered quite a skill to write conversationally! The people the elites look down upon often understand this point very well.
BTW, if you bothered to analyze her 'gibberish' you would find that she has a natural intelligence that surpassed those that look down their nose at her. For instance, she was correct about the Bush Doctrine, where Charlie was not. She was correct in terms of international law as well. Charlie's statements indicate he didn't have a clue what international law is (since his statement of the Bush Doctrine regarding preemption is international law.)
Listen to Obama speak, as in the last debate.
I did listen, Mike. Obama was lost without his teleprompter. He wasn't like Palin in the VP debate. Okay, yes, she did have a stack of notes with her then. But she didn't really need them.
The best thing that McCain could do now (although of course Obama is unelectable either way) is to let Palin stand in for him in the third debate. It would be fantastic to see Sarah Barracuda slaughter that left-wing lightweight.
Does anyone know where to find excerpts of Obama's "Dreams from my Father" and "Audacity of Hope," and Ayer's "Fugitive Days"? It'd be especially great if transcripts of Ayers' speeches could also be found. Some free stylometric/author analysis software can be found here: http://www.philocomp.net/?pageref=humanities&page=signature
Jim! You do have a sense of humor. I agree, I would love to see Sarah and Barack debate. I only wish Sarah didn't have to support John's positions. I guess that's what happens when the left gets to choose the GOP candidate.
By the way, Rand, The Audacity of Hope is the policy-oriented book people should be paying attention to if they want to see what an Obama presidency might be like.
I'm sorry, you're saying we should read his book to find out what he'd be like as a President, rather than review his actions or think about who his friends are, or consider other actual demonstrations of character? Believe what he says, you're saying, rather than what he does?
That's seems pretty amazingly naive. Hopefully you don't make personal decisions the same way.
I'm often amazed at Carl the omniscient one right here. ;-)
For a man supposedly in the sciences, the scientific method often has little appeal to him.
Yes, do read Obama's books if you at least want to make an intelligent comment about them. Don't simply parrot someone else's opinion.
You wouldn't want your kids to write their book reviews by googling for answers now would you?
Meanwhile Ken says:
BTW, if you bothered to analyze her 'gibberish' you would find that she has a natural intelligence that surpassed those that look down their nose at her.
I like to read and listen to English in full, grammatically correct sentences. I don't generally prefer pidgin, especially when there is no formal way to learn it. I also don't have the time to analyze gibberish to find the correct parsing of Palin's and, also, but skits. If that's what you want in your leaders, it's your choice, but it doesn't look like she is making much of a sale.
On the other hand, she does seem to have a great talent for stoking a mob.
Rand,
Concerning the authorship of Profiles in Courage. I read once that when this question was raised during the preidential camaign of 1960, Kennedy showed the curious reporter the actual handwritten manuscript, he was unable to type it due to his back problems. Although I have often seen the allegation that Sorenson was the ghost author, I have never seen actual proof of it, in the form of a confession by Sorenson or memos between the two about the book or something like that. That doesn't mean there isn't such, I have just never seen it referred to. Do you know what the actual proof is on this?
Carl, I was only contrasting "Dreams From My Father" with the much more policy-oriented "Audacity Of Hope" - nothing more.
I'm often amazed at Carl the omniscient one right here. ;-)
As well you should be, peasant.
Yes, do read Obama's books if you at least want to make an intelligent comment about them.
A good point. Unfortunately, not a relevant point, since the comment to which I responded was suggesting that one read Obama's books to find out how he'd behave as President, and ignore all that character-smearing nonsense about what he does, and who is friends are.
Do I need to reed his books to find out whether it's better to judge a politician by what he does and the company he keeps rather than what he says? I kinda think not.
BTW, if you bothered to analyze her 'gibberish' you would find that she has a natural intelligence that surpassed those that look down their nose at her.
LOL! Thanks Ken, I needed a laugh.
If it makes you feel better, believe what you will. I look forward to the campaign letting her demonstrate this in something other than a stump speach.
Daveon, Sarah Palin has demonstrated her intelligence by governing the state of Alaska, among other things. Giving a pretty speech is, by contrast, a minor accomplishment.
I've known Nobel laureates who can't give public speeches worth a damn. I've known inarticulate physicians and master carpenters. Haven't you? Do you really feel poise on the stage and beautiful public speaking are the (or even a) major criterion in deciding how smart and competent someone is?
That seems a trifle shallow, if you ask me.
> The good news is that if you buy the whole caboodle, then Ayers must be a great writer as well as an unrepentant terrorist. Ayers bombed the Pentagon, but boy can he write!
Sarcasm aside, I don't think anybody would dispute that Ayers is quite an experienced writer. He's been a professor of education for 20 years and is the author/editor of 15 books.
Mike: If that's what you want in your leaders
Daveon: LOL! Thanks Ken, I needed a laugh.
I note that neither of you address my point that articulate Charles Gibson got it wrong and Sarah got it right... twice!
Yes, Mike, I want a leader that gets it right more than I want a glib leader that gets it wrong. Doesn't it bother you the least bit that Biden can make such factually, not just inaccurate, but plain, unadulterated STUPID statement with such senatorial aplomb?
She may not win, but she is no loser.
I agree with Daveon.
Why not provide Sarah Palin with more opportunities to demonstrate her natural intellignece that is so evident to Ken?
How about a Press Conference? Take some questions on the abuse of power issue? Or challenge Biden to another debate?
This is still a democracy. It would be nice to keep it that way.
I note that neither of you address my point that articulate Charles Gibson got it wrong and Sarah got it right... twice!
Did you even bother to read the document you linked to in your blog?
In your context, the application of the NSS is not subject to any conditions in order to be justifiable under international law. Which, as the article you linked to points out numerous times, just isn't the case.
Did you even bother to read the document you linked to in your blog?
No, I've always felt that linking to things willy-nilly is the best way to prove a point. /sarc
In your context, the application of the NSS is not subject to any conditions in order to be justifiable under international law.
Huh? Where do you get that? I'll let Sarah herself answer that one, which she does both accurately and articulately...
If there is legitimate, and enough, intelligence that tells us that a strike is imminent against American people, we have every right to defend our country.
My point is simply that Sarah spoke the truth. Can you point to ANY FLAW in her statement? Any at all?
Which, as the article you linked to points out numerous times, just isn't the case.
Now you're switching from a general argument to a specific case. You need to make a specific argument if you wish to do that. So far, you have not presented an argument.
So Rand thinks the thesis that Ayres wrote Dreams is more plausible than the "official story" of Obama's authorship. But the article in question does not argue that Ayres showed any talent as a literary writer before Dreams was published, and there is no evidence that he did (he'd written political manifestos and books on education reform). If Dreams and Fugitive Days were written by the same person, why single out Ayres as the author? Isn't just as plausible that Obama wrote both?
The fact that Cashill does not even raise this possibility speaks volumes about the prejudices he brings to the question, prejudices that undermine everything else he writes.
Rand, too, seems incapable of imagining that Obama could hit a literary home run in his first at-bat. He finds it more plausible that Ayres could accomplish this feat. And that Obama could continue to secretly employ Ayres to write Audacity of Hope and the 2004 DNC speech, which have the same authorial voice as Dreams. The "official story" -- that Obama happens to be an unusually talented writer, which helped catapult him to national political prominence -- is suspect. "More plausible" to believe that Ayres is the real talent. Perhaps Rand would like to elaborate on the source of his belief in Ayres' brilliance?
the article in question does not argue that Ayres showed any talent as a literary writer before Dreams was published, and there is no evidence that he did (he'd written political manifestos and books on education reform). If Dreams and Fugitive Days were written by the same person, why single out Ayres as the author?
Because at least Ayers had written something. Obama's previous writings (not to mention his transcripts) remain a cipher and a mystery.
Isn't just as plausible that Obama wrote both?
No.
Obama wrote plenty before Dreams -- he graduated from college and law school. Have you (or Cashill) read anything that Ayres wrote before 1995? Have you seen his transcripts? And yet you're certain that Ayres' unseen writing and transcripts trump Obama's?
Again, I'm curious as to why you are so convinced of Ayres' ability to have written Dreams.
It isn't unheard of for a memoir to be very well written, even if it's the writer's first work of that sort. You're willing to believe that Ayres could accomplish that feat, writing about someone else's life. But you aren't willing to believe that Obama could do it writing about his own. Why not?
Obama wrote plenty before Dreams -- he graduated from college and law school.
Really?
Then why haven't we seen any of it?
He was editor of the Harvard Law Review, but never published a piece in it (not that a law article would necessarily give one a sense of his prose style--I'm simply pointing out that he remains a cipher).
Why not provide Sarah Palin with more opportunities to demonstrate her natural intellignece that is so evident to Ken? How about a Press Conference?
Sure. Or how about a Scrabble game? A limerick competition? Who can think of the most synonyms for "penis" the fastest?
What is it with the Obama crowd that equates the abilities of stand-up comedian -- the snappy comeback, the graceful turn of extemporaneous phrase, the excellent grammar skills -- with intelligence and competence? Are you all just English and journalism majors who never met, say, an engineer or scientist who says uh a lot and can't spell worth a damn -- but who can invent iPods and TCP/IP and AIDS vaccines? Good grief. Broaden your imagination a bit.
The worst thing about the new politics on the left is how much it resembles the shallowest of beauty pageants. I want to save the world! OK, gee, that sounds nice, let's put you in charge of selecting the next Federal Reserve chairman.
Sarah Palin has demonstrated her intelligence by governing the state of Alaska, among other things.
Did she really?
Funny thing is nothing I've really seen about her "governing" shows much ability. She sold a plane at a loss, in a previous life she started a construction project without clear title to the land, she abused her position (whether you believe it or not)... etc...
Ken: So what did she mean about Putin and flying in then? Please, explain.
As Mike says: if she's so good why isn't she handling solo press gigs like Biden is?
I think the reason is reasonably self evident.
The worst thing about the new politics on the left is how much it resembles the shallowest of beauty pageants.
Bollocks.
It's nothing to do with new politics, political leaders have been speaking to the press and giving candid interviews for a generation or more on both sides. Reagan's success came from his ability to charm an audience and speak on a variety of subjects well.
Hell, it's part of the job of a British Prime Minister.
Sarah Palin exemplifies the beauty pageant. She speaks in sound bits aimed at the peanut gallery, not unlike a blogger. When presented with somebody to contradict or argue with her she falls apart. Katie Couric was about as soft with her as an interview can be and Palin couldn't handle it. The British media would have eaten her alive.
How you can have any respect for such a shallow person is beyond me. There are plenty of better women around, even in the Republican Party.
Really -- you can't graduate from Columbia (majoring in political science) and Harvard Law without writing a lot of papers. It's unremarkable that Obama did not write articles for the law review -- the editor rarely does.
My point remains: you know that Obama and Ayres both had plenty of experience producing English prose before 1995, and without reading any of it you're sure that Ayres showed more ability to write a literary memoir than Obama.
What it is about Ayres that gives you that sight-unseen confidence in his literary abilities? His doctorate in education? His years living underground?
You can keep dodging the question, but I'm genuinely curious.
Really -- you can't graduate from Columbia (majoring in political science) and Harvard Law without writing a lot of papers.
Really? Yes, I'd like to think so.
So, where are they? Why haven't we seen them? How can we evaluate the young Barack Obama's writing capabilities without seeing them?
Don't you think their absence in the public record curious?
It's unremarkable that Obama did not write articles for the law review -- the editor rarely does.
Really? Is that right?
Can you provide a citation for that?
Ken: So what did she mean about Putin and flying in then?
Daveon, I'd be happy to... as soon as you provide the reference. I'm not going to guess which statement you're attacking.
BTW, nobody is proving that Ayers wrote Obama's books. Not yet. They are suspicious because of the style. That suspicion is justified regardless of what the truth might be.
Rand asks for a citation for my assertion that the editor of the Harvard Law Review (i.e. the president of the board of editors) rarely authors articles.
The Harvard Law Review makes its issues from the last four years available online, so I collected the names of the four most-recent editors:
Andrew Crespo
Aileen McGrath
Brian Fletcher
Thiru Vignarajah
And searched for their names at http://www.harvardlawreview.org. The names appeared on the masthead, as you would expect, and in authors' acknowledgements, and one editor's name appeared in a single footnote:
See Thiru Vignarajah, Case Comment, City of Sherrill v. Oneida Indian Nation, 125 S. Ct. 1478 (2005) 7-9 (2005) (unpublished manuscript, on file with the Harvard Law School Library)
None of the editors authored bylined article published in the Harvard Law Review while they were president.
Which is what you would expect. As Wikipedia puts it:
The vast majority of law review articles are written by law professors, although it is not uncommon to find articles written by judges and legal practitioners as well.
Students do write unsigned notes and comments, as opposed to full articles. Politico has turned up one comment that Obama wrote before he was elected president of the law review; you can read all about it here:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12705.html
Politico also ran a piece on Obama's editorship (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/11257.html), which included these paragraphs:
After winning a spot on the Review, Obama beat out 18 other contenders to become the first African-American president in the then-103-year history of the Review, and his duties included leading discussions and debates to determine what to print from the mountain of submissions from judges, scholars and authors from across the country, supervising the thorough editing of each issue's contents and giving every article what's known as a "P-read" once it was finally considered ready for publication.
Once a piece is set, the president also sends a letter or fax and makes a follow-up phone call to each author. Federal Judge Michael W. McConnell, who was nominated by President Bush and has frequently been mentioned as one of Bush’s potential Supreme Court nominees, recalls receiving one such letter and call in early 1990 for his article "The Origins and Historical Understanding of Free Exercise of Religion."
McConnell told Politico, "A frequent problem with student editors is that they try to turn an article into something they want it to be. It was striking that Obama didn’t do that. He tried to make it better from my point of view." McConnell was impressed enough to urge the University of Chicago Law School to seek Obama out as an academic prospect.
So why do you think Ayres is a more likely author of Dreams?
More fuel for the fire...
http://www.stoptheaclu.com/archives/2008/10/15/obama-fraud-he-didnt-write-dreams-from-my-father/