Say it Like Obama and Win!: The Power of Speaking with Purpose and Vision, Revised and Expanded Third Edition, 3rd Edition

CHAPTER 3BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS

Back in 2004, the notion of a 2008 Obama quest for the U.S. presidency would have been termed improbable at best. Many Americans would have scoffed, “He’ll never get past his name!” The last name that sounds like “Osama;” that middle name, Hussein. Not to mention his race. Yet by 2008, Barack Obama was widely hailed as “a world-transforming, redemptive figure”¹ with a strong bid for the White House, whose victory could help heal a world long split along white-black, North-South, and rich-poor divides. His 2008 presidential victory was indeed a milestone in U.S. history. How did Barack Obama manage to break down barriers that could have served as insurmountable obstacles for many other aspiring leaders? How did ...