On the 1st of December, Obama said, "I'm not running because I'm trying to
fulfill some long-held plan."
Oh, really?
Iis Darmawan, 63, Obama's teacher in 1970, remembers him as an
exceptionally
tall and curly haired child who quickly picked up the local language and
had
sharp math skills. "He wrote an essay titled, 'I Want To Become
President,'" the teacher said.
In 1971, Obama's sister Maya, has also said, "There was always a joke
between my mom and Barack that he would be the first black president."
In 1991, David B. Wilkins , the Kirkland and Ellis professor of law, said
he
advised Obama to become a Supreme Court Clerk. "Obama recognized the
honor
in pursuing that post," Wilkins said, but quickly added that he wasn't
interested.
"He said that he wanted to write a book about his life and his father, go
back to Chicago, get back into the community, and run for office there.
He
knew exactly what he wanted and went about getting it done," Wilkins said.
In 1992, Obama's brother-in-law, Craig Robinson pulled him aside and asked
about his plans. "He said, 'I think I'd like to teach at some point in
time, and maybe run for public office,'" recalls Robinson, who assumed
Senator Obama meant he'd like to run for city alderman. "He said no -- at
some point he'd like to run for the U.S. Senate. And then he said,
'Possibly even run for President at some point.' And I was like, 'Okay,
but
don't say that to my Aunt Gracie.' I was protecting him from saying
something that might embarrass him."
In 1993, Obama began teaching at the University of Chicago Law School,
where
he declined to pursue a tenure-track post, hoping to save time for
politics.
The one thread, that remains consistent, throughout Obama's life, is his
teacher's, mentor's and friend's recollection of Obama's single-minded
pursuit of high political office.
--
From 'Dreams of my Father', "In Indonesia, I had spent two years at a
Muslim school"... "I studied the Koran.."
Hussein Obama
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