'I Had to Learn to Fight'

摘要

Late last thursday afternoon, before announcing who will join him in the fall campaign against John McCain, Barack Obama spoke with NEWSWEEK's Jon Meacham about fathers and sons, character and ambition-and how he will not hesitate to fight hard in the remaining weeks of the race. Edited excerpts:Meacham: You and Senator McCain fit into very interesting categories of presidential history. There is either a really strong father in the picture-Adams, Kennedy, Bush-or there is virtually none at all-Jackson, Hayes, Clinton. Why do you think men with strong mothers and absent fathers tend to do so well in politics?