Obama’s ‘Rolling Stone’ Cover Story: Highlights from the Interview Inside

June 25, 2008

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Presidential hopeful Barack Obama graces the cover of July’s “Rolling Stone” Magazine. Readers are also treated to a in depth “conversation” with Obama, one that has him discussing the always important “youth vote”, what mp3’s are on his iPod, and most importantly what his first priorities will be if elected. What’s so cool about this particular interview is that given the platform and all, the mood is more relaxed and personal, which subsequently allows readers to see Obama as a person, and not just the politician on the nightly news.

Below you will see that I have decided to put together some “highlights” per se from the Rolling Stone cover story. It includes some great quotes, some funny one liners, and an illustration of Barack Obama the man, not just the politican you see every night on the news:

In this first excerpt he talks about what it feels like too be racking up endorsements from rock legends Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan:

Question: You were endorsed by Bob Dylan a few days ago. What’s that mean to you?

Answer: I’ve got to say, having both Dylan and Bruce Springsteen say kind words about you is pretty remarkable. Those guys are icons.

Q: Do you have any favorite Dylan songs?

A: I’ve got probably 30 Dylan songs on my iPod. I think I have the entire Blood on the Tracks album on there. Actually, one of my favorites during the political season is “Maggie’s Farm.” It speaks to me as I listen to some of the political rhetoric.

Here, the interviewer, Jan Wenner, inquiring about Obama’s actual decision to run for President, when he realized it’s what he wanted to do, and the factors that were present which subsequently helped him make his decision to go for it:

Q: When did you begin to think you could or should be president? At what stage in your life did that idea first dawn on you?

A: I would distinguish between thinking that, in the abstract, I could make some better decisions being president than the current occupant, and believing that, in a very concrete way, being president was something I would pursue. I would say that it wasn’t until I won my Senate primary and then went to the Democratic convention in 2004 that I had a sense that the message I was delivering might resonate with a broad cross section of the American people.

Q: So it was that response at the Democratic convention that year?

A: It wasn’t just at the convention. We had gotten a pretty powerful response while I was running in the primary in Illinois. After I won, there was a real sense that people were eager to move beyond some of the old arguments.

And then here are a couple “less Obama the politician” and more “Obama the person” excerpts from the Rolling Stone piece. Hear Obama talking about his favorite musicians, and the songs that always seem to make it on his play lists:

“”If I had one musical hero, it would have to be Stevie Wonder,” says Obama, who grew up on Seventies R&B and rock staples including Earth, Wind and Fire, Elton John and the Rolling Stones. “When I was at that point where you start getting involved in music, Stevie had that run with Music of My Mind, Talking Book, Fulfillingness’ First Finale and Innervisions, and then Songs in the Key of Life. Those are as brilliant a set of five albums as we’ve ever seen.”

Wonder shares room on Obama’s iPod with “everything from Howlin’ Wolf to Yo-Yo Ma to Sheryl Crow,” he says. “And I have probably 30 Dylan songs on my iPod.” Though he’s partial to 1975’s Blood on the Tracks, “Maggie’s Farm” is “one of my favorites during the political season,” says Obama. “It speaks to me as I listen to some of the political rhetoric.”

And thats going to be it for the “free preview”. Don’t freak out though, you will be able to read the entire interview in the new issue of Rolling Stone, which hit news stands June 20. So do your thing, and pick up a copy, it’s definitely worth it.