For quite a while now, reporters and political opponents have been dissecting Illinois Senator Barack Obama's career. analyzing exactly what made his meteoric rise possible. People have picked through his voting records, who he selected as political mentors, which law firm he chose to work for. In this report, Ben Calhoun of WBEZ, takes a look at one of the first and most basic decisions Obama made to get his start, to move to Hyde Park. Many Chicagoans know the neighborhood has a special niche in the city, its history, and its politics. In some ways, Hyde Park helped make Barack Obama.
Ben Calhoun produces newscast and feature reports and contributes to analysis and discussions on the station’s morning magazine program, Eight Forty-Eight. He also helps direct the station’s election coverage. His work focuses on politics and government, but ventures into other areas related to politics, as well as general assignment and human interest work. Calhoun’s reports air most frequently on Chicago Public Radio, but his work and reporting has also been featured by National Public Radio, the BBC, the CBC, Radio New Zealand, as well as syndicated programs including The World. He is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is a graduate of Oberlin College. Resources:
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