Making Obama - WBEZ

If you enjoyed listening to Making Obama, some folks here at WBEZ have another podcast for you. It’s also about politics, but this one is very different. Family drama, FBI wiretaps and -- ultimately -- a very long prison sentence dominate this story which even intersects with Barack Obama’s career.  Remember when the Governor of Illinois supposedly tried to sell President Obama’s Senate seat? Or, how the same ex-Governor got a “You’re Fired” from Donald Trump on The Celebrity Apprentice? New from WBEZ Chicago, Public Official A uncovers the rise and fall of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. How he did whatever it took to reach the top. The trail of destruction left in his wake. And how the complexities, charisma and tragic flaws of this public official resonate today. The first episode comes out January 18, 2019.

Just two and a half years after his 2004 Democratic National Convention speech, Barack Obama announced he was running for president.

Barack Obama burst onto the national stage during his U.S. Senate run. Hear how ambition and luck propelled him to Washington.

Former president Barack Obama has only lost one election in his life. It was in 2000, and that defeat set him on the course for his eventual U.S. Senate run. Making Obama is a production of listener-supported WBEZ Chicago. Support WBEZ and the future of podcasts like this at

In 2000, Barack Obama ran for Congress against a Chicago political legend. It became a contest about race and identity.