“The Audacity of Hope” is the title of Barack Obama’s second book. I have read the book. I could not help but think that when the senator was writing this book that he was already focusing on running for President. The book was printed in 2006. I interpret that fact to mean the book was written in 2005. The book was certainly filled with Hope.
My favorite source for meaning of words is The American Heritage Dictionary. That dictionary says audacity means 1) fearless daring; intrepidity and 2) bold or insolent of restraints, as those imposed by prudence, propriety, or convention.
Certainly Barack Obama has been all of those things in his quest for the White House. After all how many candidates for president have traveled overseas to make a major speech to 200,000 people?
There are some other words that could describe the senator. I like presumptuous which means going beyond what is right or proper. Of course that call for an opinion and in that instance perhaps my dictionary is presumptuous. In Microsoft Word (Is this Thesaurus a good resource for synonyms?) they list eight words that synonyms for presumptuous and one is audacious.
A favorite word of mine is chutzpa. The dictionary says that is “utter nerve.” I have found the on line definition “(Yiddish) unbelievable gall; insolence; audacity.”
On Language 