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A review by richardbakare
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
5.0
The obstructionist stance that the Republican delegation of Congress had towards Obama was clear before he ever took office. To me and many other minorities, it was a clearly racist response to a historic moment. Even if it meant significant pain for everyday Americans that formed their constituencies. That Obama and his administration were able to overcome that block-headed disposition towards his agenda is truly legendary. From averting financial disaster, saving or spawning whole industries, fighting wars on multiple fronts, and rallying international foes & allies towards some progress on a host of issues. That the successes did not get translated down to the voters is a lesson in controlling your own narrative.
“The U.S. government’s an ocean liner...Not a speedboat. If we want to change our approach...we need a strategy that builds over time.” This point late in the book exemplifies the spanning historical narrative style of the memoir. The memoir emphasizes Obama’s first term is not just the four years under his watch, but the culmination of all the policy wins and mistakes from every administration before. Some not so easily unraveled, and some he gets the blame regardless of context.
In all, this behind the scenes tour of the inner workings of politics and the White House, leads to an appreciation to the unsung staff and team that sit behind every leader. The ones who sacrifice time with family, never get enough sleep, don’t appear on cable news networks, and serve their country first. It is also a reminder that an informed citizenry can better reward their sacrifices by participating in democracy by voting every time and working to improve their own little pitch of Earth at the local level.
“The U.S. government’s an ocean liner...Not a speedboat. If we want to change our approach...we need a strategy that builds over time.” This point late in the book exemplifies the spanning historical narrative style of the memoir. The memoir emphasizes Obama’s first term is not just the four years under his watch, but the culmination of all the policy wins and mistakes from every administration before. Some not so easily unraveled, and some he gets the blame regardless of context.
In all, this behind the scenes tour of the inner workings of politics and the White House, leads to an appreciation to the unsung staff and team that sit behind every leader. The ones who sacrifice time with family, never get enough sleep, don’t appear on cable news networks, and serve their country first. It is also a reminder that an informed citizenry can better reward their sacrifices by participating in democracy by voting every time and working to improve their own little pitch of Earth at the local level.