|
It’s the former, says Chait, even though he admits there are
times when it looks like the latter. Obama, he says,
however, absolutely succeeded at what he set out to do, and
this book follows that argument.
Though the Civil Rights movement was 40-some years prior to
the day a black man moved into the White House, racial
issues keenly split the country over the last eight years,
not along lines of race, but on political lines. White
America often denied it, but Obama forced a harder
soul-search on racism.
He reportedly had a large agenda upon taking office in 2009,
but it quickly became clear that his work would be to avoid,
rather than fix, another Great Depression. He succeeded, but
no president gets kudos for things like that. Instead, says
Chait, there was – and still is – criticism about his
actions, economically.
Health care legislation insured millions of Americans who
otherwise would have no coverage, thanks to Obama and a
surprising number of ideas that first came from the
Republicans. As a new president, Obama boosted the economy
by spending money on green energy, with an eye toward global
climate concerns. He helped restore America’s world-wide
“standing” and foresightfully recognized China and India as
budding superpowers.
So why is anyone questioning his audacity, or the legacy he
leaves behind? The answer to that lies in the recent past,
and in the history of 20th-Century American politics.
Understanding both, and what happens from here, is enhanced
by learning what’s inside Audacity.
Just know first that there’s a lot to absorb.
Because author Jonathan Chait is also a political columnist,
the goings-on behind-the-scenes in Washington are presented
in great detail in this book. That can be both a good thing
and a bad thing: good, because Chait is clear in reasoning
and thorough in fact-finding, in favor of arguments for a
stellar Obama legacy; bad, because this thoroughness becomes
quite heavy at times.
That could turn away readers with a lesser palate for
politics, although one wouldn’t have to look hard to see why
persevering is important: Chait explains how Obama’s tenure
as president ultimately turned out as it did, and why many
voters are still, perhaps wrongly, disappointed in his work.
Chait then goes on to clearly illuminate what happened at
the last election, and why.
Give yourself time for a careful read of this book,
especially if you might disagree with its author. There’s
argument in here that may – or may not – change minds;
either way, Audacity might at least give you
something nice to say.
|
