Witness to Greatness: The Consequential Presidency of Barack Obama in Perspective

by Obi Nwasokwa

Overview

It is the very stuff of legend. A man from the very bottom of the American caste emerges, seemingly out of nowhere, captures the nation’s imagination and – improbably -- within four odd years, defies gravity and rises to the dizzying height of the American presidency thereby becoming the first non-white in history elected to lead an overwhelmingly white nation. A Cinderella like fairy tale? No. That’s the story of President Barack Obama. Seismic and epic, it is a biblical tale of the trials, travails, tribulations and dazzling triumphs of the rejected stone that became cornerstone – of Moses as pharaoh. Reviled and vilified like his legendary idol, Abraham Lincoln, whose election sparked the American civil war, Obama’s election likewise triggered “a cold uncivil civil war.” That notwithstanding, his achievements are impressive even historic. Regarded as “a Gettysburg-like pivotal moment” in American history, Obama’s metaphorical conquest of the American presidency is a monumental achievement, a crossing of the Rubicon and a historic 1066-type turning point matched in its sheer historic weight and majesty only by the achievements of Washington and Lincoln. It reboots American democracy and heralds a new “Yes We can!” era of American and world history with new and expansive possibilities already evident in the unusual and iconoclastic demographic profiles of many of his wannabe successors. It gives credence to the creed “All men are created equal” and confers legitimacy on American democracy. It redounds to the credit of the nation, and burnishes her image as the pacesetter in the quest for interracial harmony. Citing these and Obama’s many other achievements such as saving a moribund economy and reforming healthcare, the author predicts that Obama will be revered as one of America’s greatest presidents.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781514452691
Publisher:	Xlibris US
Publication date:	03/23/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	528
File size:	614 KB

Editorial Reviews

2016-06-19
A self-described admirer of President Barack Obama makes the case for his greatness. Whatever judgment one ultimately makes of Obama's presidency, it is certainly one of historical significance, not the least because he's the first African-American to occupy the Oval Office. Debut author Nwasokwa argues, as the book's title suggests, that Obama can already be judged a great president on meritocratic grounds as well. Nwasokwa presents a detailed history of Obama's rising political fortunes, beginning with his emergence into the spotlight at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. Shortly after, despite his own admittedly brief resume in Washington, D.C., Obama ran for the highest office in the land. The author gives a remarkably granular account of his subject's implausible electoral success, surely an underdog against a powerfully entrenched establishment candidate, including a provocative discussion of the controversy involving Obama's spiritual mentor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Nwasokwa's treatment then largely revolves around what he considers to be the major achievements of Obama's tenure, focusing on his economic stimulus programs and the passage of health care reform legislation. The author liberally sprinkles in autobiographical asides in the book, sometimes discussing his own experiences as an African-American in the United States. These are some of the finest sections of this volume, and Nwasokwa thoughtfully considers the historical contradictions that beset the United States, a country of great opportunity and generosity but also persistent racism and social inequity. The prose often lacks discipline, providing pagelong paragraphs overloaded with information that too often tax the reader. But the principal failing of the study is that the author's fawning adoration makes it impossible for him to capture the complexity of Obama's often controversial presidency. Nwasokwa glosses over the criticisms of the president's major policy achievements, even those forwarded from the political left. For example, despite nuanced debates even within Obama's own party regarding his stewardship of the economy from the recession, the author concludes that all of the president's reforms "succeeded beyond expectation." While there's nothing inherently wrong with wanting to "savor and honor" Obama's leadership, such adoration renders both objectivity and the appreciation of dissent impossible. A book that offers a worthwhile reflection on racial relations in America but a hagiographic interpretation of Obama's presidency.

Kirkus Reviews