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A review by jaclynday
The Obamas by Jodi Kantor
4.0
I admit that I’m struggling to write this review. I’ll nit-pick in a moment, but for now I’ll simply say that this book was like the ultimate Dessert Book. It was voyeuristic and fun—the book equivalent of picking up US Weekly or InTouch. There was mention of how Michelle Obama’s wardrobe has played into public perception, there was a section on their disastrous New York City date night, there were little political asides and well-written summaries of the President’s challenges and victories over the past several years. It’s such a far-reaching book that you assume it will be completely vapid and underdeveloped or confusing chronologically. It’s neither. Perhaps the worst you can say about it is that it’s entertaining—and to some, that might be a negative thing.
As someone who voted for Obama in 2008, I have to agree with other reviews I’ve read in that the most irritating thing about reading this book was how often Obama’s missteps are laid out. The book is not overly long, and the problems that he’s encountered throughout his first term seem to come back to back to back. Among a sea of challenges (some of which were overcome, others not so much), there are occasional wins for the Obama team, but you come away with a general sense that the administration was initially overwhelmed and disorganized and that set the President’s agenda back too far to fully recover.
Another interesting thing: I became really curious to read this book after seeing the White House’s swiftly negative reaction to the publication of The Obamas and a recent Politico article seemed to align with my suspicions. Why did they condemn the book so strongly? I think it touched a nerve, especially with Michelle Obama and her public relations team. Her portrayal in the book is actually quite a positive one, but there has been a concerted effort on the part of the administration to make her seem less opinionated and more passive since the inauguration and this book moves to defeat some of that image “repair.” (Personally, I prefer an outspoken, opinionated First Lady, but I guess the majority of the country doesn’t feel the same way.) She is shown to be just as opinionated in the book—the only exception to this being that she reserves her remarks for private settings within the administration instead of speaking to reporters or to crowds about them.
Anyway, if you’re looking for something entertaining to read or you are intrigued by this President and the First Lady (who isn’t?), I recommend giving this book a go.
As someone who voted for Obama in 2008, I have to agree with other reviews I’ve read in that the most irritating thing about reading this book was how often Obama’s missteps are laid out. The book is not overly long, and the problems that he’s encountered throughout his first term seem to come back to back to back. Among a sea of challenges (some of which were overcome, others not so much), there are occasional wins for the Obama team, but you come away with a general sense that the administration was initially overwhelmed and disorganized and that set the President’s agenda back too far to fully recover.
Another interesting thing: I became really curious to read this book after seeing the White House’s swiftly negative reaction to the publication of The Obamas and a recent Politico article seemed to align with my suspicions. Why did they condemn the book so strongly? I think it touched a nerve, especially with Michelle Obama and her public relations team. Her portrayal in the book is actually quite a positive one, but there has been a concerted effort on the part of the administration to make her seem less opinionated and more passive since the inauguration and this book moves to defeat some of that image “repair.” (Personally, I prefer an outspoken, opinionated First Lady, but I guess the majority of the country doesn’t feel the same way.) She is shown to be just as opinionated in the book—the only exception to this being that she reserves her remarks for private settings within the administration instead of speaking to reporters or to crowds about them.
Anyway, if you’re looking for something entertaining to read or you are intrigued by this President and the First Lady (who isn’t?), I recommend giving this book a go.