It's been quiet here for the past couple of weeks, as I've been taking in and processing the increasingly terrible Trump transition process--a process in which our worst fears of a president with the emotional maturity of a first-grader, the intellectual curiosity of a tree stump, and the dignity and decency of an ax murderer all seem to be coming true. I'll try to resume our regular schedule after the inauguration, but I can't make any promises at this point.
This week, though, instead of looking toward the future, I want to take a backward glance. For the purposes of this post, I'm setting aside the editorial "we" and the multiple links, and I'll speak as one lone voice, with a unique perspective on the administration that comes to a close at noon today.
In 2008, during the presidential campaign, I was asked to write a comic book biography of Barack Obama. Another writer tackled a biography of his general election opponent, John McCain.
We each took our assignments seriously. We were to report only what could be documented, ideally by multiple sources. We had to provide all those sources to lawyers who would vet our scripts. For my part, I also provided detailed art references to Tom Morgan, who did a masterful job bringing Obama's story to life on the pages.
My book told of Obama's life from his birth (in Hawaii!) through the Democratic National Convention, at which he officially became his party's nominee (complete with Tom's illustration of what Fox "News" anchor E.D. Hill called Barack and Michelle Obama's "terrorist fist jab").
The through-line that underlay my extensively researched biography was that Obama had been an outsider all his life--the son of a white woman and a Kenyan man who'd left his family behind when the boy was an infant; living as a black boy with white grandparents in a society where mixed-race children were incredibly rare, living as an American in Indonesia, living in New York, away from everyone he'd ever known, when he attended Columbia University, then moving away from everyone he'd met at Columbia to work as a community organizer in Chicago, and finally heading east again, to Harvard, where he became the first black president of the prestigious Harvard Law Review. His life story, I decided, was a quest for belonging, for identity.
The books were published during the general election campaign, as individual standard-length comic books, and back-to-back as a flipbook (so one cover featured Obama, and turning the book over, the other cover featured McCain).
I'd first become aware of Senator Barack Obama (D/IL)--like much of the country--when I saw his stirring speech at the 2004 convention that had nominated John Kerry. I'd seen speak Kerry once, in person--a speech that ran 40 minutes, covering a wide variety of issues, delivered without a single note; Kerry's intellect was vast and his knowledge profound. When I saw Obama's convention speech, I said, "There's our first black president." But I thought he would need more time in the Senate to build up a policy resume and national name recognition. In 2008, at first, I still thought it was too soon, too early.
But the more research I did, reading both of the books he had written and hundreds of magazine and newspaper stories (in those days, it was still possible to read the huge majority of what had been written about the relative unknown), the more I came to respect and admire him. His life had never been easy, but he had never given up striving to succeed, to accomplish things that most people would have believed impossible. He was a brilliant writer, a deep thinker, a dedicated and determined public servant. My research led me to support his candidacy, even before he had secured the nomination.
When the books were released, my McCain counterpart and I were sent on a whirlwind tour, signing at comic book stores in New York City and Los Angeles, and for me, Phoenix, AZ. At each event, people came out in droves, many of them African American, most of them thrilled at the prospect of a black president. A few McCain supporters showed up, too, but in the end, the Obama book sold out four printings, while the McCain one was never reprinted--a statistic that also predicted the election result.
The press took notice, too. I was interviewed on CNN, Fox "News," and Reuters TV, as well as by multiple major newspapers. Around the country (and around the world) stories about the books appeared, even when I wasn't personally interviewed. The attention prompted a stream of messages, via mail, email, and even phone calls from people who'd managed to find my number and had something to say.
The end of the Bush administration was a dark time. The economy had cratered; Americans were losing jobs by the hundreds of thousands, and the ripples were spreading around the world. People were bring thrown out of homes they could no longer afford, thanks to the financial chicanery of big banks. Our troops were still deeply embroiled in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan--conflicts that had resulted in the birth of the organization known as Al Qaeda in Iraq, which soon morphed into the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL). We'd lost more than 5,000 soldiers in those wars, without doing much to make America safer. Bin Laden was still on the loose, and President Bush had declared the he didn't much care where the terrorist mastermind was. The American president had reversed the country's historic ban on torture, instituted the practice that came to be called "extraordinary rendition," and created in Cuba a prison where the agreements of the Geneva Convention didn't apply and prisoners weren't granted the rights of prisoners on American soil. President Bush had uttered strong words opposing North Korea's nuclear program, but those words hadn't been backed up and the rogue nation now had nuclear weapons capability. Our prestige around the world had been diminished by our unilateral, unprovoked invasion of Iraq and the revelations of torture at American hands.
Obama was taking office at a difficult and dangerous time, and I wrote then that to recover from the Bush years and right America's course, he would need to be a great president. I thought then that he had that capability, but didn't know if he could pull it off.
The success of my comic--called Presidential Material: Barack Obama--spurred two additional comics (and, incidentally, a host of imitators, including one publishing company almost entirely dedicated to publishing biographical comics that look vaguely like it). The first covered the events of the presidential campaign, culminating in Obama's historic and inspiring inaugural address. That day, Obama said, in part:
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics. We remain a young nation. But in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
...
The state of our economy calls for action, bold and swift. And we will act, not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We'll restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short, for they have forgotten what this country has already done, what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage. What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them, that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply.
...
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers -- our Founding Fathers, faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man -- a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience sake.
And so, to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born, know that America is a friend of each nation, and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity. And we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort, even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we'll work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet.
We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense. And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken -- you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
...
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.
What is demanded, then, is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition on the part of every American that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept, but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship. This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny. This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall; and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served in a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At the moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words to be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."
America: In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.
The third comic told the story of Obama's first 100 days in office. They were busy days, with congressional hearings over his Cabinet nominations, the formation of a White House ethics office that would hold his administration to higher standards than those that had come before, and anxious action to halt and reverse the Great Recession. That period also saw the rise of the "Tea Party" movement, stirred up out of a belief that taxes and spending were going up (despite the facts that Obama's stimulus package--while smaller than it should have been--contained tax cuts for 95% of Americans, and that the government spending they opposed was necessary to turn the economy around). These two comics were also successful, and were combined into a hardcover book collecting all three as Barack Obama: The Comic Book Biography. It was the first book-length biography of Obama published, albeit in an unusual format for political biographies.
Researching and writing those books gave me a unique perspective on Obama and his administration. Between that and my conversations and correspondence with voters of every stripe, I felt a deeper, more participatory connection to it. Obama--from his inaugural address to his farewell address this month--has always stressed that America demands more than casual observation from its citizenry, more even than casting a vote once in a while. American democracy is government of, for, and by the people, and that "by the people" cannot be forgotten or stressed enough.
I haven't done enough. I've voted, called and written my elected representatives, made financial contributions as I've been able, written blog posts and letters to the editors of national and local publications, attended rallies and speeches. But democracy is a big commitment, and it requires active participation in all its facets--those duties of citizenship that Obama has often mentioned, from his inaugural address to his farewell speech.
Any list of the Obama administration's accomplishments is necessarily incomplete--there are too many, and the effects often seem intangible--but the list is long and the impact profound. The first bill Obama signed--the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, nine days into his first term--demonstrated that his priorities would be inclusiveness and equality of opportunity. The economy, we know now, did turn around, leading to a revival of the American auto industry, the longest stretch of private-sector jobs growth in history, an unprecedented stock market boom, and rising wages for most Americans, across lines of race, class, and location.
Tens of millions of Americans now have access to health insurance, resulting in better health outcomes and fewer bankruptcies. Climate change is finally being addressed, with a landmark international treaty, and alternative energy has become as cost-effective as fossil fuels. The administration deported 2.5 million undocumented people and beefed up border security, while helping Mexico improve its own economy, resulting in net-zero illegal immigration across our southern border. At the same time, it gave hope to millions of DREAMers, young undocumented people who have never known any country but this one.
The administration respected science and oversaw great technological advancements. It fought off threatening epidemics and instituted a cancer "moon shot." Obama fought for civil rights like no president since FDR and LBJ, and we saw the great institution of marriage become available to every American. The previous administration saw more than 4,000 Americans killed in terrorist attacks and more than 5,000 fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq; under Obama, the terrorist toll is in the low 100s (with no terror attacks carried out by groups external to the US), and we've lost fewer than 1,000 military personnel over the eight years. For the first time since the Carter administration, fewer people are incarcerated in federal prisons at the end of the administration than at the beginning, and we've made progress in reforming American law enforcement from top to bottom.
This is not to say that he didn't make mistakes. There was never a "good" policy alternative in Syria, but the fact is that we stood by while innocents suffered and died by the thousands (though it can be argued, as outgoing Secretary of State John Kerry has, that diplomacy--trying to bring the warring sides to the same table--held the best promise for peace). Terror attacks still take place around the globe with distressing frequency, and although ISIS is severely weakened, it still holds territory and inspires terrorist acts. The stimulus and financial bailout of the big banks could have been handled better, with more help going to homeowners than to bankers, and some of the people whose fraudulent practices nearly destroyed the world economy should have been prosecuted and jailed. Congress blocked the infrastructure improvements he wanted, so our bridges, roads, schools, and power grids are still crumbling and vulnerable. Climate change remains a major threat, and too many Americans are still out of work, homeless, or living in poverty. A president is not a king or a god, and he can't--with or without a cooperative legislature--solve every problem.
But the end result of his administration is that we live in a country that is more free, more fair, and more welcoming of diversity than the one he inherited. The changes have often been incremental, and thanks to Republic obstruction, some of the changes we've seen could be easily reversed. Others will be harder to undo. The arc of the moral universe is long, the Rev. Martin Luther King reminded us, but it bends toward justice. Obama and his administration did a lot of important bending.
The First Family itself offered Americans an important and inspiring picture. Barack and Michelle showed us a marriage full of love and respect, and Sasha and Malia showed us how children can grow up in extraordinary circumstances while retaining their decency, their humility, and their sense of humor. Even Bo and Sunny demonstrated exemplary dog behavior (until this week, when Sunny reportedly bit a family friend--in reaction, no doubt, to the familial and national upheaval taking place as the premises were prepared for a turn to the Dark Side). And it wasn't just them--thanks to the example from the top and the emphasis on ethical behavior, the entire administration was remarkably scandal-free, despite the best efforts of Republicans to manufacture one "scandal" after another.
The Obama family on Easter Sunday, 2015 (photo by Pete Souza/White House, from
ABC News/Getty)
A great president? Opinions vary. Many on the left feel the strain of too much left undone, of racial animosity that is either increased or at least more visible, of a nation still threatened by a flood of gun violence, of imperfect and imperiled progress across the board. Many on the right still can't decide whether he's a hapless weakling or a tyrannical overlord (though clearly he can't be both, and in fact is neither).
But in the aftermath of his two terms, tens of millions of Americans have better lives. Their financial and health prospects are improved. They can marry and love one another without legal repercussions. Non-white Americans can see a living example of American equality in action--a black family living in the White House built with slave labor.
I've lived through every presidency since Eisenhower's. None has ever made me prouder of my country and our democracy than this one. As we prepare to live under a very different administration, one seemingly dedicated to reversing decades of progress on multiple fronts, all I can say is, "Thanks, Obama."
Side Note 1: One area of commonality between me and President Obama is a love of literature of all sorts, high and low. Growing up, he's admitted, he was a fan of Spider-Man and Conan, both of whom I've written novels about. Obama has written short fiction, and throughout his presidency, interspersed his briefing books and reports and presidential biographies and history with novels.
Here's an interview with him about the reading habits that carried him through 8 years in the White House.
Side Note 2: Another worthwhile lens through which to view President Obama--
his relationship with American culture, pop and otherwise, throughout his presidency. Of particular interest to this writer was this gem: "But has any president been as
conversant in the art and popular culture of this country as Barack Obama? Who has been as committed to opening up the White House to the sorts of artists he has? Lunches with the novelists Zadie Smith, Barbara Kingsolver, Junot Díaz, Dave Eggers and Colson Whitehead. One lunch, actually.
That was one lunch."
Side Note 3: Here's a long piece about the "Obama Doctrine," which emphasizes using local forces to fight terrorists in their own countries, rather than invading with overwhelming numbers of American troops. Yes, we could have retaken Mosul and Raqqa with a few Marine divisions, but to what end? We've done that. It didn't stick. Unless we're prepared to make Iraq and Syria military protectorates for the rest of eternity, we need to let Iraqis and Syrians retake their own cities from ISIS. They can do the job. It'll take longer, but in the end patience is rewarded with countries run by their own citizenry, not by the American military. Military commanders and troops agree that the Obama Doctrine is the best way to fight terror around the world. The question is, will Trump?
Side Note 3: Another worthwhile lens through which to view President Obama--
his relationship with American culture, pop and otherwise, throughout his presidency. Of particular interest to this writer was this gem: "But has any president been as
conversant in the art and popular culture of this country as Barack Obama? Who has been as committed to opening up the White House to the sorts of artists he has? Lunches with the novelists Zadie Smith, Barbara Kingsolver, Junot Díaz, Dave Eggers and Colson Whitehead. One lunch, actually.
That was one lunch."
This Week in Bears
Watch Bei Bei, the National Zoo's giant panda, eat a sweet potato.
Also, no, Betsy DeVos, schools don't need guns to "
protect from potential grizzlies." In America's historical record, there are lots of recorded instances of students shooting each other, but no recorded instances of shootings of grizzly bears. Grizzlies are not a grave danger to American schoolchildren, but Betsy DeVos is.
Where are you? There's been a pardigm shift since the Lord of the Lies ascended into the most powerful office in the land, possibly the world - although I think that de facto position may now belong to Putin. The White House abruptly went from the cool, calm, collected, and Constitutionally informed Obama at the helm to a state of continual chaos and outrageous assertions, tweets and outright embarrassments and frightening policies with Trump and his Machiavellian entourage now in power. Your readers need the assurance of your intelligent assessment of all things political - and bears! - now more than ever!
Posted by: Deb Boyer | 03/05/2017 at 05:27 AM
Deb,
As always, I appreciate your readership and support.
The truth is, the outrages flowing from this new administration and its allies in the dysfunctional Congress are coming so fast that its hard to know where to start. Cataloguing them, much less doing the research necessary to analyze them and put them into some kind of context, feels like a full-time job, and unfortunately, I already have basically two of those. I might try to ease back into it, if theres ever a moment where the outrages slack off so I can focus on just one or a handful.
Thanks for staying informed, and #Resist!
Posted by: Jeff Mariotte | 03/06/2017 at 10:20 AM