President Barack Obama’s actions, policies, and occasional candid comments all point to a liberal ideologue. But what is behind those attitudes?
Until now, we could only guess at the answer. “The Obamas” by Jodi Kantor solves the mystery.
As noted in my story "'
The Obamas' Confirms Worst Fears About the President," the book is based in part on interviews with 33 current or former White House aides and Cabinet officers. They spoke candidly to the author, a New York Times reporter, about how Obama reveals himself to them.
We know that Obama spent 20 years listening to the anti-white, anti-America hate speech of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., whom he considered his mentor and sounding board. But did he really buy into Wright’s philosophy?
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As with Wright, the book says Obama believes social change is not possible through the political process. Also like Wright, Obama sees the world through a racial lens, attributing criticism of his policies to prejudice against blacks.
We know that Obama often voted “present” in the Senate and did not engage with members to try to pass legislation. We know that as president, he has left it to Congress to develop initiatives he desires.
The book says Obama despises the political process and looks forward to leaving the White House so he can achieve real social change.
We know that, during the campaign, Obama famously said the economy works best when “we spread the wealth around.” In a Sept. 6, 2001, radio interview, Obama expressed regret that the Supreme Court hadn’t engaged in wealth redistribution.
The book says both Obamas believe that the gap between those who are successful and those who are poor lies “less in talent or hard work than in opportunity, power, access, and wealth.”
In other words, they downplay the very foundation of the American dream that anyone can make it in America if they have the drive, ambition, and brains.
We know that Obama despises what he called “bitter” small-town voters who “cling” to their faith, along with their guns, and their “antipathy to people who aren’t like them.”
The book confirms that Obama is an elitist.
“He often showed a sweeping disdain for entire categories of the powerful — members of Congress, bankers — and a natural attraction to underdogs, to anyone he saw as vulnerable, ignored, or left behind,” Kantor says. He even has no use for the fawning press, which occasionally ventures criticism of him.
We know that Obama pushed his healthcare legislation despite the fact that polls show Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of it.
The book says that, although aides warned him the legislation was too radical, Michelle wanted the bill passed, and Obama was intent on pleasing her. Tellingly, when the president talked to aides about his eagerness to pass the legislation despite the political costs, he cited his wife.
We know that Obama is divisive and has little interest in working with Republicans.
The book says that Obama’s rationale for seeking another term is not to restore the country to strength and prosperity. Rather, “Obama’s rationale for another term still sounded mainly defensive: He had to run to save the country from Republicans, or he wanted four more years to validate the work he had already done as president,” Kantor says.
As with an unfinished puzzle, “The Obamas” supplies the missing pieces. Once the puzzle is solved, Obama emerges as the community organizer he once was — and the exact opposite of the person Americans thought they were electing as president.
Ronald Kessler is chief Washington correspondent of Newsmax.com. He is a New York Times best-selling author of books on the Secret Service, FBI, and CIA. His latest, "The Secrets of the FBI," has just been published. View his previous reports and get his dispatches sent to you free via email. Go Here Now.
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