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THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY
In Praise of Barack Obama
He rose from the muck of a corrupt political machine in Chicago to become a template of grace and decency
Do you know how hard it is to be an Illinois politician not steeped in corruption? It’s like being the one declawed lion in the lion’s den. It’s like cosplaying Mr. Spock at a Star Wars convention. It’s like being the one honest man scavenging the ruins of the East Wing of the White House.
Sometimes, it’s not about politics.
Barack Obama’s politics are far to the right of mine. Some of his policies, such as drone strikes in Afghanistan, made me want to scream into the night. As a president, he was a centrist. I most certainly am not.
If he emerged from a hot tub time machine into the 1970s, he’d be a moderate Republican like two other former Illinois senators, both Republican: Everett Dirksen and Charles Percy.
Sometimes, it’s not about politics.
Just before he won the presidential election, I believed him when he said he was a blank slate. That was typical centrist posturing, but it was honest. I squirted a few tears of joy on that election night. I had no misgivings.
