Q & AThe Americas

Obama, and the U.S., Unbound: The Potential for a Transformational Legacy

President Barack Obama speaks during a reception in the East Room of the White House, Washington, March 16, 2016 (AP photo by Jacquelyn Martin).
President Barack Obama speaks during a reception in the East Room of the White House, Washington, March 16, 2016 (AP photo by Jacquelyn Martin).
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Barack Obama took office in 2009 to great expectations, both at home and worldwide. His background and worldview, as expressed in his books, speeches and campaign rhetoric, seemed well-suited to the task of repairing America’s deeply damaged image in the aftermath of the Iraq War and the global financial crisis. With the country’s unipolar moment clearly waning, America would need to exercise a different kind of leadership, using its power in humbler and more consensual ways. Obama seemed like the right person for the job. Some pundits suggested he even had the potential to be a transformational president in terms […]

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