A Promised Land

Part 6, “In the Barrel,” focuses on Obama’s second year as POTUS, a period marked by some successes and many setbacks and crises. The chapters draw attention to the reality of working in the White House. The work was not only taxing, but also came at great personal cost: “Everybody was sleep-deprived, perpetually. Rarely did senior staffers put in less than a twelve-hour day, and almost all of them came in for at least part of each weekend” (532). Although the greatest burdens lay on Obama, White House staff enjoyed none of the benefits of being president: “They didn’t have a one-minute commute like I did or a bevy of chefs, valets, butlers, and assistants to shop, cook, pick up dry cleaning, or take the kids to school” (532). The work impacted the personal lives of the staff, regardless of whether they were single or partnered: “Single staffers stayed single longer than they might have liked. Those staffers lucky enough to have partners often relied on an overburdened and lonely spouse, creating the kinds of chronic domestic tensions that Michelle and I were more than familiar with” (532).

As the first Black president, Obama felt strongly about creating a respectful, inclusive work environment. Valerie Jarret, senior advisor to the president, approached Obama about deepening dissatisfaction among high-ranking women in his administration concerning their treatment by male colleagues: “At least one woman had been driven to tears after being upbraided in a meeting. Tired of having their views repeatedly dismissed, several other senior women had effectively stopped talking in meetings altogether” (536). Troubled by Jarret’s comments, Obama invited a dozen female staffers to dinner to discuss the matter. The conversation revealed troubling behaviors, including men shouting and cursing during policy debates, dominating conversations by cutting off others (especially women), and restating points female staffers had already made and claiming them as their own. In other words, many women in the White House felt diminished and ignored. As a consequence, they became reluctant to voice their opinions. Obama’s response to the situation was twofold: First, he advised the women to be more assertive: “If somebody tries to talk over you, tell them you’re not finished!” (537). Second, he spoke to male members of his staff, who expressed surprise and resolved to be better colleagues moving forward.

Obama’s swift response to Jarret’s complaint is of a piece with the high ethical standards he set for himself and his staff. In contrast to other presidents, such as Clinton and Trump, whose presidencies were marked by sex scandals, the Obama administration was untouched by salaciousness: “Without exception, we avoided scandal. I’d made clear at the start of my administration that I’d have zero tolerance for ethical lapses, and people who had a problem with that didn’t join us in the first place” (534). To ensure there were no ethical lapses, Obama appointed Norm Eisen as Special Counsel to the President for Ethics and Government Reform. White House staffers nicknamed Eisen ‘Dr. No’. When they asked for his opinion about attending events, Eisen almost always responded, “If it sounds fun, you can’t go” (534).

Obama faced serious challenges in the wake of the midterms. Democrats lost control of Congress, the US was embroiled in two costly wars, and the economy was far from stable. The BP oil spill further pressured his administration. Obama could not stop the leaking drill site because the federal government did not possess better technology than BP. He sent his energy secretary to Houston to coordinate cleanup efforts, ensured that BP compensated those who were harmed by the spill, and announced the formation of a commission to improve safety guidelines. Despite his efforts, however, the press and the public continued to blame him for the leak. A scathing Good Morning America appearance by James Carville elicited a testy response from Obama: “What does he think I’m supposed to do? […] Put on my fucking Aquaman gear and swim down there myself with a wrench?” (570).

Obama’s blunt response to Carville’s comments serve to lighten an otherwise serious chapter. Similar moments of levity appear in Chapter 24, notably, when Obama and Emanuel commiserate after losing control of Congress. The two vow to take easier jobs in the future: “‘After we’re finished, we should try something simpler,’ I said to him one day. ‘We could move our families to Hawaii and open a smoothie stand on the beach’” (596). Emanuel’s reply is equally playful: “‘Smoothies are too complicated […] We’ll sell T-shirts. But just white T-shirts. In medium. That’s it—no other colors or patterns or sizes. We don’t want to have to make any decisions. If customers want something different, they can go someplace else” (596).

Obama provides readers with a multifaceted perspective of the presidency. His administration’s successes and failures receive equally thorough treatment. Similarly, he describes the range of feelings the job elicits, including joy, pride, hope, frustration, anxiety, and sadness. Multitasking led to constant shifts in emotions. As Obama notes, “a president has no choice but to continually multitask. (‘You’re like the guy in the circus,’ Michelle told me once, ‘just spinning plates at the end of a stick’)” (565). Obama’s family and friends kept him grounded through the ups and downs of his presidency. Reading to Sasha and tucking Malia in at night was a cherished ritual. After hours museum visits, movies in the White House theater, and small dinner parties at the residence provided much needed respite from the pressures of running the country. Particularly restorative were the family trips to Hawaii: “With each day of extra sleep, laughter, and uninterrupted time with those I loved, I could feel my energy returning, my confidence restored” (589). Michelle had her own pressures and worries, but she rarely shared these with Obama: “She knew the load I was carrying and saw no point in adding to it” (544). Still, Obama was acutely aware of the strain the presidency placed on his marriage: “There were nights when, lying next to Michelle in the dark, I’d think about those days when everything between us felt lighter, when her smile was more constant and our love less encumbered, and my heart would suddenly tighten at the thought that those days might not return” (545).