A Promised Land

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2020

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Preface

Part 1, Chapters 1-4

Part 2, Chapters 5-9

Part 3, Chapters 10-13

Part 4, Chapters 14-17

Part 5, Chapters 18-21

Part 6, Chapters 22-24

Part 7, Chapters 25-27

Key Figures

Themes

Index of Terms

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Themes

Hope for a Better Future

Hope is central to Obama’s personal and professional outlook. Hope for a better future pushed Obama to persevere during difficult campaigns for the Illinois State Senate, the US Senate, and the presidency. The presidential campaign in particular hinged on hope. Obama used the slogans “Yes We Can” and “Change We Can Believe In” throughout his campaign. Indeed, the street artist Shepard Fairey’s poster featuring the word Hope and a likeness of Obama in striking shades of blue and red came to represent his 2008 run. Obama explains that community and future generations fuel his hope:

If we won, it would mean that I wasn’t alone in believing that the world didn’t have to be a cold, unforgiving place, where the strong preyed on the weak and we inevitably fell back into clans and tribes, lashing out against the unknown and huddling against the darkness. If these beliefs were made manifest, then my own life made sense, and I could then pass on that promise, that version of the world, to my children (78).

Obama remains hopeful for the future of the country, despite recent attacks on American democracy. False accusations of voter fraud driven by Trump, the rightwing media, and conspiracy theorist led to violent protests after the 2020 presidential election. Obama’s hope rests on fellow Americans, in particular young people: “If I remain hopeful, it’s because I’ve learned to place my faith in my fellow citizens, especially those of the next generation” (xvi). Obama admires the principles of youths, “whose conviction in the equal worth of all people seems to come as second nature, and who insist on making real those principles that their parents and teachers told them were true but perhaps never fully believed themselves” (xvi). Obama shares his hope with the people around him, including his staff after difficult losses, recent college graduates during commencement speeches, and even world leaders through accords aimed at bettering the world. Obama’s hope predates his time as president, as evidenced by his 2006 New York Times bestseller The Audacity of Hope.

Bipartisanship and Collaboration

Obama’s commitment to bipartisanship and collaboration is one of the most remarkable aspects of his leadership style. Obama consistently placed country over party during his time in public office. In the Illinois State Senate, for instance, he worked with a Republican colleague to promote nuclear nonproliferation, traveling to meet with Russian officials in Moscow, visiting a secret nuclear storage site in Saratov, and touring a nuclear warhead graveyard in the city of Perm. Meetings in Ukraine followed. Obama continued to work in the spirit of bipartisanship during his time in the US Senate. He took time away from his presidential campaign and flew to Washington to discuss the economic crisis with Bush and others at the White House. Obama told Bush he would support Bush’s unpopular TARP legislation because it was a necessary step to righting the economy. Obama continued to reach across the aisle as president. For example, he delivered a prime-time address before a joint session of Congress in 2009, a move only made twice in the preceding 16 years. The goal of his speech was to convince congressional Republicans to support the ACA. Obama presented affordable healthcare as a moral imperative and laid out the benefits of the ACA. Although public support for the ACA rose after his speech, only one Senate Republican supported the bill. Republican obstructionism, however, did not stop Obama advancing his agenda. He negotiated with Republicans to cut taxes for the middleclass and pass a comprehensive climate bill. However, he did not succeed in passing the DREAM Act.

Obama extended his collaborative approach to foreign affairs. As president, he ensured that every foreign policy statement coming from the White House stressed international cooperation and the US’s intention to engage nations based on mutual interest and respect. Obama traveled to countries neglected by the Bush administration, each time demonstrating his knowledge and appreciation of each locale. He collaborated with NATO and the UN, working with the former to bring down Gaddafi’s regime and negotiating with the latter to implement an interim global climate agreement to replace the expiring Kyoto Protocol. Obama calls his approach to public service “bridge-building politics” (41), emphasizing commonalities rather than fostering divisiveness.

The Importance of Family

Obama’s family plays a central role in his life and memoir. Obama dedicated his book to Michelle, his “love and life’s partner,” and Malia and Sasha, “whose dazzling light makes everything brighter” (Front Matter). Michelle stood by Obama though good times and challenging ones. She supported his dreams of a political career, even though she didn’t share them. Obama appreciates the many sacrifices Michelle made so he could pursue his goals. He is also grateful that his daughters remained amenable and joyful despite the disruptions his choices had on their lives: “It’s hard to overstate the burden I placed on my family during those two years I ran for president—how much I relied on Michelle’s fortitude and parenting skills, and how much I depended on my daughters’ preternatural good cheer and maturity” (161). Determined to give Malia and Sasha a normal upbringing, Michelle asked her mother to move into the White House, a decision that helped keep the family grounded: “What a gift my mother-in-law was. For us, she became a living, breathing reminder of who we were and where we came from, a keeper of values we’d once thought ordinary but had learned were more rare than we had ever imagined” (223). Obama’s own mother was an influential figure in his life, instilling in him a strong sense of right and wrong, and a desire to be a force of good in the world.