An embarrassment, but a sober reminder of the dangers of overconfidence. For one, he lacks the necessary romantic pathos — his persona is that of a hippie-punching cynic whose fantasy politics is the status quo.
Audacity is a defense of Obama as a lawmaker. The main points of discussion include the pieces of legislation and executive orders Obama signed — the stimulus package, the auto bailout, the Affordable Care Act, the Clean Power Plan. The few moments of triumph are underwhelming, even when viewed in the context of a hypothetical Clinton win.
An already meager stimulus proposal is watered down further by the three moderates then left in the GOP. A toothless version of Dodd-Frank passes. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is narrowly passed through budget reconciliation before the most important part, Medicaid expansion, is made voluntary by the Supreme Court.
Coincidentally, the turning over of public education to private control is the Obama policy least likely to be reversed by Donald Trump and a Republican Congress. Most of the successes Audacity touts will likely be obsolete in the next few months. Congressional Republicans have already begun the process of repealing the Affordable Care Act.
The Clean Power Plan is being contested in federal court. Trump pledged to dismantle Dodd-Frank. He devotes one paragraph of the introduction and one of the conclusion to Clinton, both of which place blame for her loss on the FBI investigation into her email server.
