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    Leading from Behind: The Reluctant President and the Advisors Who Decide for Him
    Leading from Behind: The Reluctant President and the Advisors Who Decide for Him
    Leading from Behind: The Reluctant President and the Advisors Who Decide for Him
    Audiobook9 hours

    Leading from Behind: The Reluctant President and the Advisors Who Decide for Him

    Written by Richard Miniter

    Narrated by Richard Miniter

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    About this audiobook

    Barack Obama has never been fully vetted—until now.

    In the New York Times bestselling Leading from Behind, investigative journalist Richard Miniter presents the first book to explore President Obama's abilities as a leader, by unearthing new details of his biggest successes and failures. Based on exclusive interviews and never-before-published material, Leading from Behind investigates the secret world of the West Wing and the combative personalities that shape historic events.

    Contrary to the White House narrative, which aims to define Obama as a visionary leader, Leading from Behind reveals a president who is indecisive, moody, and often paralyzed by competing political considerations. Many victories—as well as several significant failures—during the Obama presidency are revealed to be the work of strong women, who led when the president did not: then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; and Valerie Jarrett, his closest adviser and an Obama family confidante, whose unusual degree of influence has been a source of conflict with veteran political insiders.

    In Leading from Behind, you will learn:

    · Why Obama's relationship with Israel was poisoned years before he met Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu

    · The real reason for Valerie Jarrett's strong hold over both Barack and Michelle Obama

    · ObamaCare wasn't Obama's idea. It was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's. And the real reason he danced to her tune.

    · Obama delayed and canceled the mission to kill Osama bin Laden three times and then committed an intelligence blunder that allowed dozens of high-level members of al Qaeda to escape.

    · Why Obama destroyed a secret budget deal with House Speaker John Boehner that would have reformed entitlements, slashed spending, and reduced the national debt—without raising taxes
    · Why Obama is determined to save Attorney General Eric Holder, even though he has mislead and stonewalled Congress about "Operation: Fast and Furious"
    · Why Obama decided to defy the Tea Party and ditch his plans to end earmarks
    In Leading from Behind, Richard Miniter's provocative research offers a dramatic, thoroughly sourced account of President Obama's White House during a time of intense domestic controversy and international turmoil.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateAug 21, 2012
    ISBN9781427236906
    Author

    Richard Miniter

    Richard Miniter is the author of three top-ten New York Times bestsellers, Losing Bin Laden and Shadow War, as well as Mastermind, the first biography of 9/11 planner Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. He writes a column for Forbes.com. A former editorial writer for The Wall Street Journal in Brussels, member of the investigative team at The Sunday Times in London, and editorial-page editor of the Washington Times, Miniter has also written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, as well as The Atlantic, Reader’s Digest, Newsweek, The New Republic, and National Review. He has appeared on CNN, C-SPAN, Fox News Channel, and MSNBC. He has won awards from the National Press Club and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (shared). He lives in Arlington, Virginia.

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    • 5/5
      If you want to read one book that will give you a definitive opinion and understanding of President Obama, read this one. I have read many books that analyze his Presidency, but this should be a primer, read by everyone. It is uncomplicated; it is a fast and interesting read; it is full of explanations that are easy to understand about who Obama is, why he is who he is, and what it means for America to have him as President. He may be very likeable, but likeability is not the best qualification for President, competence is, and after reading this book you might have to think, once again, about who you would rather have answer the phone at 3AM, in a crisis.The book consists of seven chapters; each concentrates on a specific theme which are:1-The women in his life, (his wife, Michelle Robinson, his mom, Stanley Dunham, his friend, Valerie Jarrett, and Hillary Clinton, his opponent and then his Secretary of State): He rarely makes a decision without Jarrett's input and she is equally respected by Michelle. Clinton has shaped a good relationship with him, one in which she is able to assert herself. His mother gave him his personality, his father his purpose.2-The problems of the economy and his relationship with his own party and the GOP: Miniter exposes his style with regard to the dealings and negotiations with Congress and other governmental agencies. He reveals how his difficulty in making a decision, and his inexperience, often caused the negotiations to crash. He relied on associates who used Chicago style politics. The issue of trust became front and center when deals were made and not honored. Eventually, this led to the credit downgrade of the United States.3-The health care bill and the part he played in its inception:Who really designed the bill? Whose neck was on the line and whose was protected was a common theme in each chapter. Who was responsible for the ultimate implementation and passage of the bill and then paid a heavy price for it?4-National Security, concentrating on Bin Laden's capture and who deserves the credit for its implementation and success:The process was delayed for two years because of Obama's procrastination and Valerie Jarrett's obstruction and interference. The facts and persons who deserve credit for this success will be revealed.5-Israeli/US relationships, the birth of his perceptions and philosophy concerning both and the reasons for his less than stellar relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu:The people who most influenced Obama's ideas about Israel were those who were members of "J" Street, and other far left organizations, believing in the return to 1967 borders and an Israel that was not largely a Jewish state since they wanted complete equality between the Israelis and the Palestinians. He followed the philosophy of personages like Amos Oz, Rabbi Heschel and Rabbi Wolf, David Grossman, and Edward Said, people who did not believe in Israel as a homeland for Jews only, not strict Zionists.6-The Department of Justice and the policies of Attorney General, Eric Holder, with a concentration on Fast and Furious:Although the DOJ has experienced failures of enormous magnitude and often showed a lack of judgment as a result of personal philosophy rather than legality, he is supported by Obama. The reasons for the failures and the support are explored.7-Finally, the last chapter is on Obama. It is a brief description of what makes a good leader and President and how his philosophy and behavior during his term in the White House, led to his successes and failures. He made friends of enemies and enemies of friends. He has often taken credit where none was due and scapegoated blame on the shoulders of others to protect himself. He and Michelle could be described with one word---opportunists who have done very well.After reading this book, you may be outraged or appalled. Some will continue to vote for a party, rather than a person while others will rethink their vote and choose the most qualified, rather than the “prettiest” and most popular, choose the one with the best qualities of a leader, not one who uses bullying tactics and avoids responsibility wherever possible to insure his own political career.