9780062642844
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The Best Worst President audiobook

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The Best Worst President Audiobook Summary

Political analyst and Democratic campaign veteran Mark Hannah and renowned New Yorker illustrator Bob Staake give Barack Obama the victory lap he deserves in this compendium that takes the president’s critics head-on and celebrates the president’s many underappreciated triumphs.

Barack Obama’s election in 2008 was a watershed moment in American history that inspired supporters on the Left–and fired up enemies on the Right. Elected in the midst of multiple crises–a Wall Street meltdown that imperiled the global economy and American troops entangled in two foreign wars–Barack Obama’s presidency promised, from the start, to be one of the most consequential presidencies in modern American history.

Although he stabilized the economy and restored America’s prestige on the global stage, President Obama has been denied the credit he deserves, receiving instead acidic commentary from political opponents such as former Vice President Dick Cheney, who declared that Obama was “the worst president in [his] lifetime”–an accusation that reflects the politics of resentment and recrimination that has come to characterize the president’s critics.

In The “Best Worst” President, Mark Hannah and New Yorker illustrator Bob Staake swiftly and systematically debunk conservative lies and disinformation meant to negate the president’s accomplishments and damage his reputation–baseless charges too often left unchallenged by the national media. The “Best Worst” President is a whip-smart takedown of these half-truths and hypocrisies, each refuted in a smart, witty, fact-based style. Hannah and Staake not only defend the president but showcase his administration’s most surprising and underappreciated triumphs–making clear he truly is the best “worst president” our nation has ever known.

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The Best Worst President Audiobook Narrator

Kaleo Griffith is the narrator of The Best Worst President audiobook that was written by Mark Hannah

Mark Hannah is a veteran of John Kerry’s and Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns and a Democratic political analyst who has appeared regularly on FOX News, MSNBC, and CNBC. He has written political analysis for PBS.org, The Huffington Post, and Politico and currently teaches at New York University and The New School. He holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University and the University of Southern California. A native of Cape Cod, he now lives in Brooklyn, New York. 

About the Author(s) of The Best Worst President

Mark Hannah is the author of The Best Worst President

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The Best Worst President Full Details

Narrator Kaleo Griffith
Length 7 hours 56 minutes
Author Mark Hannah
Category
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date June 28, 2016
ISBN 9780062642844

Subjects

The publisher of the The Best Worst President is HarperAudio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is American Government, General, Political Science

Additional info

The publisher of the The Best Worst President is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780062642844.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Jean

July 11, 2016

Curiosity drove me to read this book and I am glad I did. Hannah lists all the claims against Obama and then systematically gives the facts. The author stated that so much rhetoric is available about Obama in all types of media forums and that most of it is negative and some even farfetched such as Obama is a Muslim secret al-Qaeda operative. An example from the book is Obama is a dictator; the author’s rebuttal is Obama has used executive privilege less than any other President since Grover Cleveland who left office in 1897.The book is well written and is a good review of the Obama Presidency. The author reviews the arguments and the reality of the Obama years. The author is a political consultant and has written many books. I am sure this will be one of those books that people will either love or hate. Some of the information used in rebuttal I already was aware of but much of it I was not.I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Kaleo Griffith does a good job narrating the book. Griffith is a film and TV actor as well as a voice over artist. He is an Audiofile Earphone Award winning audiobook narrator.

Ed

July 05, 2016

Haven't read it yet, but needed to balance the 1 star rating someone else gave it.

Jeanne

August 26, 2018

The Best "Worst President": What the Right Gets Wrong about Barack Obama was written by Mark Hannah, political analyst, writer, and campaigner, and illustrated by Bob Staake, author and illustrator. The Best Worst is well- and thoughtfully written – and decidedly liberal in its analysis.Hannah's responses are well-documented and argued, occasionally admitting Obama's shortcomings. On the other hand, he is also clear about the ways that the Republicans have failed to support the initiatives that they later claim they want and that Obama's denied them (including diplomatic security in Benghazi). It's easier to believe that Republican statements and actions are politically-motivated attacks rather than just the product of different worldviews. Where is the moral courage? The integrity?Although the larger purpose of The Best "Worst President"is to respond to conservative stories about Obama's presidency, the larger story (more interesting to me) is to consider how such ludicrous tales were spun: It fit the narrative of a lawless and vindictive president who wanted to punish or disable his political enemies. (pp. 23-24)In trying to tell an enticing story, facts yield to fantasy and details defer to drama. (p. 24) The portrayal of Barack Obama as an “outsider” or a “stranger” fits into the conservative fantasy that someone so liberal, so wonky, and so cosmopolitan just couldn’t represent America. (p. 67)Conservatives interpret his skillful use of the English language not as a reflection of clear thinking and passionate advocacy but rather as some kind of verbal sorcery. In this account, plain language reveals while lofty oratory conceals (p. 74) America might seem more divided amid the Ferguson protests and #BlackLivesMatter movements “because we’re more aware of our racial shortcomings . . . [but] when it comes to race relations, America is better than it’s ever been” (p. 83)Republican manners have been poor (Democrats haven't been perfect either), but I hope that I am more honest when responding to DJT and other presidents I never would have voted for. Would I perceive their actions negatively if Obama had performed them?If I were to have served as editor for this book, I would have suggested several things: (a) add figures and tables making Hannah's points (I'm a geek this way), (b) find a conservative writer to rebut Hannah's responses, and (c) remove Staake's cartoons, which to my mind, set the wrong tone for this book.I'd also like to see a version of this book for DJT. How would a thoughtful Republican respond to my concerns about his behavior?Could they?

Ardys

August 18, 2018

I found this helpful to try to understand what the complaints were about Obama. Because I approved of Obama's handling of foreign and domestic affairs I could never quite grasp what the Critics were complaining about. It provided a very clear picture of how his opposition thought about things. I feel better able to discuss events of that presidency. I'm still very pleased with his presidency--the author reviews issue by issue. I miss Obama, a President I could be proud of.

Eleni

July 09, 2016

The hardcover feels amazing in my hands. The size, paper quality, and hardcover make the physical experience of reading this book sheer pleasure. It was published to last in your personal or school library.And the inside matches the outside. This is a political book, a retrospective on President Obama's time in office but written in an alert and entertaining style. It is split into three separate parts with a list of topics within: the man (think of an allegation like "socialist"); the country (think of an issue like "climate change); and, the world (think of a crisis like "Benghazi"). Each topic opens with an allegation followed by a refutation. The author, Mark Hannah, shares some insider knowledge and excellent turns of phrase. In "Country: The Planet Healer," there is subsection on the Keystone XL Pipeline. It begins with the allegation that the President bowed under pressure from environmental groups and vetoed a project that would bring work to the United States. The sum total of permanent jobs that would have come were 35 - at the cost of processing a filthy type of oil that spews greenhouse gases; invoking eminent domain to take land away from citizens; and, keeping gas prices the same. Hannah analyzes the issue in three pages of generous and easy to read detail.The illustrations are done in a classic political style and are awesome. My favorite has Uncle Sam ill in a hospital bed and hooked up to a machine that President Obama is about to pull the plug on.Quote of the Day: In "Country: The Economy Destroyer: Job-Killing Tax Hikes" --- "Unless you want your grandfather driving for Uber too."(Disclosure: I worked with Mark Hannah years ago in a University setting. I purchased "The Best 'Worst' President" on my own and have read it cover to cover. Some sections twice. Yes, ‘Country’ was my favorite.)

Susan

September 08, 2016

Yes, the point of the book is to increase Obama's approval rating.Mark Hannah, a Democratic political analyst, presents Conservatives' claims about Obama, including that he's a dictator, a socialist, a "health care usurper," and a "bungler of foreign policy."Then Hannah presents well-documented information that explains / defends / denies.A hidden purpose is to increase readers' understanding of the process of governing and of the situations that shape our society.After reading this book, I understand much more about executives orders, the auto industry bailout, and the US relationships with North Korean, Cuba, and terrorists. Almost every section offered a revelation, because I'm not at all knowledgeable about current events.

Jake

October 07, 2018

A few reviews complain about his "bias" that he's clearly just trying to "vindicate" Obama, but it's not like he's trying to hide that, he admits it in the introduction. In fact he admits it in the title. Obama's opponents claim he's the "Worst President" and Hannah believes he was the best. So yes, he's biased. Get over it.I do not consider myself liberal at all, but I do consider myself open minded, and I was largely impressed with the book. I think most accusations about Obama are exaggerated or people looking for problems more than pointing out reality. I think Hannah glossed over a few things (drone warfare), but for the most part did a good job of pointing out what he accomplished despite massive opposition.I would want to see a rebuttal piece before I decide if I'm actually an Obama fan or not, but I think anyone who reads this with an open mind would probably decide Obama was a better President than given credit for.

Bruce

May 22, 2017

I love this book, mainly because I love (and now very much missed Obama).I learn a lot from this book, and a lot of these I didn't really have much of the background and I was listening and wasn't paying my full attention, so I was lost in many of the topics. Regardless, I had fun listening to this book and would recommend to anyone who is a fan of Obama or simply wants to get their facts straight!

Megan

September 06, 2022

Perception is reality. For those who want to know more - details, facts, numbers, etc. - this will give you those. And Mark is a good writer. The book gives this information while injecting some humor. I think you'll like it.

Charles

August 19, 2016

Very Appropriate TitleAs a supporter of Obama I felt I knew his positives and negatives. I haven't shifted one way or another but the discussion of the chosen topics helped validate and clarify what I understood and what I thought I understood and helped in my lack of understanding. I am glad I read this book in the last months of Obama's presidency.

Jayde

August 02, 2016

Interesting, but definitely biased towards vindicating Obama.

Nathalie

August 13, 2016

I'm not sure I'll ever give a political book five stars...but I pretty much always like them all. I liked this one as well. The research notes and sources provided are impressive.

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