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Ta-Nehisi Coates - Why Obama Was Different in "We Were Eight Years in Power"

2021-12-21

"We Were Eight Years in Power" author Ta-Nehisi Coates reflects on Barack Obama's presidency. Originally aired October 2017.

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This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
You listening to Carmody Central Princess himself, beach is the telling developing task that everyone can stop talking about. Here is what you might have mentioned on last week's episodes Well, I'm sorry, but I just can't be with you anymore. is the one. I need alone of a hundred thousand dollars a hundred thousand dollars? Are you trying to ruin me? What are you talking about? I just got an email with this natural. Now someone is blackmail, you stay one and he thinks it's me There must be some kind of mistaken to telling you that the email came from like us arose, when, as not just in your natural, what are you doing you? Where is everybody likeable Louisa away wanna hear more listen to princess absorbing on Iheart Radio or wherever you listened upon gassed princess of South beaches.
Ended by Link Lincoln the power of Sanctuary princess if South Beach is part of the migrants dude at work, welcome to the college football players, semi funds players, votaries it'll, be my baby, since that it knows it ass against the war and the world right now is. Our mission is a dangerous fees. Georgia policies, Alabama Cincinnati, the Goodyear Constable classic it three three eastern Michigan Georgia in the capital, one which bore with sedentary today. espionage streaming live on the ESPN is a national correspondent for the Atlantic and the New York Times best selling, also whose latest book is called. We were eight years in power and
I can tragedy. Please welcome tenacity coats, while the backs of the shop things are released, so have you man this is this is fond before before we get into the into the book that there's a story that came out of the book that I'd like a sight of you that I didn't really know about a piece of you that I went back and read on, and that was tunnel, hussy, the blogger in oh, you, u blogged a lot, you you speak in the book about how this is where you forged. Your writing. You know was was your dodo away here? Do you sometimes miss that tunnel hussy, where you can say what have you want? You know they were. There wasn't scrutiny on you. You were just spitting you ideas out there all the time. Yeah I mean I know, have
Last year I got, I was doin, another interview show and I got acts too. I was voting for, and I said, I'd centres four Bernie Sanders a New York Times or phone call me have tat rights and it was clear I, like I couldn't talk in the same way anymore like I just didn't, have liked the ability to do. You know very much way how does it? My minuses me talk, and this is the right guy from was born, we'll talk, he might or might not know but you know, then I realized that people don't necessarily see it that way what it's funny. You say that as people see you as knowing everything you put down on a page, they see as you knowing, but in this book, what you ve done is you ve gone back and use, I didn't know, and I should have known- and I would I would have known which it, which is an interesting way to go back and look at your life and look at eight years in power. The book is really looking at Obama's tenure right learning at that time. Right am I correct in saying that this is a peasant.
Stick out look on on what that out years. What, though, that those eight years meant You know, I'm a man, a journal slight does me. I cannot see that maybe bore, but you know My item is never say no well turn out. You know. One item, Goma is there's gonna, be hopeful right you know it is going to be optimistic or pessimistic. So it's hard for me to answer that as a as a practitioner. It is what it was. If that makes any sort of sense. By from asthma them actually creating the thing? Yes, I do. I don't I was gonna be a really depressing story. What is going to make people feel great? You know it's not We in my mind I'm trying to get answers right and if those answers tend to be depressing, that, I think that's because of our previous stories to maybe we ve told ourselves about the world ass it s interesting, because I've I've seen a few wipe. who have said Tallahassee, how can you condemn this country?
Acta hussy I mean I hear what you are saying and I mean you're right. Slavery in your rights about the Jim, Crow and you're right about segregation and you're right about you know, messing observation, but but rarely is it is it that bad I know she muslim condemning the country right like, I think what it is as if you believe, if you leaving the American exceptionally Smith, museum is somehow higher than all other countries that its touched by did it really is united? We talked about that City on the hill right. Yes, I'm condemning it. Yes, Maybe if you believe, as I believe that its a society It is a country established by humans with all the beautiful things and all the flaws that come from being a human being to know it's just a story rises to start. What would you like? What, if I, what I presented this year, I said it is exceptional. What if I went a merry is exceptional in the same way Superman's exceptional, but then there is the I can't side of Superman. You know the floor. Was that
the cracks in the physicians and you can you be so anxious and were men and election losers like if they would have no, is much more like right now. I don't know, I think, there's heavy missionary impulse, theirs in the Americas. Ikea, maybe is right in the site. You of all people I wouldn't want to bleed their country is somehow this frankly, more moral or more just and all other societies and countries before I don't see myself necessarily. It is saying anything that you know that I have been sorted out there, but I think it does a type of vat it just somehow you no particular special different exceptional you you, you take us through each year of the Obama presidency and that's interesting how the book starts from a place. Hope excitement. You talk about how you, with your partner, you bought food. You which, like all black times baby, was a good thing. We use the different free here. I mean I've heard what I felt at black time spent an hour and then and then, as as the prey
can see unfolds wee wee wee? We go through this journey with you, that's really powerful, because you go to a place where in many ways you argue that Obama's presidency and lack of leadership in any way shape or form, is in some way, contributing Two white supremacy, which is very complicated, What what do you mean when you say that in a hole in Quite- but I would say, is it's not like outing Obama did anything, but the human being, and you know, go into often just happened to be so my achieved black centres, for is the reaction to that right is, where's the reaction to the ordinary next to the Bourgeois so the middle class nest of normal everyday black people. How well that accords with what this country? claims, evaluate it s, always a threat because it automatically undermines the suppositions of. Why supremacy, which says that black people You know, don't take here, two kids, black people, you know
always in killing each other in an up and to act as a kind of moral judgment that can all please be made or black we would. It goes back to you no justification to slavery and black folks who present themselves. in a particular way, as undermining that you know, it's always a threat to the thinking about. Why suppose? I think it's my fault was offended by Obama. They couldn't grass but he was actually black, and so they became his whole other mythologies hung up around them most senior specifically in this both the result. He could not be from here because he's not the black that we believe black to be exactly and is another word that I cannot use up here, but I think that that they actually want that's the archetype of why that is he would be black and be human and all the again After all the normal ways of a human being kiss your wife love you, I've got a dog to kids just now a more human. Every day was too.
I mean I think that contributed to the birth of his I'm, going to all the sort of weird conspiracy theories that you don't spring up around them. What when you, when you talk about the backlash that many people have tried to dissect, looking at the you you wanna, hear your arguments is in many ways, tromp was a backlash to Obama now I understand the argument, but I go was. Was this a backlash? Obama? Was it a backlash chew the establishment to Hillary Clinton to more of the same, because I mean Mitt Romney and Donald Trump had the same amount of votes. Hillary Clinton is the person who had fewer votes, and so it feels like it. This? people running around trumpet the international presence in the national election, more people, people running around in there in the republican nomination. Do you feel like doesn't have to be a backlash. Do think it was. A backlash, definitely was deafening. Wasn't me you're right use,
the action I think it was the sun was their reaction to Hillary Clinton? Think it was a reactor? The fact of having the possibility will want to president rights. I think TAT was definitely there, but I do not people who make this idea about Mitt, Romney and Trump. All the time as though Mitt Romney and Trump are equal Mitt Romney had been governor. He had run for president before he was very, very practice politician. The fact that Trump who had no really it at all in politics, who said all sorts of outrageous things was caught. One hey bragging about sex. Harassment was even in speeding distance Mitt Romney shows you how much the boy was lowered. So the fact that you know they some does improve must meet if, if he were, if Obama would being judged by the same standards he wouldn't I've been in a race is the load bod, I think, attest to the fact you know of backlash. What, when you look at the complicated relationship between white supremacy and massage any act like a very complicated space to be an you know where you go.
White supremacy and the oppression of women have been tied together in ways that I've even struggle to comprehend. How does how does that play and have you? taken the time to read the because I know you don't you don't you know you you're, not just of everything, Debbie That's what I mean I didactic rise Eurostat, but Thank you. No one wanted a notions that that that you know is always. There is the fact that, having a black present, it like that is a fundamental shift that may you had had a line of. Why do you know before him and then gonna immediately followed up with a woman. I think you know it was. It was almost unfolds. That Hillary Clinton had to run? tat. I had been a black presidential talking about, but you know I just you know too big big moment of this huge changes, before that you go what one last question talking. so the idea we were eight years in power you draw in the book many parallels between. time when black people will ruling the backlash the came afterwards and
bombers rule in the backlash the came off afterwards. One thing you during the book and I don't like coincidental or not. Is you also draw parallels in the response to that back, you have the civil rights movement that comes afterwards. Do you think that I'm always Donald Trump Presidency will be the slingshot that propels America even further forward is the, possibility that now you will have more people engaged in politics you will have more who are running for office. You will have more men who are accountable for sexual harassment. Do think. There's a possibility, get as a possibility would also could be the trap door. Diplomas us into the abyss one or the other one of you message on that same of one or the other.
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and side effects were not just stomach pain and indigestion for important safety, information prescribing information and patient information visit nor check dot com. With Lord check, I treat language my way ask your doktor about no check today princess of South Beach. Is the talent of Ella podcast that everyone can stop talking about. Here is what you might have missed on last week's episodes. Well, I'm sorry, but I just can't be with you anymore, is the one I need alone of a hundred thousand dollars. A hundred thousand dollars. Are you trying to ruin me? What are you talking about? I just got an email with this natural now someone is blackmail, you stay one and he thinks it's me. There must be some kind of mistaken to telling you that the email came from like us arose. When, as not just in your natural, what do you do any? Where is everybody like a boy who is on the way,
Wanna hear more. Listen to princess absorbing on Iheart Radio or wherever you listened upon gassed princess of South meat is funded by Link Lincoln the power of Sanctuary princess if South Beach is part of the migrants outta network, it's that Tommy here again the season up, giving in spending time with the ones you love most. Why not try yours to some new holiday scratch off from the Pierre Lottery Holiday scratch us make great gifts and with prices up the one million dollars, what better way to spread fun enjoy to your friends and family. So let's keep things marian bright and have so much fun watching our loved ones play the newest scratch off from the Pennsylvania lottery and one more thing keep on scratching. must be eighteen or over? Please lay responsibly benefits older pennsylvanians. Every day this has been a comedy central podcast.
Transcript generated on 2021-12-22.