Alice Kessler-Harris

I count myself among those disappointed in Barack Obama’s presidency so far. I had not expected miracles, but I had hoped for a more dramatic turnaround in our politics: for an end to the war in Afghanistan; a rapid closing of Guantánamo; and a denunciation of torture, rendition, and the endless pursuit of an elusive and protean terrorism. On Election Day last year, I anticipated a more generous health care bill and a restoration of modest regulations on banks and financial investment firms. Obama led us to expect these things of him when, in his mellifluous and powerful voice, he advocated “change you can believe in.” I understood candidate Obama’s call to be not simply one of political style—not simply a cry to throw the scoundrels out. I wanted to believe that it was also a call to recalibrate our moral compass.