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Carol Shetler's avatar

Hi, Steve, thanks for keeping that link to UnHerd, column written by David Samuels. I have just subscribed. If you haven't read it, his take on Barack Obama as an "eminence grise" or Shadow President is the term he used, behind Kamala Harris's presidential bid is an eye-opener.

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Steve QJ's avatar

"his take on Barack Obama as an "eminence grise" or Shadow President is the term he used, behind Kamala Harris's presidential bid is an eye-opener."

I might be losing my mind here, but could you point to a single line in his piece where he actually makes the case that Obama was the "shadow president"? I read this one first as you singled it out, and I've now read it twice, and I'm reeling that it ever got past the scrutiny of a halfway decent editor.

Where is the evidence that Obama "ordered" Biden out? As the article claims repeatedly. Where is the evidence that Obama was running the government Biden was too senile to run? Samuels openly admits that the "$500 million to $1 billion" estimates of Obama's wealth are unfounded rumours, but then hangs some kind of conspiracy about Obama "having it both ways" on this rumour.

Then there's the paradox of accusing a man whose catchphrase during the election cycle was literally "Don't boo, vote," of wanting to "protect democracy from American voters." Especially in defence of a man, the only man in history, who tried to forcibly overturn a democratic American election.

Even the idea that it's "strange" that Obama stayed in Washington after his presidency was over ignores the crucial detail his daughter was still in school in Washington after the end of his term, so it made sense for the family to stay in the city they'd been living in for eight years.

I'm asking sincerely, could you tell me what you found compelling about this take on Obama?

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