A Crisis Wasted: Barack Obama's Defining Decisions

This book is the compelling story of the Obama domestic policy decisions which went wrong between September 2008 and his inauguration on January 20, 2009. Unlike all other presidents except Abraham Lincoln—who decided to fight the Civil War before he was sworn in—Barack Obama determined the fate of his presidency before he became president. The policy results ultimately led to the worst person Obama could have imagined taking his place eight years later.

During these four months, Obama chose neoliberal policies for restoring the economy, reforming health care, addressing the housing market collapse, and moving to clean power.

This book describes how these decisions were made. Obama found himself trapped by the Bush administration’s prioritization of bolstering wall street. Then he made Hillary Clinton’s economic advisors his own and took their counsel. Although the Great Recession could have been much worse, the neoliberal policies led to a drawn out and uneven recovery, unpopular and limited health care reform, and failed energy reform.