The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Ta-Nehisi Coates - Why Obama Was Different in "We Were Eight Years in Power"

Episode Date: February 22, 2022

"We Were Eight Years in Power" author Ta-Nehisi Coates reflects on Barack Obama's presidency. Originally aired October 30, 2017. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. Please welcome, Tanahasi Coates. Welcome, Tanahasi Coates. Welcome back to the show. Thanks for having to be back. It's good to have you, man. This is fun. Before we get into the book, there's a story that came out of the book, that I, like a side of you that I didn't really know about, a piece of you that I went back and read on,

and that was Tanahasi, the blogger. You know, you blogged a lot. You speak in the book about how this is where you forged your writing, you know, it was your dojo in a way. Do you sometimes miss that Tanahasi where you could say whatever you want, you know, there wasn't the scrutiny on you, you were just spitting your ideas out there? All the time. Yeah, I mean, I, you know what happened last year, I got, I was was voting for and I said I was voting for Bernie Sanders and a New York Times report called me after that. Right. And it was clear I like I couldn't talk in the same way anymore. Like I just didn't have like the ability. I had you know very much way you know how I

because in my mind it's just me talking. It's just the guy from West Baltimore talking he might know he might not know but you know then then I then I then I then I then I then I then I then I then I then I then I then I then I then I then I then I then I then I then I then I then I then I then I then I then I then I then I then I the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the their. their. their. the their. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the. thi. thi. to. today. today. the te. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the, then I realize that people don't necessarily see it that way? Well, yeah, it's funny you say that because 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 you've said I didn't know and I should have known, and I wish I would have known, which is an interesting way to go back and look back, and look, and look, and look, and look, and look, and look, and look, and look, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, their, their, their, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, 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, looking at that time. Am I correct in saying that this is a pessimistic outlook on what that out years, on what those eight years meant? I don't know, you know, it's an odd thing. You know, I'm a journalist. Like that's, I mean, I know people don't see that anymore. But, you know, my editors never

say, you know, well, town or house, you know, when I tell them to go, right, is this going to be hopeful? Right. You know, is this going any sort of sense. That's, like from the aspect of actually creating the thing. Yes. I don't think, wow, this is going to be a really depressing story, but while this is going to make people feel great. You know, it's not really in my mind. I'm trying to get answers. Right. You know? And if those answers tend to be depressing, then I think that's because of previous stories that maybe we've told

ourselves about the world. That's interesting because I've seen a few white people who have said, Tanahasi, how can you condemn this country? You know, they go like, Tanahasi, I mean, I hear what you're saying, and I mean, you're right about the slavery and you condemning the country right? I think what it is is if you believe in the American exceptionalist myth you say America is somehow higher than all other countries that it's touched by God that it really is, you know as we talked about that city on the hill, then yes I'm condemning it. Yes, I mean but if you believe is I believe that it is that it is that it is that it is that it is that it is that it's that it's that it's that it's that it's th th th th th th th th th the th the th is th is thi thi thi thi thi thi thi the the the the the thi thi thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi thi. thi thi the the their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their the c the c. I'm the c. I'm the c. I'm the c. I'm the c. I'm thi thi thi thi thou to to to to c. I'm to cou tou tou tou tou tou tou tou tou to c. I'm to comm the hell, then yes, I'm condemning it. Yes, I mean, but if you believe is, I believe, that it's a society, as a country established by humans with all the beautiful things and all the flaws that come from being

a human being, then no, it's just a story. It's just a story. Would you, like, what if I, What if I went? America is exceptional in the same way, Superman is exceptional, but then there is the Clark Kent side of Superman, you know, the floors, the cracks in the facade. Can you, can you be exceptional? It's more like Superman and Alexa Luther side, like if they were the same person. No, it's much more like that. Right. I don't know. I think I think there's a heavy missionary impulse that is buried in the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the their their their their their their, thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. It's is is is much is much is much is much is much is much is much. It's is much. It's is much. It's is much. It's is much. It's is much. It's is much. It's is much. It's is much. It's is much. It's is much. It's, thi. It's, thi. It's, thi. It's, the the the thi. It's their. It's their. It's their. It's their. C. C. C. I's much. C. C. C. I's much more. C. C. I's much more. C. C. I's much. C. C. I's much. C. I's much. I know. I think there is a heavy missionary impulse that is buried in the American psyche. And maybe it's buried in the psyche of all people, like where they want to believe their country is somehow distinctly more moral or more just than all other societies and countries before. I don't see myself necessarily as saying anything that's, you know, that sort of out there. But I think it does attack that idea. It's just somehow, you know, particular special, special, special, their their their their their their, their, their, their, their, is, is, is, is, is, is special, is special, is special, is special, is special, is special, is special, is special, is special, is special, is special, is their, is, is their, is, is their, is their, is their, is their, is their, is their, is their, is their, is their, is their. And, is, is their. And, is, is, is, is, is, is, is their. And, is, is, is, is, is, is their. And, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is. And, their. And, their. And, their. And, their. And, their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. the sort of out there. But I think it does attack that idea, it's just somehow, you know, particular special, different, exceptional. You take us through each year of the Obama presidency.

And it's interesting how the book starts from a place of hope, excitement. You know, you talk about how you went with your partner, you bought food, you were choosing. It was like, oh, black times. Yeah. the, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, the, the, the, the, the, thi. thi, thi, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you take, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you....... You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You're, you're, you're ta.. tak, ta.... ta... ta. ta. ta. ta. You take, you take, you take, you take, you take, you take, you take, you take, you take, I mean, I'm paraphrasing, paraphrasing. That's what I felt, Black Times. Yeah. And then, and then as the presidency unfolds, we go through this journey with you, that's really powerful because you take us to a place where in many ways you argue that Obama's presidency and black leadership in any way, shape or form, is in some way contributing to white supremacy, which is a very complicated argument. What do you mean when you say that?

I wouldn't quite put it. I would say, it's not, you know, like I don't think Obama did anything but be a human being and, you know, going to the office and just happen to be somebody to check black on the sentence form. It's the reaction to the reaction, the the the the the to be someone someone the the th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, thi thi thi-s, thi-s, thi-s, thi-s, thi-s, thi-s, thi-a-a-a-a-a-s, thus-a-s, thi-s, thi-s, thi-s, thi-s, thi-s, thi-s, thuomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomenomen, the, the, the, the, the, the, thi-s, thi-s, thi-s, thus-s, thus-s, thus-s, thus-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-suucoe always the reaction to the ordinaryness, to the bourgeoisness, so the middle classness of, you know, normal everyday black people and how well that accords with what this country claims of value. That's always a threat because it automatically undermines the suppositions of white supremacy, which says that black people, you know, are't take care of their kids, black people, you know, are, you know, always, you know, killing each other and then up in jail.

Like, there's a kind of moral judgment that can always be made on black people. This goes back to, you know, justifications to slavery. And black folks who present to present themselves, you know, in a particular way, and, thii. their their their their, like, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, you, you, you, you're, you're, you're, you're, you're, you're, you're, you're, you know, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, you know, you, you, you know, you know, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you..... their, you. their, you. their, you. their, you. their, you know, you know, you know, th. th. th. th. th. You know, th. th. th. th. You know, th. You know, th. You know, like, their, their, you know, you know, like, you know, you're, you threat to the thinking about white superiors. I think that's why folks were so offended by Obama. You know, like they couldn't grasp that he was actually black, and so they became this whole other mythology that sprung up around them, most, you know, specifically in this birth-tourism thing. Somehow he's not legit. He could not be from here because he'sthere's another word that I cannot use up here, but I think that they actually want. That's the archetype of what that is, but that he would be black and be human and all the, again, not exceptional, all the normal ways of a human being. Kiss your wife,

love your wife, got a dog, you know, two kids, just normal human every day. to what's, you know, too much, that thi thu k, that thu k, that thi that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's their their that's that their that he would that he's, that's, that he's, that he's, that he's, that he's, but that he's, but that he that he that he that he that he that he that he that he that he that he that he that he that he that he that he that he that he that he that he that he that he that he that's, but that's, but that's, that's, that's, their. their. their. their. th. that. that. that. that. thrue. thrue. thrue. th. the. the. the. the. that that that that that that that he would would that that that that that that contributed to the birtherism, you know, all the sort of weird conspiracy theories that, you know, sprung up around them. When you talk about the backlash that many people have tried to dissect, looking at the election, one of your arguments is in many ways Trump was a backlash to Obama. Right. Now, I understand the argument, but I go, was this a backlash to Obama or was it a backlash the establishment the establishment the establishment the establishment the establishment the establishment the establishment the the establishment the the the the establishment the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the argument, but I go, was, was this a backlash to Obama or was it a backlash to the establishment, to Hillary Clinton, to more of the same? Because I mean, Mitt Romney and Donald Trump had the same amount of votes, you know, Hillary Clinton is the person who had fewer votes. And so it feels like it was less the people rallying around Trump in the national

election, more people rallying around Trump in the national election, more people rallying around him in the Republican nomination. Do you feel that, like, does it have to be a backlash? Do you think it was a backlash? Yeah, it definitely was. You're right, it was a reaction. I think it was a reaction. I think it was a reaction. I think it was a reaction to the fact of having the possibility, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, thapapapapapapap, the possibility, the possibility, the, the, the, thin, thin, thin, the, the, to, the, the, the, the, the, the, to, to, the, the, the, the, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the fact, the fact, the fact, the fact, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, they.. the the the the the the the the the the the the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, to the fact of having the possibility of a woman president. I think that was definitely there.

But I've heard people who make this arguing 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 a very, very practiced politician. The fact that Trump, who had no experience at all in politics, who said all sorts of outrageous things, who was caught on tape bragging about sexual harassment, was even in spitting distance of Mitt Rommies shows you how much the bar was lowered. So the fact that, you know, that doesn't prove much to me.

If he were, if him and Obama were being judged by the same standards, he wouldn't even have been in a race. It's the lowered bar that I think attest to the fact, you know, of backlash. When you look at the complicated relationship between white supremacy and misogyny, that's like a very complicated space to be in, you know, where you go, white supremacy and the oppression of women have been tied together in ways that I even struggle to comprehend. How does that play it? Have you even taken the the the the the the the the the the to to to to the to the to to to to to the to to to to to to the to to to to the to to to to to to to to to to toe. T. Teck.s.s. I toeck. I toeckleaqq. toe, toe, toe.aqiol-s.aqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq.coe. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. W. I. W. I. W. I. I's, tape. I's, tape. I's, tape. I'm, t. I'm, t. I'm, tapeck.A. I'm, tapeilileileileileill. I'ma. I'ma. I'ma. I'ma.Ia.I.I.I.I. I'm. I'm, t.. How does that play it? Have you even taken the time to read through that? Because I know you don't, you know, you're not a journalist of everything.

There are better people that me that can address that. But I think, you know, one of the notions that, you know, is always there is the fact that having a black president, like that was a fundamental shift. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I that that that that that was a fundamental, I that that was a fundamental, I that was a fundamental, I was a fundamental, I was a fundamental, I was a fundamental, I mean, I mean, I mean, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, I.. I. I. that, I. that, I was a fundamental, I was a fundamental, I'm a fundamental, I'm a fundamental, I'm a fundamental, you. that, you that, you that, you that, you that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that was, that was a fundamental, I'm a fundamental, I'm a fundamental a line of white dudes, you know, before him. And then you were going to immediately follow that up with a woman, you know, I think, you know, it was it was almost unfortunate that Hillary Clinton had to run after that had been a black president. You're talking about, you know, just you know, just two big, big, you know, moments of just huge, huge change I think. Before I let you go one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one. one. One last one. One last one. one. one. one. one. one. one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one. one. one. one. one. one. one. one. one. one. the last last last last question. talking to the idea, we were eight years in power. You draw in the book many parallels

between a time when black people were ruling, the backlash that came afterwards, and Obama's rule in the backlash that came afterwards. One thing you also do in the book, and I don't know if it's coincidental or not, is you also draw parallels in the response to that backlash. You have the civil rights movement that comes afterwards. Do you think that in some ways Donald Trump's presidency will be the slingshot that propels America even further forward? Is there a possibility that now you will have more people engaged in politics?

You will have more women who are running for office, you will have more men who are accountable for sexual harassment? Do you think there's a possibility? Yeah, there's a possibility the possibility. possibility the possibility th possibility th possibility th possibility th possibility th possibility th also also also also also th also could also tha also tha also tha tha tha tha tha tha tha tha tha tha tha tho tho tho tho tho tho tho thrape tho thoom thoic thoic. thoic. tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thu thr-a thr-a thr-a thr-a thr-a throooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. th think there's a possibility? Yeah, there's a possibility. It also could be the trap-door that plummets that's into the abyss, so. One or the other. One of the other. One of the other, I'm not saying. I'm not saying, you know, all of you.

One of the man, thank you so much for being here. Always, man. Always a pleasure. We are 8 pins and power is available now. It's fascinating. You want to read this book. Tenhouse and Coats to everybody. The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Ears Edition.

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