Eight stars
I have once again decided to embark on a mission to read a number of books on subjects that will be of great importance to the upcoming 2024 US Presidential Election. This was a great success as I prepared for 2020, with an outcome at the polls (and antics by both candidates up to Inauguration Day) that only a fiction writer might have come up with at the time! Many of these will focus on actors and events intricately involved in the US political system over the last few years, in hopes that I can understand them better and, perhaps, educate others with the power to cast a ballot. I am, as always, open to serious recommendations from anyone who has a book I might like to include in the process.
This is Book #9 in my 2024 US Election Preparation Challenge.
Eager to get a well-rounded perspective on the upcoming election and its players, I thought that looking into this brief biography/memoir by Jen Psaki, former Press Secretary to President Biden, might help. It offered up a number of interesting anecdotes, as well as keys to working with high-ranking members of the American political scene, but did not delve in too deeply. While it was nice to get some views by Psaki, I had hoped for a meatier exploration and analysis, perhaps something that could assuage many of the critical moments presented by the Republicans and those in the Democratic circle. Still, it was an interesting look into the life of a woman who worked alongside some of the more recent Democratic heavy-hitters, while injecting some sobering sentiments about being a mother to young children and trying to juggle life in the West Wing. A good snapshot into politics from a different angle and well worth my reading time.
While she had a number of stumbles along the way, Jen Psaki was able to overcome them as she rose through the ranks and was chosen to be President Biden's Press Secretary at the start of his administration. Psaki offers up some great anecdotes about how she was a recent university grad with a hunger for something more. She used many of her writing skills to dazzle during the Iowa Primaries in 2002 and found a niche for herself that would include spinning the Democratic Jews for various hard-hitters. Her first foray into the world of presidential politics came when she worked on the communications team for Candidate John Kerry in 2004, though he was not successful in removing George W. Bush at the polls.
This would open the door for her to eventually join the team after the Obama victory, where she honed her skills and learned the importance of using the press as a conduit to better represent the White House. Psaki learned how to deliver key talking points to explain situations in the White House, while discovering just how intense the press corps can be when they are demanding answers. Psaki speaks of how she had to balance work and home life, mother to young children who did not fully comprehend the magnitude of her work or the people she was able to influence. These challenges would not deter her, but rather prepared Psaki for her largest job yet, working as Press Secretary for President Biden.
Psaki explains that the job was doubly challenging for her. Not only would she be responsible for delivering key policy and daily announcements, but also serve to offset four years of Trump-era rhetoric. Psaki would have to claw back many of the surprise and outlandish moments Trump's White House used as daily fuel for the press. Psaki found it tough, but thrived at the challenge. She sought to reset the country's plan and deliver it to the press, especially after there was an obvious disconnect with the country and press since President Obama left office. Her place, while brief, seemed to be an essential part of helping reestablish a caring link.
Psaki used various moments throughout the book to offer tidbits that she used to make herself a better person and more effective White House employee. There were certainly many issues she faced during her time in the public eye, but Psaki left with a better sense of self when she decided to make the leap to being an on-air personality with MSNBC. Psaki explored the importance of using all she learned to make herself a stronger interviewer and willing to sit down with those whose ideological view differ from her own. These views help foster a sense that she can be more than a Democratic staffer, but a person who seeks to amass various views before synthesising her own.
When I chose this book, I was looking for an in-depth look at life in the White House and how Jen Psaki would spin the time she spent with President Biden. Truthfully, this was more a primer and superficial exploration of key aspects she used to better herself. Psaki provided the reader with a key set of beliefs and learnings, probed through well-written chapters and vignettes. Psaki seeks to give the reader a sense that there is much to be learned in the political arena. Critical when needed, but also no one to smear or be a tell-all. While this did not entirely tick all the boxes I hoped, I did learn a great deal and am eager to delve deeper into the Biden Administration to gather more crumbs to further my curiosity. A quick read and worth my time.
Kudos, Madam Psaki, for a mind-opening book that sheds light on some of the shadows in the political world.
No comments:
Post a Comment