Inside Story

Obama presidency: how will it be remembered?

With not long left in his second and final term, US President Barack Obama is trying to cement his legacy.

Barack Obama won the presidency in 2008 on a wave of optimism and high expectation.

At home and abroad, the new president was seen as the man who would put an end to some of the disastrous policy decisions of his predecessor – and restore the United States’ image in the world.

As the end of his second term approaches, many wonder how Obama will be judged by history. And whether he has fulfilled the grand promises he made early on.

Under his watch, the US has begun to mend its ties with Cuba. A nuclear deal with Iran seems within reach. But covert drone operations have expanded. The prison at Guantanamo Bay remains open. And the US is once again entangled in just the kind of conflicts Obama had pledged he would pull out from.

So what will Obama’s legacy look like? And does he have enough time to change it?

Presenter: Martine Dennis

Guests:

Phyllis Bennis – US journalist and political analyst who directs the New Internationalism Project at the Institute for Policy Studies.

James Hohmann – Senior political reporter for Politico, that focuses on US national politics.

Charlie Wolf – Former communications director of Republicans Abroad UK