Burdened by a reelection campaign, buffeted by the stridency of his opposition at home, divisions among his own team, and a sense that he lacked good partners abroad, Obama seemed at times to be using his powerful mind to find justifications for more modest ambitions. Another time, at a meeting on what he was aiming to accomplish in his first term, I pointed to the potential for a democratic opening in Burma. “Ben,” he said, “no one cares about Burma in Ohio.” These comments stuck with me. For the first time, I felt out of step with my boss. In the quiet of my empty apartment, I began to
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