Reviews
TWO PRESIDENTS WITH DIAMETRICAL CHARACTER AND THEIR ROLE IN THE UNSETTLING OF AMERICA
BOOK REVIEW: KIRKUS REVIEWS
Shim reflects on threats to American democracy in this nonfiction work.
America, writes the author, “is facing a crisis where its democracy is under assault.” The origins of this threat, per Shim’s analysis of contemporary politics, can be found in the Republican response to Barack Obama’s 2008 election as president.Almost immediately after Obama’s victory, Shim asserts, Republicans began a campaign to smear him personally and block any attempts at bipartisan negotiation. Fueled by racism, xenophobia, and a new brand of conservatism that eschewed conciliatory politics, Republican anti-Obama sentiments culminated in the 2016 election of Donald Trump, according to the author. Citing a myriad of examples, including the January 6 insurgency, Shim convincingly argues that Trump “has harmed America’s democracy and undermined its institutions.” While much of the book centers on Republican policies, campaign strategies, and rhetoric since 2008, it also places the rise of Trump within the broader context of American history. The modern incarnation of the Republican Party, argues the author, is “dynamically different” than it has been in any previous period in U.S. history (barring the Civil War), though its roots can be found in the country’s history of nativism, slavery, and systemic racism. While not shying away from the horrors and “flawed foundation” of American democracy, Shim notes the ways in which Americans have expanded opportunities as well and articulates his hope that this book will serve as an inspiration for readers to repudiate Trump at the ballot box. The book concludes with a pragmatic vision to rejuvenate American democracy post-Trump. A Jamaican-born U.S. citizen, Shim also includes vignettes illustrating his own engagement with U.S. politics, noting that he has voted for both Democratic and Republican candidates. The author of a number of previous books on politics and history, Shim writes in an approachable style tailored for a general audience, eschewing the jargon of policy wonks and inflammatory rhetoric of partisan firebrands. The book’s engaging style is supplemented by 380 research endnotes and strikes a fine balance between absorbing (if frightening) narrative and nuanced analysis.
A detailed, cautionary take on the precariousness of democracy
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Reviewed by: Jamie Michele
Review Rating: 5 Stars
Two Presidents with Diametrical Character and Their Role in Unsettling America: America at a Critical Juncture by Jermel W. Shim contrasts Barack Obama and Donald Trump, examining how their opposing leadership styles reflect and exacerbate America’s racial and democratic tensions. Shim details Obama’s historic presidency, marked by calm, spirituality, and efforts at racial healing, facing opposition rooted in racism and fear. In contrast, Trump’s tenure intensified division, embraced white supremacist rhetoric, undermined democratic norms, and fueled conspiracy theories and voter suppression, especially targeting minorities. Shim links Trump’s actions, like judicial appointments, election denial, and the January 6 insurrection, to a broader erosion of democracy. Shim situates these presidencies within America’s unresolved racial legacy and political polarization, arguing that their conflict symbolizes a critical juncture in the nation's struggle between democratic ideals and authoritarian impulses.
Jermel W. Shim’s Two Presidents with Diametrical Character and Their Role in Unsettling America is a sharply written, thoroughly researched look at the crescendo of today's American political hostility. Shim’s clear, precise prose makes even the most complicated points accessible in a voice of authority and understanding, without oversimplification. As an American reading this from the outside in, having moved to Europe over a decade ago, I was not subjected to the influence of conservative media, particularly Fox News, in the fueling of misinformation and deepening political divides. I am grateful for this small mercy, but I can also see the global impact, as well as Shim's adept portrayal of total institutional failures to hold leaders accountable. Shim's analysis of Trump’s impact, described metaphorically as “Trumpitis,” provides a striking perspective on the ongoing erosion of democratic norms. Shim’s call for constitutional defense and political accountability is both urgent and measured. Overall, this is essential reading for those seeking a thorough understanding of America’s current political crisis and the urgent need for institutional reform.