Dr. Katherine Jellison, Professor and Chair of History at Ohio University, was quoted by Amie Parnes of The Hill in a story with the lead, “President Obama’s second-term focus on legacy building is coming into direct conflict with the Democratic Party’s pursuit of victory in the midterm elections.”
While there’s a tendency for second-term presidents to play for the history books, Obama “may have an eye for history more than most,” said Katherine Jellison, a history professor at Ohio University, especially given his place as the first African-American president.
But Jellison said, while other presidents have been more mindful of practical politics, Obama “does not seem to be as attuned as some other presidents to their races and what might be helpful to them.”
However, she said the latest developments with the EPA in particular won’t be “costing the president any sleep.”
“It will play well, I think, in the history books to be on the side of the planet versus the coal industry,” Jellison said.
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