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As many people now know, Barack Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961. As shared by the Miller Center, his parents, Ann Dunham and Barack Obama, Sr., met as students at the University of Hawaii. However, his father didn't live with the young family for long following his son's birth; the elder Obama left Hawaii when his son was only 2 years old and eventually moved back to his native Kenya.

Barack Obama has been open about the questions he wrestled with after his father left; he opened up about those questions in his book with Bruce Springsteen, "Renegades: Born in the USA" (viaThe Guardian). While speaking about men and boys in the United States, Obama said of his generation, "There was never a full reckoning of who our dads were, what they had in them, how we have to understand that and talk about that. What lessons we should learn from it. All that kind of got buried."

Despite his father's absence, Obama was emotionally and physically supported by his mother and her parents, who also lived in Hawaii.

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The Stunning Transformation Of Barack Obama - The List

MSNBC's Chuck Todd said Tuesday that based on past metrics of job approval and the American people's impression of the country's direction, President Biden and Democrats could be heading into the midterm in "shellacking territory," such as what was seen during the 2010 midterms during former President Obama's first term in the White House.

"Basically, there are three poll numbers you can follow nationally that will tell you the likely shape of these midterm elections, its 1) direction of the country, right track [or] wrong track, the 2) presidential job rating and the 3) generic ballot," Todd said.

"And right now, two of the three that we track are sitting there in shellacking territory, so it'll be a lot of fun as we track throughout the year."

Todd cited an NBC poll from October 2021 that showed 71% of respondents didn't approve of the country's direction. "That's in big-time shellacking territory," he said.

KAYLEIGH MCENANY ON BIDEN'S STUNNING POLL NUMBERS: 'THIS IS A FIVE-ALARM FIRE'

The other metric, Biden's job approval which sat at 42% also puts the Democratic Party in political peril, according to Todd.

President Biden (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Comparatively, in 2010 60% of Americans (compared to Biden's 70%) thought that the country was headed in the wrong direction. The presidential approval was at 45% (compared to Biden's 42%).

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Beyond the NBC poll, a more recent Quinnipiac poll found Biden's approval to be at 33%. In response, Todd said, "Every time I think the WhiteHouse thought theyve hit bottomthere seems to be a new bottom."

The poll found the majority of Americans are disappointed in the president's handling of COVID-19, foreign policy, and the economy. The poll reflects historic inflation, the widely-criticized withdrawal from Afghanistan, and Biden's failure to "shut down the virus" as he promised during the 2020 elections.

Taliban fighters pose in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

A Fox Business poll found in December that the majority of Americans said 2021 was a bad year for their families and that they were not hopeful about the country's future.

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MSNBC's Chuck Todd: Biden and Democrats could be heading for an Obama-era 'shellacking' in the midterms - Fox News

Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer. Photo: Getty Images

Groundhog Day came a bit early, and a bit retro, for Democrats this year. Bill and Hillary peek their heads out, reads the headline of Fridays Politico Playbook. It goes on to report that former president Bill Clinton and former presidential nominee Hillary Clinton have emerged from their hibernation and saw an opportunity to insert themselves back into political life. With President Joe Bidens agenda stalled, the pair hopes to flextheir centrist, dealmaking brand of politics to usher it through Congress and deliver Democrats from midterm disaster. Per Politico:

Bill Clintonhas relished the opportunityto whip on behalf of the White House. In addition to pressing Manchinon the filibuster, Clinton suggested that he should salvage Build Back Better by zeroing in on the few elements the West Virginia senator really wants.

I told Joe, Break it up, pick one or two [pieces] you can swallowand then run on the rest, Clinton recalled of their phone call, a person with knowledge of the conversation told Playbook. The idea is drawing interest among party leadership.

Clinton also spoke with Sinemarecently, according to one of the people familiar with the call, and said afterward, I dont know her, but I like her.

The Clintons have gotten a lot of flak for their efforts to remain relevant despite Hillarys 2016 loss and the reappraisal of Bills conduct in light of the Me Too movement as well as new revelations about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. These efforts are often cringe-inducing, like Hillarys MasterClass on the power of resilience or their new idea to revive the Clinton Global Initiatives annual star-studded confab, as reported in Playbook. But their attempt to rescue Bidens imperiled agenda actually seems fine? Even smart? It puts their connections and influence to good use, and the Democrats filibuster reform and Build Back Better initiatives are in such bad shape that things cant get much worse.

However, there is one small potential drawback that Biden should keep in mind when letting the Big Dog loose to plug his agenda: He can be a little too eager. Clinton memorably demonstrated this in December 2010 when he was invited to join then-President Barack Obama in the White House Briefing Room. It seems the plan was for Clinton to make a quick cameo to plug Obamas tax-cut deal with Republicans. Im going to let him speak very briefly, Obama said after delivering his own stiff remarks for a few minutes.

Instead, Clinton took over the podium and held court for about half an hour, hanging around well after Obama exited to attend a holiday party.First of all, I feel awkward being here, and now youre going to leave me all by myself? Clinton joked, drawing a laugh from Obama. The former president said he still spent about an hour a day trying to study this economy and went on to prove it, pontificating about the deals benefits for about nine minutes before taking his first question from a reporter.

Obama, who had been standing off to the side of the podium with an amused look on his face, took the opportunity to make his exit. Ive been keeping the First Lady waiting for about half an hour, so Im going to take off, he said.

Well, I dont want to make her mad, Clinton joked. Please go.

As he left, Obama said Robert Gibbs, his press secretary, would call last question. It turns out this was a smart move because Clinton kept going, leaning over the podium as he comfortably called on reporters by name. For the next 20 minutes, Clinton fielded about a dozen questions on a variety of topics from Haiti to a new START treaty. One reporter noted that Clinton seemed to be more comfortable giving advice than governing. Oh, I had quite a good time governing, Clinton responded. I am happy to be here, I suppose, when the bullets that are fired are unlikely to hit me, unless theyre just ricocheting.

It doesnt seem Obama, famously less extroverted than his predecessor, minded being upstaged. Two years later, Obama turned to Clinton to help boost his 2012 reelection bid, famously dubbing him his secretary of explaining stuff. Clinton made campaign appearances across the country, helmed fundraisers, and delivered an impressive convention speech; at the time, one top Obama aide described it to New York as the most important moment of the campaign so far.

Biden should remember that deploying Clinton as your unofficial understudy can be quite effective. Hes prepared, hes smooth, and hes usually available. You just have to tell him when to take a bow.

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The Time Clinton Took Over Obamas White House Podium and Stayed Awhile - New York Magazine

President Joe Biden has grappled for months with soaring inflation under his watch. And as 2022 kicks off, it hasn't fallen as quickly as the administration hoped.

White House officials long contended that the spike in consumer prices would be short-lived as the economy rebounded last year, but it hasn't played out like that. A federal report issued Wednesday showed prices rose a still-elevated 7% in December compared to a year ago, the fastest pace in nearly four decades.

Supply chains are still broken with consumer demand surging for all types of goods like used cars and groceries. The Biden administration is pinning the blame for rising prices on corporations like meat processors for profiting off the pandemic. But many economists, including one that served in the Obama administration, aren't buying it.

"Corporate greed is a bad theory of inflation," Jason Furman, a former top economist for President Barack Obama, said in an interview, adding, "I think almost everything other than the Federal Reserve is a sideshow when it comes to the dynamics of inflation."

Furman noted that demand outstripping supply is a far more important driver of inflation. "The main reason prices go up is companies are trying to make as much as they can, they just can't make enough to satisfy everything that people want," Furman, now a Harvard University professor, said. "When that happens, prices go up. If they didn't go up, we'd have worse shortages right now."

Republicans are hammering Biden for rising prices, which poses a fresh political obstacle as Democratstry to safeguard their narrow Congressional majorities in this year's midterms. A Quinnipiac Poll University poll released Wednesday found that 54% of Americans believe the economy is getting worse.

"This crushing report shows Democrats' spending has pushed Bidenflation to achieve the highest prices in 40 years, killing family budgets and wiping out three years of wage gains," Rep. Kevin Brady, the top Republican on the tax-writing House Ways and Means panel, said in a Wednesday statement after the latest inflation data.

The GOP has blamed the $1.9 trillion stimulus law for stoking inflation. Research from the Federal Reserve Bank in San Francisco published in October suggested its effects would be modest and brief. Other indicators like a falling unemployment rate and rising wages reflect an economy that's rebounding.

The White House and many Democrats on Capitol Hill have touted the $2 trillion Build Back Better plan as a key measure to hold down everyday costs for Americans, includingestablishing new prescription drug price controls and new childcare subsidies.

But Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia put a dagger into the package last month. Without him, Democrats can't muscle the plan through over unanimous GOP opposition in the 50-50 Senate.

Manchin has signaled he won't revisit his position in the near future and has often cited inflation as a reason to pump the brakes on the social and climate spending bill. "Inflation is a concern for every American, especially in West Virginia," Manchin told Insider on Wednesday. "It's hitting us very hard."

Furman pushed back against Manchin's argument. "I think inflation is a bad reason to not want to pass Build back Better," Furman said. "It's mostly paid for. It's a medium and long-term agenda and would have a negligible impact on inflation."

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Former Obama economist throws cold water on Biden inflation argument - Business Insider

Steph Curry might be the most prolific 3-point shooter in NBA history, but does he have a "prettier" shot than his fellow Splash Brother in Klay Thompson? Former President Barack Obama doesn't believe so, and Curry agreed as he responded to fan questions on GQ's "Actually Me" Youtube series.

"That is an actual fact he said that, and I would also argue that he's right," Curry said. "I would definitely classify Klay's jumper as prettier. There are a lot of different ways to get it done, and if you look at the greatest shooters in history, everybody shoots differently. So you have to master your own form and your own shot."

To say Curry has mastered the art of shooting from behind the 3-point line is putting it incredibly mildly. Steph is on pace to easily lead the NBA in 3-pointers made for the second consecutive year and seventh time in the past decade.

Curry's current career total of 3,018 is the NBA record, and will continue to grow as his decorated career continues.

Thompson's jumper often is described as the ideal form for shooting a 3-pointer, and Klay himself has made some NBA history of his own from behind the arc. Thompson still holds the NBA record with 14 3-pointers in a single game, and also has the best single quarter scoring performance in league history with 37 points.

Even after over two years away from the NBA, Thompson's jumper looks just as it did before his two major lower-body injuries. Klay clearly is brushing off the rust a bit through his first two games, but still has made five of his first 13 attempts from the 3-point line.

President Obama couldn't have gone wrong with either Steph or Klay's jumpers, but it is somewhat surprising to see Curry so willing to assert that his partner in crime has a "prettier" shot than he does.

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Steph Curry, Barack Obama agree that Klay Thompson has 'prettier' shot - NBC Sports Bay Area