Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union

Viewed objectively this is a very good documentary about an important part of recent history and the 1 star reviews are ridiculous and obviously politically motivated - as some other reviewer said, I am doubtful that many of them watched it at all.

There are so many false tales about Obama - that he "was the worst president ever", that he was "selected by the establishment" etc - and this documentary shows them for what they are. I guess some people do not want to have their prejudices disturbed.

What can I say other than thank you for creating a doc that presents Obama from how others see him. And that is the most truthful thing... how others see you. And not just those who champion him, his detractors and critics get their turn. At the end of the day, a remarkable achievement. All presidents and powerful men deserve this treatment.

The story of former President Barack Obama is a fascinating one, to say the least. He seemingly came out of nowhere to become Commander-in-Chief, then was the first black President who largely refused to engage on the subject of race during his administration. He was also the first President to be completely and utterly scorned by both an opposition party and news network. This documentary hits on all those cogent points (and more) while examining both the facts of Obama's life and the legacy he left.

"In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union" is split into these three episodes:

1- Obama's childhood, teen/college life, and political aspirations 2- Obama's entrance into public political races and ultimately the 2008 Presidential campaign 3- Obama's eight years in the Oval Office

I found the first two episodes to be absolutely excellent, as the story of Obama's background is one that often gets a "bad rap", so to speak. In very clear and factual terms, "Pursuit" spells out exactly where he came from (including testimonials from fellow schoolmates and acquaintances) and how/why he decided to get into public service. Before watching "Pursuit", I had little idea what a "Community Organizer" was, but here I was helped to understand what that means in an African-American community.

The only reason I can't give this 10/10 stars is because the final (third) episode really narrows the focus to areas that weren't as compelling to me. Essentially, the story of Obama's rise to political relevance was really the draw in "Pursuit", and once that happened the final third couldn't quite keep up.

I know that many won't sniff this documentary seeing the political polarization that ironically largely started with the first Obama administration, but that is a shame. "Pursuit" certainly contains some figures in Obama's story that have been considered very controversial, but simply by interviewing them one sees their human side and not the toxic rhetoric heaped on in the moment.

While this doc is obviously pro-Obama in the overall sense, it also doesn't give him a "free pass" or fawn over him the whole runtime. His shortcomings and warts (the legitimate, factual, and thoughtful ones) are also discussed. As such, I found the passage of time since Obama left office to be a great "buffer", of sorts, for a doc like this to be produced and thus able to dig deep into certain issues without the in-the-moment political repercussions.

This is a great documentary ... about a great president!

It cannot be denied that the first African American president would need to be a great man ... much like the first African American major league baseball player (let's hope you know who that was). Simply put, it's not an easy row to hoe and you need the greatest courage and conviction

Let's be real ... BHO is a great person ... a great human being ... a person who lives to make the world a better place ... and most importantly a person who lives a moral life. To be honest he is the man they told us in Sunday school to emulate ... he is in fact a great "role model."

Haters should know that this is not an unbiased documentary. It is a puff piece that admires the man for all he has accomplished and all he aspires to be. That said ... those with closed minds ... those with prejudiced minds ... should go and watch something else because they will not like what they see. So why watch it? Why make yourself angry? Why make others angry?

In the end this documentary must be judged as a "puff piece" about a man that is not only historically significant but is greatly admired by a huge number of fellow Americans ... and I for one loved it!

I struggled with rating this one. I suspect many of the low ratings and negative reviews come from those who didn't watch the series and just representing their partisanship. However, the series is a mixed bag.

In a historical sense, particularly when discussing President Obama's upbringing and early years in politics, the series is very informative and contains footage I don't recall seeing previously. However, the last episode, which focuses on his time as President, I think misses the mark. The subtext is that much of the hostility towards Obama is race-based. Undeniably there is some truth to that, but the assertion misses a bigger reason, which is hyper polarization.

No Presidency is devoid of vitriol, but it has gotten worse in the last couple of decades, especially since the early 1990s. Since Biden's Presidency is still ongoing, I'll defer judgement on it, but Presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama and Trump faced intense backlash and I think one would have a hard time making the case that Obama had it worst. Both Clinton and Trump were impeached and had special counsel investigations, Bush left office unpopular and with is legacy tarnished. Now, to be clear, one can argue much of that was brought on by their own actions, but the fact remains that Obama emerged in pretty good shape relative to his contemporaries and that isn't something the series acknowledges.