Summary

In chapter 13 Obama highlights his head of strategic communications for the National Security Council, Denis McDonough. At the beginning of Obama’s presidency, McDonough coaches Obama on how to properly salute. Obama then describes his perception that the most important job for the president is to ensure the safety of the American people, and he outlines the nature of some potential threats to that safety, such as nuclear attacks, supply shortages, or terrorist attacks. Obama then describes how he envisioned his administration would handle top national security issues. He identifies a divide in his national security team between older more conservative members whose experience includes the Cold War, and younger members whose view of U.S. national security is colored by the events of 9/11 and Abu Ghraib (311).

Obama outlines his plan for reforming U.S. military intervention in the middle east. He wants...