Zócalo Public Square

Barack Obama rose to the presidency at a critical time in American history. Propelled by a galvanized left, admired for his cool temperament and high intellect, challenged as inexperienced, and provoking fierce and often racially-tinged opposition, the young Senator from Illinois took the oath of the highest office amid celebration despite the challenges ahead. The country faced its worst economic crisis since the Great Depression; troops fought seemingly unwinnable wars in two countries; tens of millions of Americans needed healthcare. How did the Obama administration survive its first year, and how did it fare? Newsweek senior editor Jonathan Alter, author of The Promise: President Obama, Year One, visited Zócalo to tell the inside story of the disciplined, self-aware president and the colorful team that aims to see the country and the world into a new era.