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Back to Zócalo's Connecting California

Zócalo's Connecting California

California's unrequited love for President Obama

The tributes are pouring in for President Barack Obama in California. But are we being too quick to sing his praises?

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KCRW placeholderBy Joe Mathews • Jan 5, 2017 • 4m Listen

Pasadena recently put up a plaque at an apartment building where President Obama lived for a spell during his college days. It's the latest in a series of tributes to the outgoing president in California, including schools named for him and a proposal to rename a portion of the 134 Freeway the Barack H. Obama Freeway. But Joe Mathews says the honors are coming too early – before we have a chance to fully assess the President's legacy. And he says that while California loved Obama, the President often did not return the affection. Mathews says Obama used this state to fund his campaigns but often acted in opposition to its values and economic interests.

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    Joe Mathews

    Host, "Zocalo's Connecting California"

    NewsCaliforniaLos Angeles
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