MAGAZINE: No phrase illustrates the irony of former President Barack Obama’s latest political pitch better than “right message, wrong messenger.” Obama unveiled his new slogan ahead of the 2026 elections: “I’m tired of being divided.” The lack of self-awareness is astounding from the man who earned the nickname “divider-in-chief” during his two terms. “I want friendship and neighborliness,” he told an Atlanta crowd. In Cleveland, he said, “I want to reach out and shake my neighbor’s hand.” Disingenuous doesn’t even begin to describe Obama’s new rhetoric, which, in a vacuum, I completely agree with. This is the same president who came into office with race relations at a record high and turned that into a 20-year low. Instead of bringing the country together when opportunities arose during his presidency, he played a direct role in the deterioration of race relations, routinely opining before the facts came out and perpetuating the false narrative that black people are systemically oppressed by the police. MORE: