The Incredible Presidency of Barack Obama
When former President Barack Obama first decided to step onto the political plane and run for president in 2008, he coined two popular slogans: “Yes We Can” and “Hope.” Over the past eight years, former President Obama has attempted to live up to those two phrases by giving our country optimism and hope for a better America. Obama has faced unquantifiable amounts of adversity; he inherited the worst economic recession since the Great Depression, issues created in the Middle East and heightened racial tension. Through all of the hardships presented to him, the 47-year-old that was sworn into office in 2009 has proven to all Americans, by killing Osama bin Laden, fixing the American economy and working to improve health care with Obamacare, that he can persevere. Perhaps one of the most important aspects of the former president, is his ability to balance a professional setting with an easy-going attitude. His humor and ability to act like an everyday American allows us all to relate to him. At a time when our country was broken, we needed a leader who had the courage and determination to bring us through tough times while showing the American people that he was just one of us. That is exactly who Obama was.
The first thing that made me realize Obama’s success as a president was the incredible decrease in unemployment under his administration. The unemployment rate dropped from 8 percent in 2010 to 4.6 percent in December 2016, which was the exact rate it was in 2007, before the recession. The crime rate also decreased every year under Obama’s presidency. In 2008, there were over eleven million crimes committed compared to 2015 when the number was only nine million. Our former president also created a new health care program designed to be affordable to all American citizens, improved public education, increased the VA budget by 85 percent and stood up for LGBT+ and minorities’ rights. In addition to working on domestic issues, he also made strides in resolving global issues by pulling our troops out of the Middle East and offering asylum to refugees in America. Obama has also proposed a climate action plan to better the world and halt global warming and pollution. On paper, Obama has stayed true to his 2012 campaign slogan, “Forward,” as the United States has made incredible amounts of progress over the past eight years.
Although Obama’s achievements already place him as one of the greatest presidents, the fact that he can connect to the everyday man makes him all the more appealing. He is the embodiment of the guy you would want to grab a beer with—someone with whom you could imagine having a casual conversation. I remember watching him last year on “The Late Show” with Stephen Colbert cracking jokes, laughing until he almost fell out of his seat and making fun of himself and the world around him. I also recall going on the White House Youtube account to see what videos his staff had uploaded. I found presidential announcements and press conferences, but the channel was not limited to formal documentation. The former president uploaded multiple comedic skits starring Joe Biden and guests like Steph Curry. They were nothing short of silly and genuinely entertaining. Never before have we seen a president who can be both serious and a goofball, who can let the American people trust him because he is just one of us.
When we all grow old, we should reminisce on the Obama era and remember it as the time when we had one of the best leaders this nation will ever see. Barack Obama has served this country honestly and successfully by dealing with issues head on, never afraid of even the hardest endeavors. His intense focus and dedication to the country did not, however, make him impersonal. In fact, he has become increasingly more relaxed over his presidency, forcing us to understand he is just like all other Americans, no more or less. Unfortunately, Obama’s stay in the White House has to come to an end. He has left his mark on this country, though, and he will leave a strong legacy behind him.