Is He the Next Big Thing?

OBAMA: THE NEXT BIG THING. By Elise Seagrest

Barack Obama was born on August 14, 1961 in Hawaii to a diverse family. Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham, grew up in Kansas while his father grew up in a village in Kenya. The two met while attending the University of Hawaii but parted ways not long after Barack’s birth. Barack was raised by his mother in Hawaii and spent a couple of years in Indonesia. Barack eventually moved to New York where he began accomplishing many things that would ultimately lead him to become a strong voice in politics, while at the same time serving as a down-to-earth family man.

After moving to New York, Obama attended Columbia University. Instead of delving into the corporate field right after graduation, Obama moved to Chicago and served as a community organizer with a church group. The main focus of this group was to provide aid to families with poor living conditions because of their low socio-economic status; people whose lives were distraught with violence and unemployment. After the time he spent with these families, Obama realized that in order to truly change the lives of people such as these, reform would need to take place deep within the structure of the nation- to politics and laws that the U.S. is based upon.

Obama went on to Harvard Law School and was awarded a degree in 1991 along with the honor of being the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review. Obama’s accomplishments did not end here, they were actually just beginning. In 2004 he was elected into the U.S. Senate and thus became the third African-American since the Reconstruction to be elected into this power. While holding his position in the Senate, Obama learned to think with an open mind by having to work with both Democrats and Republicans in efforts to address many of the nation’s problems, such as, the Earned Income Tax Credit program, expansion of early childhood education and law enforcement reforms.

As a presidential candidate, Barack Obama has many points of view on existing issues in the government and nation, as well as propositions to correct these issues. He also has his own opinions of what needs addressing in order to recover the U.S. from the shock that the war in Iraq has caused. Some of the most important issues in the nation that Obama is committed to improving are energy and environment, immigration and the border, his plan to end the Iraq war, and creating a healthcare system that works.

In his plan to improve energy, while at the same time conserving our environment, Obama has and will continue to push for a comprehensive national energy policy. Obama calls for increased research in order to create cleaner, more fuel-efficient energy sources. Obama believes that the fuels used to power automobiles should contain less carbon, which directly contributes to global warming. Obama made a passionate statement while speaking to the University of New Hampshire campus, “I believe that we still have a chance to pass on a planet to our children that is cleaner and safer and more prosperous than we found it,” he goes on to encourage, “This is our generation’s moment to save future generations from global catastrophe.” Clearly Obama feels that the fuel and energy crisis has been long overlooked and that it is up to all American citizens to do their part to make a difference along with government officials.

Barack Obama disagreed with the war in Iraq from the start by claiming that Saddam Hussein posed no imminent threat to the U.S. and that the war would ultimately drain our economy and morale with no certainty of an ending. He says, “I think the war was a tragic mistake and should have never been authorized.” Obama does, however, have a plan to progress actions in Iraq and bring troops home for keeps. Obama feels that his smart judgment of the war will be a good quality to bring to the office of president.

Senator Obama believes that politicians have exploited the immigration issue in order to divide a nation instead of offering a solution. Realistically, the U.S. economy depends on millions of these workers and U.S. borders have actually become less secure since the problem has worsened.

Health care reform is also long overdue in the U.S. and Obama recognizes current health care as “unsustainable.” Not only is he concerned with changing health care forever, but Obama is also raising support now so that he can ensure this change once he is elected. Obama is quite concerned with carrying his plan through Congress and notes that in many previous campaigns plans fade after the election. Although he keeps an open mind about proposed systems, Obama feels that he will most likely support a system that will offer universal coverage and will force efficiencies out of the health care system. He will also support preventive programs such as weight control. Obama also rejects suggestions that higher taxes are required for a new health care system and assures his supporters that he will have a plan drawn up in a couple of months.

Sources:
http://www.barackobama.com