my final project | Summer 2009

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Inauguration's Day 2009

• A leader is one who knows da way, shows da way, and goes da way.

• Before researchin' documents n doin an outline, actually i never thought dat Mr. Obama (in my paper) could be told abt in a possitive way lik dat :P

• However, I changed my mind lik da way he made ppl change theirs in early 2008.
• Okay, let me show u my view abt Barack Obama in da ENG final project I did last semester. It was progressin' from 9pm to 3 or 4am da followin day ( approximately i guess! )

The President

According to many newspapers and magazines in the United States, Barack Obama’s election was voted the top news story of 2008, as well as one of the biggest events that influenced to the world. The Inauguration in January 2009 was the most crowded one in U.S history with an estimated 1.8 million people attending it. American people hope that based on the good policies of the new government, the economy, which is the most important problem, would stop falling down and start to recover very soon. However, it has been five months since the President took office, and some people have begun to think again when they are asked the question, “Do you think that Barack Obama is doing a good job as president?” By looking at what he is trying to do for the Americans these days such as economic plans, education and health care programs, science policies, foreign relations, I think that Obama, with the support from his cabinet, is doing the best things to improve our country.

Barack Obama was born in Hawaii in 1961. He went to a college in Los Angeles, received a B.A degree from Columbia University and a J.D from Harvard University some years later. When Illinois Republican Peter G. Fitzgerald (1960–) announced he would retire, Obama decided to run for a seat in the U.S Senate and became one of the youngest members who served there. An excellent student in his college years, accomplished and experienced in political problems, well supported by his party, it is easy to see how successful his race to the White House was. Democrat Barack Obama won over Republican John McCain after more than twenty months campaigning, and became the first black man to be president of the U.S.

One reason that I think Barack Obama is doing a good job as president is his view of war. The U.S has had some conflicts with other countries for many years. War is often a way to solve the conflict when the relations between it and one country become too strained. The problem is we have spent too much money for that. According to Linda J. Bilmes, a former chief financial officer at the Commerce Department, and Joseph E. Stiglitz, a professor at Columbia University, the Iraq war has cost us at least 3 trillion dollars and weakened the economy a lot (Bilmes and Stiglitz). It is one of the big things that are making the U.S face the most serious economic crisis in many decades. Americans never want to spend a lot of money for a failed war while their country is facing too many economic problems. Barack Obama, who fully committed to the war, has a responsibility to end the war successfully and make the economy recover as soon as possible now that he is the president. He is setting a timetable for the removal of the U.S troops of Iraq, and 2012 is the deadline for them to withdraw completely. Clearly, by ending the war and removing our troops from Iraq, President Obama does not only bring the patriots back to their homeland, but he also lessens the impact of the economic crisis.

Another reason that I think Obama is a good president is his effort to convince the House to pass the climate change bill. In the Industrial Era, atmosphere, temperature, precipitation, storms, and sea level changes are the most recent effects from climate change. In addition, it also effects widely on economic growth, land use, population growth and distribution, technological inventions, and even the social or cultural trends of people. Understanding those huge affects, Barack Obama strongly suggested that the Senate “take this opportunity to come together and meet our obligations — to our constituents, to our children, to God’s creation and to future generations.” It is possible to say that the time the House passed the bill is really a “transformative moment.” Frank Press, a former president of the National Academy of Sciences and former science adviser to President Jimmy Carter did not hide his happiness for American science in the future: "It's not just getting money. It's his recognition of what science can do to bring this country back in an innovative way" (qtd. in Harris and Broad). There is a hope that it would be less dependent on foreign oil because we are encouraged to produce and distribute new clean energy. Thousands of new jobs will be created in the future, and the products which are run by new clean energy will also be invented very soon. Its benefits are undeniable. The appreciated effort of Obama in the climate change bill is the first step to save not only our country and future generations, but also our planet.

Some people say that Obama’s foreign policy does not work in some cases. They feel the U.S is a rich and strong nation, and Americans do not need to waste time talking about peace with their enemies. However, talking about peace and then persuading the enemies to become our friends would be a good way to take further steps in foreign relations. Force should be avoided whenever possible, especially when we are in the 21^st century, the century of international organization and world trade. President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton have made a big effort to warm the relationship between the U.S and other countries. One of the most recent examples is Clinton’s visit to Latin America in May, 2009. The legal and illegal immigrants, drug trafficking, and mail service were the hot topics that the two governments discussed. According to Hillary Rodham Clinton, she was very pleased with the developments and “hoped they would be well received by other Latin American countries” (Sheridan). A new beginning was seen for both countries after they had been in deep conflict for decades. Without forcing or fighting, this kind of foreign policy of Obama can also increase the influence of the U.S on other countries, which has become less important and strong for many years.

After five months from the day Obama took office, he has been trying to make his promises work as much as possible. His goals are being done. His plans about the Iraq war, new sources of energy, as well as his policy of foreign relations are the popular topics which are discussed the most. No matter how hard he has to duel with a lot of serious problems of our country every day, I believe that he can override the challenges of his presidency and become a good leader.

Works Cited

Bilmes, Linda J., and Stiglitz, Joseph E. “The Iraq War Will Cost Us $3 Trillion, and Much

More.” Washington Post 9 Mar. 2008. 27 Jun. 2009 (link's dropped out in this entry).

Harris, Gardiner, and Broad,William J. “Scientists welcome Obama's words.” The New York

Times 2 Feb. 2009. 27 Jun. 2009 (link's dropped out in this entry).

Sheridan, Mary Beth. “Cuba Agrees to Resume Immigration Talks With U.S.” Washington Post

1 Jun. 2009. 27 Jun. 2009 (link's dropped out in this entry).

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