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Barack Obama - First Impressions
By Bill | August 6, 2007 | Email This Post
Barck Obama
Current Job: Senator from Illinois
Presidential history: This is his first Presidential run.
Book (if you’re running for President, they make you write a book): The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream; his pre-Presidential-bid book was Dreams from my Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
Interesting facts I remember:
- Son of a Kenyan immigrant and a girl from Kansas
- Grew up in Jakarta, Indonesia and Honolulu
- Is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School.
- Recently gave up smoking.
- I’ve heard that he faces some challenges in the African-American community because he’s perceived as “not black enough.” Being a white guy, I have no idea what that means. (Okay, I really do… but I think I’m supposed to pretend not to, or at least be afraid to comment on things like that.)
- Because of his early education (as a child in Indonesia he attended a predominantly Muslim school… for the record, he also spent some years in a Catholic school) a well-meaning relative of mine recently forwarded a document to a number of family members that basically implied Barack Obama is some kind of sleeper agent for Islamofascists.
Issues I think Barack cares about:
- Health Care - Don’t know what his plan is, but I believe his basic theme is universal health care.
- Other issues: No idea where he stands.
Things I like about Obama:
I watched Obama deliver the keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic convention; like most of America at the time, I had never heard of him. By the end of the night, I was convinced I was seeing a future President… the only question was when. He’s got the “X factor.”
I also like the thread of “hope” he weaves throughout his speeches. In everything I’ve heard so far - and it hasn’t been much, I grant you, but still - he appeals to our better nature as Americans. That’s a refreshing change.
Things I don’t like about Obama
Inexperience. He’s a first term Senator. He’ll make mistakes. (Some would argue that his inexperience is a selling point.)
(The First Impressions post for each candidate is where they’re starting out with me. What I know, or at least think I know about them, basically any starting impressions I’ve formed that they have to live up to or overcome. Sometimes it’s pretty sparse. Sometimes it may be outright incorrect. No fact checking has taken place on First Impressions posts.)
Topics: Barack Obama, Democrats, First Impressions |