REFLECTING ON OBAMA'S PRESIDENCY
December 2016
Obama was inspirational.
Asmar said, “When I was little, I always wanted my dad to be president, but he couldn’t since he wasn’t born here. [Obama] and my dad are so similar — he was a great president to grow up with, and every black kid who was alive during his presidency has some sort of a personal connection with him.”
Another part was the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage -- Obama had shifted between multiple viewpoints on the matter, but ultimately supported it.
Senior Chesirae Barbano said, “I will remember him as someone who enforced a culture that is welcoming, especially since [same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ rights] are issues I hold dear to my heart.”
Barbano also noted the way Obama approached his role as president. “People joke about how he takes long pauses when he’s speaking to choose his words, but I think that just shows how he has the knowledge to choose words that he knows will have an impact,” she said.
Whether citizens agree with his policies or not, it’s undeniable that many connected with Obama in many ways. For Barbano, she felt that he was aligned with her ideals, while Asmar saw in him her father, and her community that’s been a focal part of the race controversy. Others remember him from his speeches.
This is perhaps one of the hallmarks of Obama’s legacy. People disagreed about whether he was progressive enough, but they ultimately saw someone who felt accessible, grieved with the people during Sandy Hook, and spoke out about the racial divide.
Citizens will remember Obama as inherently being Obama. The words that comes to senior Ethan Miller’s mind when he thinks of Obama: “Honorable, charismatic, relatable, and a great American.”Obamacare. LGTBQ+ rights. Gun control. Immigration. The war on terrorism.
These are just several of the phrases that describe Barack Obama’s legacy, and they can be summed up as “progressive.”
However, it’s undeniable that Clinton and Trump has an effect on how Obama’s legacy will be perceived. History didn’t go quite the way that many in this “bubble” expected it to, leading to fears that much of what Obama did might not stay.
However, it’s undeniable that the election had an effect on how Obama’s legacy will be remembered.
Government teacher Kristine Weisman said, “A lot of that legacy will disappear due to Trump and the Republican-dominated government, who will undo a lot of what Obama did.”
On the contrary, Obama adopted a more optimistic tone. According to The New Yorker, he said that he had accomplished “70 or 75 percent” of what he set out to do, and “maybe 15 percent of that gets rolled back, 20 percent, but there’s a lot of stuff that still sticks.”
Despite the transition from the Democratic to the Republican majority, a focal part of Obama’s legacy is his image.
This president marketed to the younger generation more than before. He starred in a BuzzFeed video titled “Things Everybody Does But Doesn’t Talk About” in which he used a selfie stick, made faces to himself in the mirror, and sarcastically said, “Thanks, Obama.”
Even after the election, Obama retained his trademark level-headedness. The image that he crafted was uniquely open and tried to reach an audience beyond the liberals. This is visible in the many speeches that Obama gave: in Selma, after the Sandy Hook tragedies, and in New Hampshire where he gave his famous “Yes, we can” speech.
It was this image -- the mix of his background and personable character -- that appealed to people.
Another defining aspect of Obama’s presidency is the fact that he’s the first African-American president, especially during a time of racial strife and the Black Lives Matter movement. For BSU member Rosie Asmar, an 11th-grader, having a president like Obama was inspirational.
Asmar said, “When I was little, I always wanted my dad to be president, but he couldn’t since he wasn’t born here. [Obama] and my dad are so similar — he was a great president to grow up with, and every black kid who was alive during his presidency has some sort of a personal connection with him.”
Another part was the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage -- Obama had shifted between multiple viewpoints on the matter, but ultimately supported it.
Senior Chesirae Barbano said, “I will remember him as someone who enforced a culture that is welcoming, especially since [same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ rights] are issues I hold dear to my heart.”
Barbano also noted the way Obama approached his role as president. “People joke about how he takes long pauses when he’s speaking to choose his words, but I think that just shows how he has the knowledge to choose words that he knows will have an impact,” she said.
Whether citizens agree with his policies or not, it’s undeniable that many connected with Obama in many ways. For Barbano, she felt that he was aligned with her ideals, while Asmar saw in him her father, and her community that’s been a focal part of the race controversy. Others remember him from his speeches.
This is perhaps one of the hallmarks of Obama’s legacy. People disagreed about whether he was progressive enough, but they ultimately saw someone who felt accessible, grieved with the people during Sandy Hook, and spoke out about the racial divide.
Citizens will remember Obama as inherently being Obama. The words that comes to senior Ethan Miller’s mind when he thinks of Obama: “Honorable, charismatic, relatable, and a great American.”
Asmar said, “When I was little, I always wanted my dad to be president, but he couldn’t since he wasn’t born here. [Obama] and my dad are so similar — he was a great president to grow up with, and every black kid who was alive during his presidency has some sort of a personal connection with him.”
Another part was the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage -- Obama had shifted between multiple viewpoints on the matter, but ultimately supported it.
Senior Chesirae Barbano said, “I will remember him as someone who enforced a culture that is welcoming, especially since [same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ rights] are issues I hold dear to my heart.”
Barbano also noted the way Obama approached his role as president. “People joke about how he takes long pauses when he’s speaking to choose his words, but I think that just shows how he has the knowledge to choose words that he knows will have an impact,” she said.
Whether citizens agree with his policies or not, it’s undeniable that many connected with Obama in many ways. For Barbano, she felt that he was aligned with her ideals, while Asmar saw in him her father, and her community that’s been a focal part of the race controversy. Others remember him from his speeches.
This is perhaps one of the hallmarks of Obama’s legacy. People disagreed about whether he was progressive enough, but they ultimately saw someone who felt accessible, grieved with the people during Sandy Hook, and spoke out about the racial divide.
Citizens will remember Obama as inherently being Obama. The words that comes to senior Ethan Miller’s mind when he thinks of Obama: “Honorable, charismatic, relatable, and a great American.”Obamacare. LGTBQ+ rights. Gun control. Immigration. The war on terrorism.
These are just several of the phrases that describe Barack Obama’s legacy, and they can be summed up as “progressive.”
However, it’s undeniable that Clinton and Trump has an effect on how Obama’s legacy will be perceived. History didn’t go quite the way that many in this “bubble” expected it to, leading to fears that much of what Obama did might not stay.
However, it’s undeniable that the election had an effect on how Obama’s legacy will be remembered.
Government teacher Kristine Weisman said, “A lot of that legacy will disappear due to Trump and the Republican-dominated government, who will undo a lot of what Obama did.”
On the contrary, Obama adopted a more optimistic tone. According to The New Yorker, he said that he had accomplished “70 or 75 percent” of what he set out to do, and “maybe 15 percent of that gets rolled back, 20 percent, but there’s a lot of stuff that still sticks.”
Despite the transition from the Democratic to the Republican majority, a focal part of Obama’s legacy is his image.
This president marketed to the younger generation more than before. He starred in a BuzzFeed video titled “Things Everybody Does But Doesn’t Talk About” in which he used a selfie stick, made faces to himself in the mirror, and sarcastically said, “Thanks, Obama.”
Even after the election, Obama retained his trademark level-headedness. The image that he crafted was uniquely open and tried to reach an audience beyond the liberals. This is visible in the many speeches that Obama gave: in Selma, after the Sandy Hook tragedies, and in New Hampshire where he gave his famous “Yes, we can” speech.
It was this image -- the mix of his background and personable character -- that appealed to people.
Another defining aspect of Obama’s presidency is the fact that he’s the first African-American president, especially during a time of racial strife and the Black Lives Matter movement. For BSU member Rosie Asmar, an 11th-grader, having a president like Obama was inspirational.
Asmar said, “When I was little, I always wanted my dad to be president, but he couldn’t since he wasn’t born here. [Obama] and my dad are so similar — he was a great president to grow up with, and every black kid who was alive during his presidency has some sort of a personal connection with him.”
Another part was the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage -- Obama had shifted between multiple viewpoints on the matter, but ultimately supported it.
Senior Chesirae Barbano said, “I will remember him as someone who enforced a culture that is welcoming, especially since [same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ rights] are issues I hold dear to my heart.”
Barbano also noted the way Obama approached his role as president. “People joke about how he takes long pauses when he’s speaking to choose his words, but I think that just shows how he has the knowledge to choose words that he knows will have an impact,” she said.
Whether citizens agree with his policies or not, it’s undeniable that many connected with Obama in many ways. For Barbano, she felt that he was aligned with her ideals, while Asmar saw in him her father, and her community that’s been a focal part of the race controversy. Others remember him from his speeches.
This is perhaps one of the hallmarks of Obama’s legacy. People disagreed about whether he was progressive enough, but they ultimately saw someone who felt accessible, grieved with the people during Sandy Hook, and spoke out about the racial divide.
Citizens will remember Obama as inherently being Obama. The words that comes to senior Ethan Miller’s mind when he thinks of Obama: “Honorable, charismatic, relatable, and a great American.”