Introduction
Mark the date November 4, 2008, on your calendar – the day when the whole world will witness a great turnover of the US economy from being in crisis to reviving the usual zesty trade.
The year 2008 taints the clean record of the US economy for the past few decades. The US economy is in its worst condition since the Great Depression. The value of $1 is deflating as compared to other currencies. The banking system is no longer as lively as it used to be (Bonner, 2008). The real estate foreclosures, affected by the current crisis of the banking system (Dreier, 2008), make way for imminent trouble in the 2008 Election as the conflict between the homeowners and foreclosed properties takes a clash.
From a list of more than 40, 2 most sought after aspiring presidential candidates, each confident that their platforms will make them win the poll, have been squaring off against each other as they attend every campaign, debate and public interview for them to win more votes in the upcoming election. John McCain, a Republican candidate and current senator from Arizona (The Washington Post, 2008), has been fleeting all over the country to capture the hearts of the crowd. He indeed is a tough contender according to recent presidential tracking polls for 2008 (USA Election Polls, 2008), but definitely not as good as the top presidential candidate, Barack Obama, a Democrat candidate and current senator from Illinois (The Washington Post, 2008).
Bringing forth the current situation of the US, I stand by my opinion that Obama should be the next President. To end the current economic crises and make enormous changes on the issues that the US Government is facing, we should cast out votes for Obama.
Discussion
His life
Obama’s parents were both servants of war as his father became an army for World War II and his mother worked on a bomber assembly line. His parents met at the University of Hawaii (where his parents were both students), and on the 4th of August, 1961, they brought to life, Barack Obama. (Obama-Biden Campaign Site, 2008)
After studying at the Columbia University of New York in 1983, Obama came to Chicago in 1985 to perform community service. He helped Christian churches and the poor neighborhood in regaining livelihood after the steel plants closed, the crime rates climbed up high and unemployment becoming a big predicament. After fulfilling this noble mission, he went on to pursue a dream for a common good. He earned a law degree at Harvard University in 1991 and later flew back to Chicago where he practiced as a civil rights lawyer and taught constitutional law. His political career started thereafter as he became the Illinois State Senator in 2004, making him the third African-American to be elected in the House. (Obama-Biden Campaign Site, 2008)
Obama’s wife Michelle, and his two daughters Malia and Sasha, currently live on South Side Chicago. (Obama-Biden Campaign Site, 2008)
His accomplishments
Obama has been participating in many for-the-people’s-good government programs.
He participated in programs such as Earned Income Tax Credit that helped working families’ tax be cut by over $100 million; he advocated an expansion of early childhood education; he worked with law enforcement officials in requiring videotapes during interrogation after the incidents of proving a number of inmates innocent in the death row; he also passed a bill along with a Republican that allows citizens to browse via the internet where their taxes go; he had been championing ethics reform to rule out corruption in Congress; he fought to aide Illinois Veterans get their disability payments; he’s been working to promote the greater use of alternative and higher fuels in our cars; and on top of other accomplishments, he’s been there to help people’s lives paralyzed by the hurricane Katrina, battle against the genocide in Darfur and build the role of faith in our politics. (Obama-Biden Campaign Site, 2008)
His platforms
In view of redefining the greatness of America, Obama’s plans on the issue of Civil Rights are mainly to secure the rights of the people, to make sure that their civil rights are protected by the government, and improve justice and equality in workplaces and on areas where civil rights are most crucial. On the issue of defense, he intends to guard the rights of the people being sent to war, by clearly defining missions and providing enough support, are among others that he’ll make sure would be properly addressed.
While the men and women who are still in the army are ensured of being given enough needs, the Veterans of war will also be given support by combating their homelessness, fighting employment discrimination directed towards them, and giving the Veterans who suffered from combat-related psychological illness an improved mental health treatment and care for traumatic brain injury. (Obama-Biden Campaign Site, 2008)
On the issue of disabilities, the main points were to give equal education and equal opportunities on employment to battle discrimination. On rebuilding the economy, he seeks to improve taxes, job creation, and maintaining a free market. He also plans of improving technology, especially at school, where the use of the internet is highly in demand. He has high regard for poverty, that’s why he wants to make sure that there will be enough job opportunities and sufficient affordable housing that most Americans will be able to afford.
He wants to make sure that poverty is always addressed by tackling poverty and all the means to improve the condition. In taking into consideration the common good, he will make affordable the health care system, ensure the security of the society and strengthen the retirement savings. As Americans have always been known, there will be continuous protection and honor for the seniors and their interests. On the aspect of women’s rights, Obama seeks to improve the health of women by strong campaigns against AIDS/HIV, cancer, and mercury pollution are among others. He also would like to give them equal opportunity for employment, fight against violence directed at women, and common gender discriminations that affect a woman’s life. (Obama-Biden Campaign Site, 2008)
Obama has high regard for arts. His two best-selling books – “Dreams from My Father” and “The Audacity of Hope”, only proves how much he loves and wants to keep the American passion for arts alive. Not only does he plan to improve arts, but also science, where he will ensure that there will be enough funding for physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences which play big parts in various advancements in science and technology. This is to bring back the scientific dominance of America. In view of preventing further decaying of the nation’s railways, highways, bridges, airports, and neighborhood streets, he will strengthen the transportation systems.
On top of these, he will make sure that there will be enough investment and strategic long-term planning to make sure that efficient infrastructures will be stable prove stability. To put in more support for the victims of hurricane Katrina, he will rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Along with this, he will make sure that in such catastrophic cases, emergency planning and response failure will no longer occur. (Obama-Biden Campaign Site, 2008)
Finally, as he’s always been known, Obama will put an end to the war against Iraq. This is the first thing that he will do; he will give his appointed Secretary of Defense and the rest of the military commanders the mission to pull out their military bases from Iraq. He firmly believes that the never-ending war is only making both Americans and Iraqis suffer more and unprogressive with their life, and if put to an end, will be for the best of the National Security. Our nation has given in many lives of its troops spent much money but all was for naught because it has left the Americans unsafe anywhere in the world. (Obama-Biden Campaign Site, 2008)
Conclusion
To answer the question of why should Barack Obama be the next President of the United States of America, I’d give a one-sentence answer: because we are Americans and we care for our country.
Going back to what transpired last August, Hillary Clinton announces her support for Obama: “With eyes firmly fixed on the future… Barack Obama is our candidate and he will be our president,” said the New York senator to an enthusiastic crowd. (Dingle and Skinner, 2008) Given this time in history that a strong contender withdraws from the poll and supports her former co-candidate, it’s apparent that Obama is the best choice among the rest.
His noble life has led him to many community services whose main goal is to help the needy. His aspiration of becoming the leader of the country is backed up by missions aimed at improving the current situation of the country, and preparing for the future chain of events. He is a Democrat who wants to maintain the democracy which the Americans have always been known for.
The dilemma is not “who to choose”, rather it is if we’ll use our voting rights to put into position the man that will save our country from regression and bring about necessary changes, or vote for another that could worsen our current conditions and put us in situations we’ve never thought we’d be put to.
References
Bonner, Bill. “The Worst Conditions for the U.S. Economy Since the Great Depression”. The Daily Reckoning Australia. 2008. Web.
Dingle, Derek T. and Skinner, Deborah Creighton. “Obama Is Official Nominee”. Black Enterprise. 2008. Web.
Dreier, Peter. “G.O.P.: Lose Your Home, Lose Your Vote”. The Huffington Post. 2008. Web.
Obama-Biden Campaign Site. Web.
The Washington Post. Web.
USA Election Polls. Web.