Barack Hussein Obama II (/bəˈrɑːk huːˈseɪn oʊˈbɑːmə/ ( listen); born August 4, 1961) is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office, as well as the first born in Hawaii. Obama previously served as the junior United States Senator from Illinois from January 2005 until he resigned after his election to the presidency in November 2008.
Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was the president of the Harvard Law Review. He was a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree. He worked as a civil rights attorney in Chicago and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004.
Obama served three terms in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004. Following an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000, Obama ran for United States Senate in 2004. His victory, from a crowded field, in the March 2004 Democratic primary raised his visibility. His prime-time televised keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July 2004 made him a rising star nationally in the Democratic Party. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2004 by the largest margin in the history of Illinois.
He began his run for the presidency in February 2007. After a close campaign in the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries against Hillary Rodham Clinton, he won his party's nomination. In the 2008 general election, he defeated Republican nominee John McCain and was inaugurated as president on January 20, 2009.
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44th President of the United States Incumbent Assumed office January 20, 2009 Vice President Joe Biden Preceded by George W. Bush
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United States Senatorfrom Illinois In officeJanuary 3, 2005 – November 16, 2008 Preceded by Peter Fitzgerald Succeeded by Roland Burris
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Member of the Illinois Senatefrom the 13th district In officeJanuary 8, 1997 – November 4, 2004 Preceded by Alice Palmer Succeeded by Kwame Raoul
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Born August 4, 1961 (1961-08-04) (age 48)[1]Honolulu, Hawaii[2] Birth name Barack Hussein Obama II[2] Nationality American Political party Democratic Spouse(s) Michelle Obama (m. 1992) Children Malia Ann (b.1998)Natasha (Sasha) (b.2001) Residence The White House (official) Chicago, Illinois (private) Alma mater Occidental CollegeColumbia University (B.A.)Harvard Law School (J.D.) Occupation Community organizerLawyerConstitutional law ProfessorAuthor Religion Christian[3] Obama's family history, early life and upbringing, and Ivy League education differ markedly from those of African-American politicians who launched their careers in the 1960s through participation in the civil rights movement.[197] Expressing puzzlement over questions about whether he is "black enough", Obama told an August 2007 meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists that "we're still locked in this notion that if you appeal to white folks then there must be something wrong."[198] Obama acknowledged his youthful image in an October 2007 campaign speech, saying: "I wouldn't be here if, time and again, the torch had not been passed to a new generation."[199]
Obama presents his first weekly address as President of the United States, discussing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.Obama is frequently referred to as an exceptional orator.[200] During his pre-inauguration transition period and continuing into his presidency, Obama has delivered a series of weekly Internet video addresses[201] similar to Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous fireside chats to explain his policies and actions.[202]
According to the Gallup Daily Poll, during his first 100 days in office as president, Obama received approval ratings in the mid-60s, ranging from 59% to 69%. He concluded his first 100 days with a 65% approval rating.[203] His disapproval rating increased from 12% to 29% during that same time period.[204] By late August 2009, his approval rating had dropped to 50%, with a 42% disapproval rating.[204][205]
Obama's international appeal has been described as a defining factor for his public image.[206] Polls show strong support for Obama in other countries,[207] and he has met with prominent foreign figures including then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair,[208] Italy's Democratic Party leader and then Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni,[209] and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.[210]
According to a May 2009 poll conducted by Harris Interactive for France 24 and the International Herald Tribune, Obama was rated as the most popular world leader, as well as the one figure most people would pin their hopes on for pulling the world out of this economic downturn.[211]
Obama won Best Spoken Word Album Grammy Awards for abridged audiobook versions of Dreams from My Father in February 2006 and for The Audacity of Hope in February 2008.[212] His "Yes We Can" speech, which artists independently set to music, was viewed by 10 million people on YouTube in the first month,[213] and received a Daytime Emmy Award.[214] In December 2008, Time magazine named Barack Obama as its Person of the Year for his historic candidacy and election, which it described as "the steady march of seemingly impossible accomplishments".[215]
Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was the president of the Harvard Law Review. He was a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree. He worked as a civil rights attorney in Chicago and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004.
Obama served three terms in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004. Following an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000, Obama ran for United States Senate in 2004. His victory, from a crowded field, in the March 2004 Democratic primary raised his visibility. His prime-time televised keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July 2004 made him a rising star nationally in the Democratic Party. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2004 by the largest margin in the history of Illinois.
He began his run for the presidency in February 2007. After a close campaign in the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries against Hillary Rodham Clinton, he won his party's nomination. In the 2008 general election, he defeated Republican nominee John McCain and was inaugurated as president on January 20, 2009.
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44th President of the United States Incumbent Assumed office January 20, 2009 Vice President Joe Biden Preceded by George W. Bush
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
United States Senatorfrom Illinois In officeJanuary 3, 2005 – November 16, 2008 Preceded by Peter Fitzgerald Succeeded by Roland Burris
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Member of the Illinois Senatefrom the 13th district In officeJanuary 8, 1997 – November 4, 2004 Preceded by Alice Palmer Succeeded by Kwame Raoul
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Born August 4, 1961 (1961-08-04) (age 48)[1]Honolulu, Hawaii[2] Birth name Barack Hussein Obama II[2] Nationality American Political party Democratic Spouse(s) Michelle Obama (m. 1992) Children Malia Ann (b.1998)Natasha (Sasha) (b.2001) Residence The White House (official) Chicago, Illinois (private) Alma mater Occidental CollegeColumbia University (B.A.)Harvard Law School (J.D.) Occupation Community organizerLawyerConstitutional law ProfessorAuthor Religion Christian[3] Obama's family history, early life and upbringing, and Ivy League education differ markedly from those of African-American politicians who launched their careers in the 1960s through participation in the civil rights movement.[197] Expressing puzzlement over questions about whether he is "black enough", Obama told an August 2007 meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists that "we're still locked in this notion that if you appeal to white folks then there must be something wrong."[198] Obama acknowledged his youthful image in an October 2007 campaign speech, saying: "I wouldn't be here if, time and again, the torch had not been passed to a new generation."[199]
Obama presents his first weekly address as President of the United States, discussing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.Obama is frequently referred to as an exceptional orator.[200] During his pre-inauguration transition period and continuing into his presidency, Obama has delivered a series of weekly Internet video addresses[201] similar to Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous fireside chats to explain his policies and actions.[202]
According to the Gallup Daily Poll, during his first 100 days in office as president, Obama received approval ratings in the mid-60s, ranging from 59% to 69%. He concluded his first 100 days with a 65% approval rating.[203] His disapproval rating increased from 12% to 29% during that same time period.[204] By late August 2009, his approval rating had dropped to 50%, with a 42% disapproval rating.[204][205]
Obama's international appeal has been described as a defining factor for his public image.[206] Polls show strong support for Obama in other countries,[207] and he has met with prominent foreign figures including then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair,[208] Italy's Democratic Party leader and then Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni,[209] and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.[210]
According to a May 2009 poll conducted by Harris Interactive for France 24 and the International Herald Tribune, Obama was rated as the most popular world leader, as well as the one figure most people would pin their hopes on for pulling the world out of this economic downturn.[211]
Obama won Best Spoken Word Album Grammy Awards for abridged audiobook versions of Dreams from My Father in February 2006 and for The Audacity of Hope in February 2008.[212] His "Yes We Can" speech, which artists independently set to music, was viewed by 10 million people on YouTube in the first month,[213] and received a Daytime Emmy Award.[214] In December 2008, Time magazine named Barack Obama as its Person of the Year for his historic candidacy and election, which it described as "the steady march of seemingly impossible accomplishments".[215]
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