Eminent Person Blog Post

Barack Obama

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. – Barack Obama. These words sum up the values that drove him to make wise decisions, the changes he implemented, and the accomplishments he achieved. Aside from being the first non-white president of the United States, he has realized many feats of progress that will echo throughout the halls of history for hundreds of years. He steered his nation through a global financial catastrophe, He created the Affordable Care Act, forcing health insurance companies to pay for their customer’s ailments, whether they stemmed from a pre-existing condition or not. He ended the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp. He played an essential role in legalizing gay marriage.  All of this, he accomplished while dodging the Republican Party’s best attempts to halt the force of progress. Unsurprisingly, these achievements did not come without adversity, as a formidable republican majority would stop many of his attempts for change. Undaunted, Obama’s tenacity and resilience allowed him to fight on, finding loopholes and using executive decisions to implement the changes he promised to his voters. Of course, many of these accomplishments could not have been made without his integrity and sincere altruism — traits that have driven him to fight for equity in his country, traits that have drawn me to this person, and traits that I wish to emulate so they may unswervingly steer me to a life without regret. Despite my admiration for this man, we also have our differences, such as our nationalities; Obama is from the United States and considers himself an American, while I live in Canada and come from a Chinese family. We also have religious differences, as I consider myself to be an atheist, whereas Obama is a Christian. I will address these in my project and explain why these differences do not affect my respect for his decisions and actions. Despite these disparities, Obama does reflect some of my goals in TALONS, such as his leadership skills and resilience to setbacks, skills I will learn during my time in this program. Obama has many abilities that set him apart from other successful individuals in the field of politics. For instance, his masterful orating skills, combined with the candor and conviction with which he speaks and writes genuinely reflects the integrity that resides within his heart. It is something that allows him to truly resonate with the people he wishes to convince; no doubt something that has served him well throughout his political career, and a rare, valuable set of attributes to find in a politician. These remarkable abilities and extraordinary achievements may be what Obama is ultimately remembered for, but his integrity, honesty, and courage are what drove him to accomplish the ground-breaking triumphs he did, and what truly makes him worth remembering. This is why I am drawn to this man, and why he is truly deserving to be called ‘eminent’ in every sense of the word.

Obama’s Inauguration Speech

 

The white house scintillates with the colors of a rainbow to celebrate the legalization of gay marriage.

 

Obama and his wife.

 

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5 thoughts on “Eminent Person Blog Post

  1. Hi Joshua,
    I really enjoyed reading your post. Specifically, you clearly outlined Obama’s accomplishments in the White House and the obstacles he faced while doing so – which, as you have described, have had a profound impact on society and changed many perspectives. I can also connect with your connections with Obama; having read his autobiography, “A Promised Land,” I can easily see how Obama’s leadership traits – as you stated, integrity and altruism – are definitely worth emulating. I think your post could be improved by shortening or separating some, “run-on,” sentences that become difficult to understand. I’ve found that dividing these long sentences brings clarity and in fact strengthens my points.
    -Edward

  2. Hi Joshua, I enjoyed reading your post. I like how you gave the link to his speech, it was cool listening to his speech. Also, one thing I would recommend is breaking the one big paragraphs to multiple sub-paragraphs:) -Joanne

  3. Hello Joshua!

    Very informative blog post! I’m personally not that big into politics, and I always knew that Obama was a somewhat popular president because of how he interacted with his audiences, but I never knew he made such big differences in America, such as legalizing gay marriage! It’s smart how you plan to learn from some of Obama’s traits and to use them in your journey in TALONS, as it is certainly going to be a rollercoaster ride if you’re unprepared. A personal note: I find it a bit difficult to read big paragraphs with no break in between, which is why I would have split them up into paragraphs of 6-7 sentences each, but this is merely a personal preference. Excellent blog post!

    – Kavyan

  4. Hi, Joshua,
    I thought this was a very well-written post. You are extremely articulate and capture your respect and admiration for Obama brilliantly. You have provided lots of valid supporting facts and examples for why he should be considered eminent. You are very detailed in your post and you connected his skills with your own goals really well. I also love the pictures you provided that went along with your information perfectly.
    One thing that I would say, and it is very, very minor, but I feel that your use of semicolons could be improved. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe that some of the instances you used them weren’t fully correct. Instead, I would suggest just separating those sentences when the semicolon isn’t necessary because it would bring more clarity to your work.
    Overall, though, you did a great job and presented important info in a clear way.

  5. Hey Joshua,
    I enjoyed reading your post! I liked how I could listen to Obama’s speech and the photos you added for more in-depth. One thing I would add would be breaking up your paragraph to make reading easier. I can’t wait to read more 🙂

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