1. Barack Obama

2. Living Room Candidate

3. Crash Course Obamanation: Crash Course US History #47
15 min

4. Barack Obama was the first African American to be elected president
Barack Obama was the first African American to be elected president. He took office during a major economic crisis that included high unemployment, a collapsing housing market, falling stock market, rising health care and major industries facing insolvency. In addition, he inherited a war in Iraq and the fighting against the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan.

5. Obama Domestic Policy Issues:
Economy -
Worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
The government “bailed out” financial institutions and
3 major auto companies with taxpayer money TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Program).

6. Education Reform –
Initiates “Race to the Top” to supplement “No Child Left Behind.” Greater teacher accountability for student performance.

7. Infrastructure Repair -
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides stimulus dollars for repairs, high speed rail lines, reconstruction of crumbling bridges and highways which is necessary. The stimulus was intended to create jobs and promote investment and consumer spending while improving the nation as a whole.

8. Social Security -
As a growing number of “Baby Boomers” are retiring and aging, the government is concerned about being able to fund Social Security and Medicare.

9. Immigration -
The growing problem of illegal immigration particularly on Mexican border.

10. Health Care -
Rising cost of health care became a focus of the President and Congress. A Law (Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act) was passed in 2010 revising the health care system.

11. Supreme Court Appointment –
Obama appoints first Hispanic Justice – Sonia Sotomayor

12. Supreme Court Justices
Elena Kagan Sonia Sotomayor

13. BP Oil Spill-
A British Petroleum well in the Gulf of Mexico off the coasts of Mississippi and Louisiana destroys ecosystems and jobs in the Shrimping Industry during the Summer of 2010.

14. Obama Foreign Policy Issues:
Iraq -
In his campaign, Obama pledged to end the war. As president he announced plans to “draw down” or withdraw troops from Iraq (while stepping up the war in Afghanistan where the Taliban and al-Qaeda were dominant).

15. Afghanistan -
The Taliban continues to retain power in a nation with an unstable government and active terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda. In the Spring of 2011, Osama bin Laden is killed by U.S. Navy Seals. He had been living in a mansion complex outside of Abbottabad, Pakistan.

16. Libya-
Obama condemns the violence in Libya. Sanctions and military operations continue in the hopes of promoting humanitarian actions.
“Qaddafi declared that he would show ‘no mercy’ to his own people,” Obama explained. “He compared them to rats, and threatened to go door-to-door to inflict punishment. In the past, we had seen him hang civilians in the streets, and kill over a thousand people in a single day.”
Rather than see that happen, the president said the United States sought a “broad coalition” to “protect civilians, stop an advancing army, prevent a massacre, and establish a no-fly zone.” NYTimes

17. Middle East -
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits the Middle East in an attempt to bring peace. America continues to support Israel.

19. Crash Course Obamanation: Crash Course US History #47
15 min