Barack Obama Influence On Political Change

Change: (v.) /chanj/ a.) to make different in some particular; alter. b.) to make radically different; transform

After the nation endured an unsettling two terms with President George W. Bush, it’s people were left with a bitter taste, so to speak. As a nation, we yearned for new discourse and needed “change”. Change was to be the underlying foundation for the 2008 Presidential Election campaigns, which created quite a nation-wide stir as a record number of voters made it to the polls. This was the very beginning of a nation-wide political change, which is evidently more than just empty propaganda, but is evident now through current new reforms. In 2008, Barack Obama pledged to redefine our nation’s political character through an effective campaign based on the philosophy of “change we can believe in” using the slogan “yes we can”. Obama hoped for a new attitude in politics, education, health care, and foreign policy among numerous other issues. A promise to cut taxes for 95% of working American families with an annual income less than
$250,000 along with significant tax breaks to companies that invest in the United States were some of the aspects of his campaign.
In addition, this rally for change promised to create 2 million new jobs to renovate the country’s infrastructure and 5 million new energy jobs. Obama’s campaign emphasized withdrawing troops from Iraq to end the war, increasing energy independence (New Energy Plan for America) and decreasing the influence of lobbyists and how business is conducted on Capital Hill. This new “national political character” would work to ensure that business conducted on Capital Hill between Congress was to have the best interest of the American people in mind as opposed to personal political agendas. These plans for change created a buzz among the American
people. The newly configured 112th Congress, the current meeting of our nation’s legislative branch concedes that all these issues are top national priorities as well and have been quite responsive in effective ways to address the issues with the President. Though this is the first Congress in which the House and Senate have opposing majorities since the 107th Congress (2001-2003), implementing change through these agendas seems quite viable. This is evident through the new Health Care Reform that was recently implemented and depicts and shows this political hype of “change” to be an obvious buzzword, but to also have substance and depth with Obama’s current term. With the composition of the House of Representatives favoring Republicans (242 Republicans to 193 Democrats) and the new Senate Democratic leadership (51 Democrats, 47 Republicans, and 2 Independents) one may worry that legislative actions on Capital Hill could face potential “deadlock”, especially since the House has the largest number of Republican members since the 80th Congress of 1947-1949. But having a Democratic President and a primarily Republican Congress means that compromises most likely will have to be met in order to pass bills and legislations, and effectively and efficiently implement this “change we can believe in” and show the nation, “yes we can.”

Sources:
1.) www.thecapitol.net
2.) www.thesenate.gov
3.) www.merriam-webster.com