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The
New
President of the United States of America
BARACK OBAMA
"I owe a debt to
all of those who came before me. We gather to affirm the greatness of
our nation, not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power
of our military, or the size of our economy. Our pride is based on a
very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over 200 years
ago, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are
created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain
inalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty & the
pursuit of happiness."
"We have a collective responsibility to recommit
ourselves to the dream; to strengthen that safety net, put the rungs back on
that ladder to the middle-class, and give every family the chance that so
many of our parents and grandparents had. This responsibility is one that's
been missing from Washington for far too long -- a responsibility I intend
to take very seriously as president."
-
Barack Obama
“A
president's hardest task is not to do what is right, but to know what is
right.” - Lyndon Johnson
Many of us have
admired a President's successes, believing we would have done the
same if we were in their shoes, and many of us have been disappointed by a
President's failures, knowing we would have done better if given the
opportunity. It takes a strong and courageous
individual to run for the office of President. But just what is that elusive
trait that one must possess to actually become President? George
Washington's sound advice? "I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough
to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character
of an honest man."
By the end of George
Washington's first term, and much to his dismay, two political parties were
emerging from the one. He retired at the end of his second term worn
weary from politics, and in his Farwell Address, he urged his countrymen to
'forswear excessive party
spirit and geographical distinctions.'
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/gw1.html
Two hundred and
ten years later, Washington's fears have been realized. Although the
two prominent parties, Democratic and Republican, seem to agree more often
than disagree on core issues, the parties are very clearly divided on
sensitive issues, such as abortion, gay and minority rights, and the
mingling of religion and politics.
Theodore Roosevelt was
quoted as saying "There are good men and bad men of all nationalities, creeds and
colors; and if this world of ours is ever to become what we hope some
day it may become, it must be by the general recognition that the
man's heart and soul, the man's worth and actions, determine his
standing."
What are the top 10
desired Presidential Qualities?
C-SPAN conducted a survey
regarding presidential leadership, and invited 90 historians and
presidential experts, as well as viewers, to participate.
The survey rated 10 qualities of presidential leadership, which were
Public Persuasion,
Crisis Leadership,
Economic Management,
Moral Authority,
International Relations,
Administrative Skills,
Relations with Congress,
Vision/Setting Agenda,
Pursued Equal Justice For All, and
Performance Within Context of Times.
Which past President was the least 'Presidential' and which seemed
to be born to play the part effortlessly? Read the survey below and
find out how well your favorite past President scored.
http://www.americanpresidents.org/survey/
*The
1928 election was between Herbert C. Hoover and Alfred E. Smith.
Neither the standing President nor the Vice President chose to run
in this election. However, in 1952, the new President elect was
subject to the 22nd Amendment that limited the Presidents
office to only eight years. The sitting President, Harry S. Truman,
was allowed to proceed with a third term as President, however, he
abandoned his campaign after the 1952 New Hampshire primary when he
lost to Estes Kefauver.
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The Results for
the 2008 Election for President
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The map to the right illustrates how each
party voted. The Democratic party won 28 states and took 364
electoral votes. The Republican party
won 22 states and took 174 electoral votes. |
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For more
details, CLICK HERE. |
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Now that the 2008 presidential
election is over, there will be much to analyze regarding how each
political party performed. The two dominant political parties, the
Democrats and the Republicans, carried all 50 states. The new President, Barack Obama, will be sworn in on January 20, 2009. This
will mark the transfer of the official powers of the President from the
Incumbent, George Bush, to Barack Obama, who will be the 44th
President of the United States. This will be the 17th
time the Democratic party has won the executive office of the United
States.
There were big changes in the United States Senate, which has
gone from 49 Democratic seats, 49 Republican seats, and two Independent
seats to 56 Democratic seats, 40 Republican seats, and with four seats
still undecided. This
gives the Democrats an almost vote proof majority in the
Senate, which they have not had since
1977. (See
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/main.results/#S.)
There were also big changes in
the House of Representatives, which has gone from 235 Democratic seats, 199 Republican
seats, and one vacancy to 254 Democratic seats, 173 Republican seats, and
with eight seats still undecided. The Democrats haven't had this kind of a
majority in the House of Representatives since 1994. (See
http://clerk.house.gov/.)
With
the election of 2008 over, and the Democratic party taking control
of both the House and Senate, and with a Democrat in the executive office,
what kinds of changes might we see in this country? Certainly changes
to the judiciary will take place. Once in office, the Democrats will begin appointing new Judges
from the Supreme Court to the Federal District
Courts. What other changes might occur? We'll have to wait
until January 20, 2009 to find out.
(For polling data, see
http://www.usaelectionpolls.com/2008/.)
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How
did YOUR state vote? FIND OUT HERE!
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| The
Election Countdown shows how each state
voted in past elections. To see how your state
voted in the past, please CLICK
HERE! |
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