By AARON HOLMES – Junior Copy Editor
On Jan. 20, 2009, Barack Hussein Obama (D-Ill.) was inaugurated as the 44th president, and as the first African-American president in history, of the United States. He was originally elected on the platform of social and economic change, distancing himself from the policies of preceding president George W. Bush (R-Texas). In 2012, he ran for reelection along with his vice president, Joe Biden (D-Del.). Much like that of 2008, the 2012 election was characterized by stark differences in policy between the two presidential candidates.
Education
Obama made his belief clear throughout his campaign that education was one of the most prominent issues facing the U. S. During his first term, he supported funding for community colleges that provided career-training programs. He also advocated lessening restrictions that were originally put in place by the Bush administration’s No Child Left Behind act. He instead pushed his own Race to the Top Initiative, which encouraged improvement while leaving more options to state departments of education as to how they would meet their education goals.
Health Care
Throughout his political career, Obama was an advocate for universalizing health care. He continues to advocate for strengthening Medicare, the national social insurance program that guarantees access to health insurance for Americans 65 years old or older. The Affordable Health Care Act enabled those with pre-existing conditions to access health insurance without penalties from insurance companies. It also banned the practice of charging women more than men for the same coverage. Obama also believes in legal abortions and insured contraceptives, and their coverage would be supported by the AHC Act.
Immigration
Obama supports securing American borders more effectively, and has dedicated federal spending to do so. He also backed legislation holding employers accountable for illegal immigrants hired. However, he is a vocal proponent of immigration reform and backed the passage of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act. The DREAM Act grants amnesty to illegal minors not accountable for their immigration status who pursue college education or military service. He is also a supporter of lessening restrictions and requirements for citizenship.
Gay Rights
At the beginning of his presidency, Obama avoided the topic of gay marriage, stating only that his views on the subject were “evolving.” However, in 2010, he signed an act to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, thereby legalizing the enlistment of openly homosexual men and women in the armed forces. On May 9, Obama became the first president to openly support the legalization of same-sex marriage while in office. He has also repeatedly called for the repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, a law defining marriage as the legal union of one man and one woman and supports same-sex couples adopting children.
