Things We’re All Going To Miss About Obama
If you thought your impression of Donald Trump couldn’t get any worse, this week proved otherwise. And Hillary Clinton’s record hasn’t shined too much either.
So as November 8th draws closer and the reign of Barack Obama comes to an end, it’s more clear than ever that America’s first black President will be missed, not just at home but also abroad. Here are some reasons why we wouldn’t mind four more years.
He calls for unity at time of division
While the world seems to become more divided, societies more polarized, our discourse filled with hate and disgust, Obama comes across as the mature father, the one we look to for guidance and leadership.
In response to the shootings in Brussels and Paris, the San Bernardino attack in California and the killings at a gay club in Orlando, Obama responded with unity and togetherness. He spoke to the world’s better angels at a time in which it’s hard to locate any angels.
He’s championed LGBT Issues
Obama legacy has been ‘all-in’ on gay rights. Since the beginning of his first days in office, Obama has fought hard to place LGBT issues on the American agenda.
He appointed people from the LGBT community to top posts, took actions to combat discrimination in the work place, installed a symbolic ‘gender-neutral’ bathroom in the White House, ended the US military’s anti-gay ban of “don’t ask, don’t tell” and showed his support to the US Supreme Court’s decision to allow gay marriage by lighting up the White House in rainbow colours.
Never before has there been a US President that has been such a strong advocate for full equality. His actions have helped inspire other countries around the world to also follow suit. Malta is a case in point and has since been specifically singled out for the significant strides forward we’ve taken in creating legislation that seeks to grant equality to trans and intersex people.
He’s the Commander-in Swag
The first lady, Michelle Obama, is right in calling her husband “very swagalicious”. From the slick tango moves he showed off when visiting Argentina, to his chill out sessions with Jay-Z, his fist pumps with employees of the White House, his call for a “Beer Summit”, his regular appearance on The Tonight Show and his hilarious ‘mic-drops’, Obama is the king of swag.
At a press conference on government-funded research and innovation, he said: “Basically I’m here to announce we’re building an Iron Man. I’m gonna blast off in a second!” In all fairness though, Maltese politicians have often dressed up and gone outside their comfort zones by singing songs on the local TV programme ‘Xarabank’. This act of bravery may not riddled with swag, but it’s definitely better than nothing.
He’s great with kids
After a picture of a little boy looking up at Obama in admiration was posted on Twitter, the ‘Twitter-sphere’ exploded, with the hashtag #ObamaAndKids going viral. Twitter users flooded the hashtag with photos of the President goofing around with kids, being silly.
When recently asked why children feel at ease when around him, Obama quipped, “Yeah, they love me – partly because my ears are big and so I look a little like a cartoon character.”
He’s put global Climate Change on the Global Agenda
Obama was the first sitting US President to visit Alaska. He did this, whilst wearing a go-pro camera attached to his ahead, in order to raise awareness for the urgent need to tackle climate change.
Moreover, he has taken unprecedented steps to reduce America’s demand for fossil fuels and was a key driver behind the climate accord sealed at last April’s UN Paris summit. He has put climate change on the top of the global agenda and has encouraged other countries to follow his footsteps.
We’re going to miss him. The question now is: What should we expect of his successors?