Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to Barack Obama, Sr. (born in Nyanza Province, Kenya) and Ann Dunham (born in Wichita, Kansas). Barack Hussein Obama (born August 4, 1961) is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a member of the Democratic Party.
Obama grew up in culturally diverse surroundings. He spent most of his childhood in the majority-minority U.S. state of Hawaii and lived for four years in Indonesia. Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention while still an Illinois state legislator. Since announcing his candidacy in February 2007, Obama has emphasized ending the Iraq War and implementing universal health care as campaign themes.
As a member of the Democratic minority in the 109th Congress, Obama co-sponsored the enactment of conventional weapons control and transparency legislation, and made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Obama's parents separated when he was two years old and later divorced. His father went to Harvard University to pursue Ph.D. studies, then returned to Kenya, where he died in an auto accident when the younger Obama was twenty-one years old.
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today's papers Close Encounters of the Third Kind Posted Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008, at 6:43 AM ET In the third and final debate of the presidential campaign, John McCain went on the offensive. Sitting next to each other, McCain and Barack Obama "engaged in their most intense confrontation of the campaign," says the Washington Post. While discussing a wide range of issues, including the economy, judicial appointments, abortion, and trade, the candidates had a debate that "was by far the most spirited and combative of their encounters this fall," says the New York Times. When asked about the negative tone of the campaign, "Each man blamed the other," notes the Wall Street Journal, which also points out that, at the very least, voters got a clear view of the stark differences between the candidates' views on taxes and health care. While many agree it was McCain's best debate performance, few think the Republican managed to deliver a game-changer. "There was no single moment that was likely to reverberate in the minds of American voters and change the course of an election that has moved dramatically toward Obama in the last several weeks," says the Los Angeles Times, which mixes it up a bit by leading with its analysis piece and stuffing the blow-by-blow. USA Today goes high with the debate, but devotes the traditional lead spot to, while the WSJ banners, the seesawing stock market that went deeply in the red yesterday and all but wiped out the gains from Monday's huge rally amid growing fears of a deep recession. The Dow Jones industrial average plunged 733 points, or 7.9 percent, which marked its largest percentage drop since 1987. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke added his bit to the general uncertainty by declaring that even if the financial markets stabilize, a "broader economic recovery will not happen right away." To continue reading, click here. Daniel Politi writes "Today's Papers" for Slate. He can be reached at todayspapers@slate.com.Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Business & Tech The Derivatives Market Is Worth More Than the World's Total Wealth. Huh? News & Politics Since When Is Fail a Noun? Arts & Life When Good Architects Make Bad Buildings | Advertisement  |
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