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 Waiting For Tonight By Daniel Politi Posted Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008, at 6:22 AM ET This is it. After so much buildup, voters will finally head to the polls and decide who will be moving to the White House. USA Today reminds readers that whatever happens, it will be a historic election as voters will either elect the first African-American president or the oldest first-term president. The Washington Post banners a two-story lead detailing how each candidate spent Election Day eve. Barack Obama campaigned in Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia while dealing with news that his ailing maternal grandmother had died overnight. For his part, John McCain went on a seven-state sprint through Florida, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Indiana, New Mexico, Nevada, and Arizona, desperately hoping to prove all the polls wrong. The New York Times leads with a look at how much the Longest Presidential Campaign in History "fundamentally upended" the rules for running a presidential campaign. "I think we'll be analyzing this election for years as a seminal, transformative race," said Mark McKinnon, a senior adviser to President Bush's campaigns. Few people have patience for that now though, notes the Los Angeles Times in its lead spot that points out how anxiety is running rampant among supporters of both parties who just want it to be over so they can move on with their lives. Under a banner headline, the Wall Street Journal makes it clear that whoever wins tonight will have little time to rest as he will have to begin working on a number of economic issues long before settling in to the Oval Office. 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 How Come War Heroes Never Win the Presidency Anymore? The Greatest Fictional Presidential Candidates of All Time Why Would an 8-Year-Old Kid Support Obama, Anyway?	Advertisement
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