Misplaced Pages

Latest revision as of 16:31, 22 December 2024

Barack Obama
Official portrait, 2012
44th President of the United States
In office January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017
Vice President	Joe Biden
Preceded by	George W. Bush
Succeeded by	Donald Trump
United States Senator from Illinois
In office January 3, 2005 – November 16, 2008
Preceded by	Peter Fitzgerald
Succeeded by	Roland Burris
Member of the Illinois Senate from the 13th district
In office January 8, 1997 – November 4, 2004
Preceded by	Alice Palmer
Succeeded by	Kwame Raoul
Personal details
Born	Barack Hussein Obama II (1961-08-04) August 4, 1961 (age 63) Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Michelle Robinson ​(m. 1992)​
Children	Malia Sasha
Parents	Barack Obama Sr. Ann Dunham
Relatives	Obama family
Education	Columbia University (BA) Harvard University (JD)
Occupation	Politician lawyer author
Awards	Full list
Signature
Website	Official website Obama Foundation White House Archives
Barack Obama's voice Obama on the death of Osama bin Laden Recorded May 2, 2011

This article is part of a series aboutBarack Obama
Personal Early life and career Family Honors Public image Publications Dreams from My Father The Audacity of Hope A Promised Land Summer playlist Non-profit organizations Obama Foundation One America Appeal Illinois State Senator and U.S. Senator from Illinois Illinois State Senate tenure 2004 DNC keynote address U.S. Senate tenure 2004 election sponsored bills 44th President of the United States Presidency timeline Transition Inaugurations first second Trips international Presidential library Tenure First 100 days Recovery Act Russia nuclear treaty Nobel Peace Prize Affordable Care Act Dodd–Frank Iraq withdrawal Killing of Osama bin Laden 2011 debt-ceiling crisis Libya intervention Afghanistan withdrawal Benghazi attack 2013 debt-ceiling crisis Anti-ISIL campaign Iraq Syria Tan suit controversy Iran nuclear deal Cuban thaw Sanctions against Russia Selma 50th anniversary speech Paris Agreement Policies Economy Energy Foreign policy Arctic Europe East Asia Middle East South Asia Obama Doctrine Pardons Marine Native Social Space Appointments Cabinet Judiciary Sotomayor Kagan Garland Supreme Court candidates Presidential campaigns 2008 election primaries convention debates Obama coalition 2012 election primaries convention debates
v t e

Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African-American president in U.S. history. Obama previously served as a U.S. senator representing Illinois from 2005 to 2008 and as an Illinois state senator from 1997 to 2004.

Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He graduated from Columbia University in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and later worked as a community organizer in Chicago. In 1988, Obama enrolled in Harvard Law School, where he was the first black president of the Harvard Law Review. He became a civil rights attorney and an academic, teaching constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. In 1996, Obama was elected to represent the 13th district in the Illinois Senate, a position he held until 2004, when he successfully ran for the U.S. Senate. In the 2008 presidential election, after a close primary campaign against Hillary Clinton, he was nominated by the Democratic Party for president. Obama selected Joe Biden as his running mate and defeated Republican nominee John McCain.

Obama was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, a decision that drew both criticism and praise. His first-term actions addressed the 2007–2008 financial crisis and included the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, a major stimulus package to guide the economy in recovering from the Great Recession; a partial extension of the Bush tax cuts; legislation to reform health care; the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, a major financial regulation reform bill; and the end of the Iraq War. Obama also appointed Supreme Court justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, the former being the first Hispanic American on the Supreme Court. He ordered Operation Neptune Spear, the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, who was responsible for the September 11 attacks. Obama downplayed Bush's counterinsurgency model, expanding air strikes and making extensive use of special forces, while encouraging greater reliance on host-government militaries. He also ordered the 2011 military intervention in Libya to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, contributing to the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi.

Obama defeated Republican opponent Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election. In his second term, Obama took steps to combat climate change, signing the Paris Agreement, a major international climate agreement, and an executive order to limit carbon emissions. Obama also presided over the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and other legislation passed in his first term. He negotiated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a nuclear agreement with Iran, and normalized relations with Cuba. The number of American soldiers in Afghanistan decreased during Obama's second term, though U.S. soldiers remained in the country throughout the remainder of his presidency. Obama promoted inclusion for LGBT Americans, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to publicly support same-sex marriage.

Obama left office in 2017 with high approval ratings both within the United States and among foreign advisories. He continues to reside in Washington D.C. and remains politically active, campaigning for candidates in various American elections, including Biden's successful presidential bid in 2020. Outside of politics, Obama has published three books: Dreams from My Father (1995), The Audacity of Hope (2006), and A Promised Land (2020). His presidential library began construction in the South Side of Chicago in 2021. Historians and political scientists rank Obama among the upper tier in historical rankings of American presidents.

Early life and career

Barack Obama was born on August 4, 1961, at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is the only president born outside the contiguous 48 states. He was born to an 18-year-old American mother and a 27-year-old Kenyan father. His mother, Ann Dunham (1942–1995), was born in Wichita, Kansas, and was of English, Welsh, German, Swiss, and Irish descent. In 2007 it was discovered her great-great-grandfather Falmouth Kearney emigrated from the village of Moneygall, Ireland to the U.S. in 1850. In July 2012, Ancestry.com found a strong likelihood that Dunham was descended from John Punch, an enslaved African man who lived in the Colony of Virginia during the seventeenth century. Obama's father, Barack Obama Sr. (1934–1982), was a married Luo Kenyan from Nyang'oma Kogelo. His last name, Obama, was derived from his Luo descent. Obama's parents met in 1960 in a Russian language class at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where his father was a foreign student on a scholarship. The couple married in Wailuku, Hawaii, on February 2, 1961, six months before Obama was born.

In late August 1961, a few weeks after he was born, Barack and his mother moved to the University of Washington in Seattle, where they lived for a year. During that time, Barack's father completed his undergraduate degree in economics in Hawaii, graduating in June 1962. He left to attend graduate school on a scholarship at Harvard University, where he earned a Master of Arts in economics. Obama's parents divorced in March 1964. Obama Sr. returned to Kenya in 1964, where he married for a third time and worked for the Kenyan government as the Senior Economic Analyst in the Ministry of Finance. He visited his son in Hawaii only once, at Christmas 1971, before he was killed in an automobile accident in 1982, when Obama was 21 years old. Recalling his early childhood, Obama said: "That my father looked nothing like the people around me—that he was black as pitch, my mother white as milk—barely registered in my mind." He described his struggles as a young adult to reconcile social perceptions of his multiracial heritage.

In 1963, Dunham met Lolo Soetoro at the University of Hawaii; he was an Indonesian East–West Center graduate student in geography. The couple married on Molokai on March 15, 1965. After two one-year extensions of his J-1 visa, Lolo returned to Indonesia in 1966. His wife and stepson followed sixteen months later in 1967. The family initially lived in the Menteng Dalam neighborhood in the Tebet district of South Jakarta. From 1970, they lived in a wealthier neighborhood in the Menteng district of Central Jakarta.

Education

At the age of six, Obama and his mother had moved to Indonesia to join his stepfather. From age six to ten, he was registered in school as "Barry" and attended local Indonesian-language schools: Sekolah Dasar Katolik Santo Fransiskus Asisi (St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Elementary School) for two years and Sekolah Dasar Negeri Menteng 01 (State Elementary School Menteng 01) for one and a half years, supplemented by English-language Calvert School homeschooling by his mother. As a result of his four years in Jakarta, he was able to speak Indonesian fluently as a child. During his time in Indonesia, Obama's stepfather taught him to be resilient and gave him "a pretty hardheaded assessment of how the world works".

In 1971, Obama returned to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Dunham. He attended Punahou School—a private college preparatory school—with the aid of a scholarship from fifth grade until he graduated from high school in 1979. In high school, Obama continued to use the nickname "Barry" which he kept until making a visit to Kenya in 1980. Obama lived with his mother and half-sister, Maya Soetoro, in Hawaii for three years from 1972 to 1975 while his mother was a graduate student in anthropology at the University of Hawaii. Obama chose to stay in Hawaii when his mother and half-sister returned to Indonesia in 1975, so his mother could begin anthropology field work. His mother spent most of the next two decades in Indonesia, divorcing Lolo Soetoro in 1980 and earning a PhD degree in 1992, before dying in 1995 in Hawaii following unsuccessful treatment for ovarian and uterine cancer.

Of his years in Honolulu, Obama wrote: "The opportunity that Hawaii offered — to experience a variety of cultures in a climate of mutual respect — became an integral part of my world view, and a basis for the values that I hold most dear." Obama has also written and talked about using alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine during his teenage years to "push questions of who I was out of my mind". Obama was also a member of the "Choom Gang" (the slang term for smoking marijuana), a self-named group of friends who spent time together and smoked marijuana.

College and research jobs

After graduating from high school in 1979, Obama moved to Los Angeles to attend Occidental College on a full scholarship. In February 1981, Obama made his first public speech, calling for Occidental to participate in the disinvestment from South Africa in response to that nation's policy of apartheid. In mid-1981, Obama traveled to Indonesia to visit his mother and half-sister Maya and visited the families of college friends in Pakistan for three weeks. Later in 1981, he transferred to Columbia University in New York City as a junior, where he majored in political science with a specialty in international relations and in English literature and lived off-campus on West 109th Street. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1983 and a 3.7 GPA. After graduating, Obama worked for about a year at the Business International Corporation, where he was a financial researcher and writer, then as a project coordinator for the New York Public Interest Research Group on the City College of New York campus for three months in 1985.

Community organizer and Harvard Law School

Two years after graduating from Columbia, Obama moved from New York to Chicago when he was hired as director of the Developing Communities Project, a faith-based community organization originally comprising eight Catholic parishes in Roseland, West Pullman, and Riverdale on Chicago's South Side. He worked there as a community organizer from June 1985 to May 1988. He helped set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants' rights organization in Altgeld Gardens. Obama also worked as a consultant and instructor for the Gamaliel Foundation, a community organizing institute. In mid-1988, he traveled for the first time in Europe for three weeks and then for five weeks in Kenya, where he met many of his paternal relatives for the first time.

External videos
Derrick Bell threatens to leave Harvard, April 24, 1990, 11:34, Boston TV Digital Archive Student Barack Obama introduces Professor Derrick Bell starting at 6:25.

Despite being offered a full scholarship to Northwestern University School of Law, Obama enrolled at Harvard Law School in the fall of 1988, living in nearby Somerville, Massachusetts. He was selected as an editor of the Harvard Law Review at the end of his first year, president of the journal in his second year, and research assistant to the constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe while at Harvard. During his summers, he returned to Chicago, where he worked as a summer associate at the law firms of Sidley Austin in 1989 and Hopkins & Sutter in 1990. Obama's election as the first black president of the Harvard Law Review gained national media attention and led to a publishing contract and advance for a book about race relations, which evolved into a personal memoir. The manuscript was published in mid-1995 as Dreams from My Father. Obama graduated from Harvard Law in 1991 with a Juris Doctor magna cum laude.

University of Chicago Law School

In 1991, Obama accepted a two-year position as Visiting Law and Government Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School to work on his first book. He then taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School for twelve years, first as a lecturer from 1992 to 1996, and then as a senior lecturer from 1996 to 2004.

From April to October 1992, Obama directed Illinois's Project Vote, a voter registration campaign with ten staffers and seven hundred volunteer registrars; it achieved its goal of registering 150,000 of 400,000 unregistered African Americans in the state, leading Crain's Chicago Business to name Obama to its 1993 list of "40 under Forty" powers to be.

Family and personal life

In a 2006 interview, Obama highlighted the diversity of his extended family: "It's like a little mini-United Nations," he said. "I've got relatives who look like Bernie Mac, and I've got relatives who look like Margaret Thatcher." Obama has a half-sister with whom he was raised (Maya Soetoro-Ng) and seven other half-siblings from his Kenyan father's family, six of them living. Obama's mother was survived by her Kansas-born mother, Madelyn Dunham, until her death on November 2, 2008, two days before his election to the presidency. Obama also has roots in Ireland; he met with his Irish cousins in Moneygall in May 2011. In Dreams from My Father, Obama ties his mother's family history to possible Native American ancestors and distant relatives of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. He also shares distant ancestors in common with George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, among others.

Obama lived with anthropologist Sheila Miyoshi Jager while he was a community organizer in Chicago in the 1980s. He proposed to her twice, but both Jager and her parents turned him down. The relationship was not made public until May 2017, several months after his presidency had ended.

In June 1989, Obama met Michelle Robinson when he was employed at Sidley Austin. Robinson was assigned for three months as Obama's adviser at the firm, and she joined him at several group social functions but declined his initial requests to date. They began dating later that summer, became engaged in 1991, and were married on October 3, 1992. After suffering a miscarriage, Michelle underwent in vitro fertilization to conceive their children. The couple's first daughter, Malia Ann, was born in 1998, followed by a second daughter, Natasha ("Sasha"), in 2001. The Obama daughters attended the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. When they moved to Washington, D.C., in January 2009, the girls started at the Sidwell Friends School. The Obamas had two Portuguese Water Dogs; the first, a male named Bo, was a gift from Senator Ted Kennedy. In 2013, Bo was joined by Sunny, a female. Bo died of cancer on May 8, 2021.

Obama is a supporter of the Chicago White Sox, and he threw out the first pitch at the 2005 ALCS when he was still a senator. In 2009, he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the All-Star Game while wearing a White Sox jacket. He is also primarily a Chicago Bears football fan in the NFL, but in his childhood and adolescence was a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers and rooted for them ahead of their victory in Super Bowl XLIII 12 days after he took office as president. In 2011, Obama invited the 1985 Chicago Bears to the White House; the team had not visited the White House after their Super Bowl win in 1986 due to the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. He plays basketball, a sport he participated in as a member of his high school's varsity team, and he is left-handed.

In 2005, the Obama family applied the proceeds of a book deal and moved from a Hyde Park, Chicago condominium to a $1.6 million house (equivalent to $2.5 million in 2023) in neighboring Kenwood, Chicago. The purchase of an adjacent lot—and sale of part of it to Obama by the wife of developer, campaign donor and friend Tony Rezko—attracted media attention because of Rezko's subsequent indictment and conviction on political corruption charges that were unrelated to Obama.

In December 2007, Money Magazine estimated Obama's net worth at $1.3 million (equivalent to $1.9 million in 2023). Their 2009 tax return showed a household income of $5.5 million—up from about $4.2 million in 2007 and $1.6 million in 2005—mostly from sales of his books. On his 2010 income of $1.7 million, he gave 14 percent to non-profit organizations, including $131,000 to Fisher House Foundation, a charity assisting wounded veterans' families, allowing them to reside near where the veteran is receiving medical treatments. Per his 2012 financial disclosure, Obama may be worth as much as $10 million.

Religious views

Obama is a Protestant Christian whose religious views developed in his adult life. He wrote in The Audacity of Hope that he "was not raised in a religious household." He described his mother, raised by non-religious parents, as being detached from religion, yet "in many ways the most spiritually awakened person ... I have ever known", and "a lonely witness for secular humanism." He described his father as a "confirmed atheist" by the time his parents met, and his stepfather as "a man who saw religion as not particularly useful." Obama explained how, through working with black churches as a community organizer while in his twenties, he came to understand "the power of the African-American religious tradition to spur social change."

In January 2008, Obama told Christianity Today: "I am a Christian, and I am a devout Christian. I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life." On September 27, 2010, Obama released a statement commenting on his religious views, saying:

I'm a Christian by choice. My family didn't—frankly, they weren't folks who went to church every week. And my mother was one of the most spiritual people I knew, but she didn't raise me in the church. So I came to my Christian faith later in life, and it was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead—being my brothers' and sisters' keeper, treating others as they would treat me.

Obama met Trinity United Church of Christ pastor Jeremiah Wright in October 1987 and became a member of Trinity in 1992. During Obama's first presidential campaign in May 2008, he resigned from Trinity after some of Wright's statements were criticized. Since moving to Washington, D.C., in 2009, the Obama family has attended several Protestant churches, including Shiloh Baptist Church and St. John's Episcopal Church, as well as Evergreen Chapel at Camp David, but the members of the family do not attend church on a regular basis.

In 2016, Obama said that he gets inspiration from a few items that remind him "of all the different people I've met along the way", adding: "I carry these around all the time. I'm not that superstitious, so it's not like I think I necessarily have to have them on me at all times." The items, "a whole bowl full", include rosary beads given to him by Pope Francis, a figurine of the Hindu deity Hanuman, a Coptic cross from Ethiopia, a small Buddha statue given by a monk, and a metal poker chip that used to be the lucky charm of a motorcyclist in Iowa.

Legal career

Civil rights attorney

He joined Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland, a 13-attorney law firm specializing in civil rights litigation and neighborhood economic development, where he was an associate for three years from 1993 to 1996, then of counsel from 1996 to 2004. In 1994, he was listed as one of the lawyers in Buycks-Roberson v. Citibank Fed. Sav. Bank, 94 C 4094 (N.D. Ill.). This class action lawsuit was filed in 1994 with Selma Buycks-Roberson as lead plaintiff and alleged that Citibank Federal Savings Bank had engaged in practices forbidden under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and the Fair Housing Act. The case was settled out of court.

From 1994 to 2002, Obama served on the boards of directors of the Woods Fund of Chicago—which in 1985 had been the first foundation to fund the Developing Communities Project—and of the Joyce Foundation. He served on the board of directors of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge from 1995 to 2002, as founding president and chairman of the board of directors from 1995 to 1999. Obama's law license became inactive in 2007.

Legislative career

Illinois Senate (1997–2004)

Obama was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996, succeeding Democratic State Senator Alice Palmer from Illinois's 13th District, which, at that time, spanned Chicago South Side neighborhoods from Hyde Park–Kenwood south to South Shore and west to Chicago Lawn. Once elected, Obama gained bipartisan support for legislation that reformed ethics and health care laws. He sponsored a law that increased tax credits for low-income workers, negotiated welfare reform, and promoted increased subsidies for childcare. In 2001, as co-chairman of the bipartisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, Obama supported Republican Governor George Ryan's payday loan regulations and predatory mortgage lending regulations aimed at averting home foreclosures.

He was reelected to the Illinois Senate in 1998, defeating Republican Yesse Yehudah in the general election, and was re-elected again in 2002. In 2000, he lost a Democratic primary race for Illinois's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives to four-term incumbent Bobby Rush by a margin of two to one.

In January 2003, Obama became chairman of the Illinois Senate's Health and Human Services Committee when Democrats, after a decade in the minority, regained a majority. He sponsored and led unanimous, bipartisan passage of legislation to monitor racial profiling by requiring police to record the race of drivers they detained, and legislation making Illinois the first state to mandate videotaping of homicide interrogations. During his 2004 general election campaign for the U.S. Senate, police representatives credited Obama for his active engagement with police organizations in enacting death penalty reforms. Obama resigned from the Illinois Senate in November 2004 following his election to the U.S. Senate.

2004 U.S. Senate campaign in Illinois

In May 2002, Obama commissioned a poll to assess his prospects in a 2004 U.S. Senate race. He created a campaign committee, began raising funds, and lined up political media consultant David Axelrod by August 2002. Obama formally announced his candidacy in January 2003.

Obama was an early opponent of the George W. Bush administration's 2003 invasion of Iraq. On October 2, 2002, the day President Bush and Congress agreed on the joint resolution authorizing the Iraq War, Obama addressed the first high-profile Chicago anti-Iraq War rally, and spoke out against the war. He addressed another anti-war rally in March 2003 and told the crowd "it's not too late" to stop the war.

Decisions by Republican incumbent Peter Fitzgerald and his Democratic predecessor Carol Moseley Braun not to participate in the election resulted in wide-open Democratic and Republican primary contests involving 15 candidates. In the March 2004 primary election, Obama won in an unexpected landslide—which overnight made him a rising star within the national Democratic Party, started speculation about a presidential future, and led to the reissue of his memoir, Dreams from My Father. In July 2004, Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, seen by nine million viewers. His speech was well received and elevated his status within the Democratic Party.

Obama's expected opponent in the general election, Republican primary winner Jack Ryan, withdrew from the race in June 2004. Six weeks later, Alan Keyes accepted the Republican nomination to replace Ryan. In the November 2004 general election, Obama won with 70 percent of the vote, the largest margin of victory for a Senate candidate in Illinois history. He took 92 of the state's 102 counties, including several where Democrats traditionally do not do well.

U.S. Senate (2005–2008)

Obama was sworn in as a senator on January 3, 2005, becoming the only Senate member of the Congressional Black Caucus. He introduced two initiatives that bore his name: Lugar–Obama, which expanded the Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction concept to conventional weapons; and the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, which authorized the establishment of USAspending.gov, a web search engine on federal spending. On June 3, 2008, Senator Obama—along with Senators Tom Carper, Tom Coburn, and John McCain—introduced follow-up legislation: Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008. He also cosponsored the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act.

In December 2006, President Bush signed into law the Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act, marking the first federal legislation to be enacted with Obama as its primary sponsor. In January 2007, Obama and Senator Feingold introduced a corporate jet provision to the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, which was signed into law in September 2007.

Later in 2007, Obama sponsored an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act to add safeguards for personality-disorder military discharges. This amendment passed the full Senate in the spring of 2008. He sponsored the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act supporting divestment of state pension funds from Iran's oil and gas industry, which was never enacted but later incorporated in the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010; and co-sponsored legislation to reduce risks of nuclear terrorism. Obama also sponsored a Senate amendment to the State Children's Health Insurance Program, providing one year of job protection for family members caring for soldiers with combat-related injuries.

Obama held assignments on the Senate Committees for Foreign Relations, Environment and Public Works, and Veterans' Affairs through December 2006. In January 2007, he left the Environment and Public Works committee and took additional assignments with Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. He also became Chairman of the Senate's subcommittee on European Affairs. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa. He met with Mahmoud Abbas before Abbas became President of the Palestinian National Authority and gave a speech at the University of Nairobi in which he condemned corruption within the Kenyan government.

Obama resigned his Senate seat on November 16, 2008, to focus on his transition period for the presidency.

Presidential campaigns

2008

On February 10, 2007, Obama announced his candidacy for President of the United States in front of the Old State Capitol building in Springfield, Illinois. The choice of the announcement site was viewed as symbolic, as it was also where Abraham Lincoln delivered his "House Divided" speech in 1858. Obama emphasized issues of rapidly ending the Iraq War, increasing energy independence, and reforming the health care system.

Numerous candidates entered the Democratic Party presidential primaries. The field narrowed to Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton after early contests, with the race remaining close throughout the primary process, but Obama gained a steady lead in pledged delegates due to better long-range planning, superior fundraising, dominant organizing in caucus states, and better exploitation of delegate allocation rules. On June 2, 2008, Obama had received enough votes to clinch his nomination. After an initial hesitation to concede, on June 7, Clinton ended her campaign and endorsed Obama. On August 23, 2008, Obama announced his selection of Delaware Senator Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate. Obama selected Biden from a field speculated to include former Indiana Governor and Senator Evan Bayh and Virginia Governor Tim Kaine. At the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, Hillary Clinton called for her supporters to endorse Obama, and she and Bill Clinton gave convention speeches in his support. Obama delivered his acceptance speech at Invesco Field at Mile High stadium to a crowd of about eighty-four thousand; the speech was viewed by over three million people worldwide. During both the primary process and the general election, Obama's campaign set numerous fundraising records, particularly in the quantity of small donations. On June 19, 2008, Obama became the first major-party presidential candidate to turn down public financing in the general election since the system was created in 1976.

John McCain was nominated as the Republican candidate, and he selected Sarah Palin as his running mate. Obama and McCain engaged in three presidential debates in September and October 2008. On November 4, Obama won the presidency with 365 electoral votes to 173 received by McCain. Obama won 52.9 percent of the popular vote to McCain's 45.7 percent. He became the first African-American to be elected president. Obama delivered his victory speech before hundreds of thousands of supporters in Chicago's Grant Park. He is one of the three United States senators moved directly from the U.S. Senate to the White House, the others being Warren G. Harding and John F. Kennedy.

2012

On April 4, 2011, Obama filed election papers with the Federal Election Commission and then announced his reelection campaign for 2012 in a video titled "It Begins with Us" that he posted on his website. As the incumbent president, he ran virtually unopposed in the Democratic Party presidential primaries, and on April 3, 2012, Obama secured the 2778 convention delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination. At the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, Obama and Joe Biden were formally nominated by former President Bill Clinton as the Democratic Party candidates for president and vice president in the general election. Their main opponents were Republicans Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, and Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.

On November 6, 2012, Obama won 332 electoral votes, exceeding the 270 required for him to be reelected as president. With 51.1 percent of the popular vote, Obama became the first Democratic president since Franklin D. Roosevelt to win the majority of the popular vote twice. Obama addressed supporters and volunteers at Chicago's McCormick Place after his reelection and said: "Tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual. You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours. And in the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties."

Presidency (2009–2017)

First 100 days

The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president took place on January 20, 2009. In his first few days in office, Obama issued executive orders and presidential memoranda directing the U.S. military to develop plans to withdraw troops from Iraq. He ordered the closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, but Congress prevented the closure by refusing to appropriate the required funds and preventing moving any Guantanamo detainee. Obama reduced the secrecy given to presidential records. He also revoked President George W. Bush's restoration of President Ronald Reagan's Mexico City policy which prohibited federal aid to international family planning organizations that perform or provide counseling about abortion.

Domestic policy

The first bill signed into law by Obama was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, relaxing the statute of limitations for equal-pay lawsuits. Five days later, he signed the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program to cover an additional four million uninsured children. In March 2009, Obama reversed a Bush-era policy that had limited funding of embryonic stem cell research and pledged to develop "strict guidelines" on the research.

Obama appointed two women to serve on the Supreme Court in the first two years of his presidency. He nominated Sonia Sotomayor on May 26, 2009, to replace retiring Associate Justice David Souter. She was confirmed on August 6, 2009, becoming the first Supreme Court Justice of Hispanic descent. Obama nominated Elena Kagan on May 10, 2010, to replace retiring Associate Justice John Paul Stevens. She was confirmed on August 5, 2010, bringing the number of women sitting simultaneously on the Court to three for the first time in American history.

On March 11, 2009, Obama created the White House Council on Women and Girls, which formed part of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, having been established by Executive Order 13506 with a broad mandate to advise him on issues relating to the welfare of American women and girls. The council was chaired by Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett. Obama also established the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault through a government memorandum on January 22, 2014, with a broad mandate to advise him on issues relating to sexual assault on college and university campuses throughout the United States. The co-chairs of the Task Force were Vice President Joe Biden and Jarrett. The Task Force was a development out of the White House Council on Women and Girls and Office of the Vice President of the United States, and prior to that the 1994 Violence Against Women Act first drafted by Biden.

In July 2009, Obama launched the Priority Enforcement Program, an immigration enforcement program that had been pioneered by George W. Bush, and the Secure Communities fingerprinting and immigration status data-sharing program.

In a major space policy speech in April 2010, Obama announced a planned change in direction at NASA, the U.S. space agency. He ended plans for a return of human spaceflight to the moon and development of the Ares I rocket, Ares V rocket and Constellation program, in favor of funding earth science projects, a new rocket type, research and development for an eventual crewed mission to Mars, and ongoing missions to the International Space Station.

On January 16, 2013, one month after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Obama signed 23 executive orders and outlined a series of sweeping proposals regarding gun control. He urged Congress to reintroduce an expired ban on military-style assault weapons, such as those used in several recent mass shootings, impose limits on ammunition magazines to 10 rounds, introduce background checks on all gun sales, pass a ban on possession and sale of armor-piercing bullets, introduce harsher penalties for gun-traffickers, especially unlicensed dealers who buy arms for criminals and approving the appointment of the head of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the first time since 2006. On January 5, 2016, Obama announced new executive actions extending background check requirements to more gun sellers. In a 2016 editorial in The New York Times, Obama compared the struggle for what he termed "common-sense gun reform" to women's suffrage and other civil rights movements in American history.

In 2011, Obama signed a four-year renewal of the Patriot Act. Following the 2013 global surveillance disclosures by whistleblower Edward Snowden, Obama condemned the leak as unpatriotic, but called for increased restrictions on the National Security Agency (NSA) to address violations of privacy. Obama continued and expanded surveillance programs set up by George W. Bush, while implementing some reforms. He supported legislation that would have limited the NSA's ability to collect phone records in bulk under a single program and supported bringing more transparency to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC).

Racial issues

In his speeches as president, Obama did not make more overt references to race relations than his predecessors, but according to one study, he implemented stronger policy action on behalf of African-Americans than any president since the Nixon era.

Following Obama's election, many pondered the existence of a "post-racial America". However, lingering racial tensions quickly became apparent, and many African-Americans expressed outrage over what they saw as an intense racial animosity directed at Obama. The acquittal of George Zimmerman following the killing of Trayvon Martin sparked national outrage, leading to Obama giving a speech in which he said that "Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago." The shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri sparked a wave of protests. These and other events led to the birth of the Black Lives Matter movement, which campaigns against violence and systemic racism toward black people. Though Obama entered office reluctant to talk about race, by 2014 he began openly discussing the disadvantages faced by many members of minority groups.

Several incidents during Obama's presidency generated disapproval from the African-American community and with law enforcement, and Obama sought to build trust between law enforcement officials and civil rights activists, with mixed results. Some in law enforcement criticized Obama's condemnation of racial bias after incidents in which police action led to the death of African-American men, while some racial justice activists criticized Obama's expressions of empathy for the police. In a March 2016 Gallup poll, nearly one third of Americans said they worried "a great deal" about race relations, a higher figure than in any previous Gallup poll since 2001.

LGBT rights

On October 8, 2009, Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a measure that expanded the 1969 United States federal hate-crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. On October 30, 2009, Obama lifted the ban on travel to the United States by those infected with HIV. The lifting of the ban was celebrated by Immigration Equality. On December 22, 2010, Obama signed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010, which fulfilled a promise made in the 2008 presidential campaign to end the don't ask, don't tell policy of 1993 that had prevented gay and lesbian people from serving openly in the United States Armed Forces. In 2016, the Pentagon ended the policy that barred transgender people from serving openly in the military.

Same-sex marriage

As a candidate for the Illinois state senate in 1996, Obama stated he favored legalizing same-sex marriage. During his Senate run in 2004, he said he supported civil unions and domestic partnerships for same-sex partners but opposed same-sex marriages. In 2008, he reaffirmed this position by stating "I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I am not in favor of gay marriage." On May 9, 2012, shortly after the official launch of his campaign for re-election as president, Obama said his views had evolved, and he publicly affirmed his personal support for the legalization of same-sex marriage, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to do so. During his second inaugural address on January 21, 2013, Obama became the first U.S. president in office to call for full equality for gay Americans, and the first to mention gay rights or the word "gay" in an inaugural address. In 2013, the Obama administration filed briefs that urged the Supreme Court to rule in favor of same-sex couples in the cases of Hollingsworth v. Perry (regarding same-sex marriage) and United States v. Windsor (regarding the Defense of Marriage Act).

Economic policy

On February 17, 2009, Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, a $787 billion (equivalent to $1118 billion in 2023) economic stimulus package aimed at helping the economy recover from the deepening worldwide recession. The act includes increased federal spending for health care, infrastructure, education, various tax breaks and incentives, and direct assistance to individuals. In March 2009, Obama's Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, took further steps to manage the financial crisis, including introducing the Public–Private Investment Program for Legacy Assets, which contains provisions for buying up to $2 trillion in depreciated real estate assets.

Obama intervened in the troubled automotive industry in March 2009, renewing loans for General Motors (GM) and Chrysler to continue operations while reorganizing. Over the following months the White House set terms for both firms' bankruptcies, including the sale of Chrysler to Italian automaker Fiat and a reorganization of GM giving the U.S. government a temporary 60 percent equity stake in the company. In June 2009, dissatisfied with the pace of economic stimulus, Obama called on his cabinet to accelerate the investment. He signed into law the Car Allowance Rebate System, known colloquially as "Cash for Clunkers", which temporarily boosted the economy.

The Bush and Obama administrations authorized spending and loan guarantees from the Federal Reserve and the Department of the Treasury. These guarantees totaled about $11.5 trillion, but only $3 trillion had been spent by the end of November 2009. On August 2, 2011, after a lengthy congressional debate over whether to raise the nation's debt limit, Obama signed the bipartisan Budget Control Act of 2011. The legislation enforced limits on discretionary spending until 2021, established a procedure to increase the debt limit, created a Congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to propose further deficit reduction with a stated goal of achieving at least $1.5 trillion in budgetary savings over 10 years, and established automatic procedures for reducing spending by as much as $1.2 trillion if legislation originating with the new joint select committee did not achieve such savings. By passing the legislation, Congress was able to prevent a U.S. government default on its obligations.

The unemployment rate rose in 2009, reaching a peak in October at 10.0 percent and averaging 10.0 percent in the fourth quarter. Following a decrease to 9.7 percent in the first quarter of 2010, the unemployment rate fell to 9.6 percent in the second quarter, where it remained for the rest of the year. Between February and December 2010, employment rose by 0.8 percent, which was less than the average of 1.9 percent experienced during comparable periods in the past four employment recoveries. By November 2012, the unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent, decreasing to 6.7 percent in the last month of 2013. During 2014, the unemployment rate continued to decline, falling to 6.3 percent in the first quarter. GDP growth returned in the third quarter of 2009, expanding at a rate of 1.6 percent, followed by a 5.0 percent increase in the fourth quarter. Growth continued in 2010, posting an increase of 3.7 percent in the first quarter, with lesser gains throughout the rest of the year. In July 2010, the Federal Reserve noted that economic activity continued to increase, but its pace had slowed, and chairman Ben Bernanke said the economic outlook was "unusually uncertain". Overall, the economy expanded at a rate of 2.9 percent in 2010.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and a broad range of economists credit Obama's stimulus plan for economic growth. The CBO released a report stating that the stimulus bill increased employment by 1–2.1 million, while conceding that "it is impossible to determine how many of the reported jobs would have existed in the absence of the stimulus package." Although an April 2010, survey of members of the National Association for Business Economics showed an increase in job creation (over a similar January survey) for the first time in two years, 73 percent of 68 respondents believed the stimulus bill has had no impact on employment. The economy of the United States has grown faster than the other original NATO members by a wider margin under President Obama than it has anytime since the end of World War II. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development credits the much faster growth in the United States to the stimulus plan of the U.S. and the austerity measures in the European Union.

Within a month of the 2010 midterm elections, Obama announced a compromise deal with the Congressional Republican leadership that included a temporary, two-year extension of the 2001 and 2003 income tax rates, a one-year payroll tax reduction, continuation of unemployment benefits, and a new rate and exemption amount for estate taxes. The compromise overcame opposition from some in both parties, and the resulting $858 billion (equivalent to $1.2 trillion in 2023) Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 passed with bipartisan majorities in both houses of Congress before Obama signed it on December 17, 2010.

In December 2013, Obama declared that growing income inequality is a "defining challenge of our time" and called on Congress to bolster the safety net and raise wages. This came on the heels of the nationwide strikes of fast-food workers and Pope Francis' criticism of inequality and trickle-down economics. Obama urged Congress to ratify a 12-nation free trade pact called the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Environmental policy

On April 20, 2010, an explosion destroyed an offshore drilling rig at the Macondo Prospect in the Gulf of Mexico, causing a major sustained oil leak. Obama visited the Gulf, announced a federal investigation, and formed a bipartisan commission to recommend new safety standards, after a review by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and concurrent Congressional hearings. He then announced a six-month moratorium on new deepwater drilling permits and leases, pending regulatory review. As multiple efforts by BP failed, some in the media and public expressed confusion and criticism over various aspects of the incident, and stated a desire for more involvement by Obama and the federal government. Prior to the oil spill, on March 31, 2010, Obama ended a ban on oil and gas drilling along the majority of the East Coast of the United States and along the coast of northern Alaska in an effort to win support for an energy and climate bill and to reduce foreign imports of oil and gas.

In July 2013, Obama expressed reservations and said he "would reject the Keystone XL pipeline if it increased carbon pollution greenhouse emissions." On February 24, 2015, Obama vetoed a bill that would have authorized the pipeline. It was the third veto of Obama's presidency and his first major veto.

In December 2016, Obama permanently banned new offshore oil and gas drilling in most United States-owned waters in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans using the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Act.

Obama emphasized the conservation of federal lands during his term in office. He used his power under the Antiquities Act to create 25 new national monuments during his presidency and expand four others, protecting a total of 553,000,000 acres (224,000,000 ha) of federal lands and waters, more than any other U.S. president.

Health care reform

Obama called for Congress to pass legislation reforming health care in the United States, a key campaign promise and a top legislative goal. He proposed an expansion of health insurance coverage to cover the uninsured, cap premium increases, and allow people to retain their coverage when they leave or change jobs. His proposal was to spend $900 billion over ten years and include a government insurance plan, also known as the public option, to compete with the corporate insurance sector as a main component to lowering costs and improving quality of health care. It would also make it illegal for insurers to drop sick people or deny them coverage for pre-existing conditions, and require every American to carry health coverage. The plan also includes medical spending cuts and taxes on insurance companies that offer expensive plans.

On July 14, 2009, House Democratic leaders introduced a 1,017-page plan for overhauling the U.S. health care system, which Obama wanted Congress to approve by the end of 2009. After public debate during the Congressional summer recess of 2009, Obama delivered a speech to a joint session of Congress on September 9 where he addressed concerns over the proposals. In March 2009, Obama lifted a ban on using federal funds for stem cell research.

On November 7, 2009, a health care bill featuring the public option was passed in the House. On December 24, 2009, the Senate passed its own bill—without a public option—on a party-line vote of 60–39. On March 21, 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA, colloquially "Obamacare") passed by the Senate in December was passed in the House by a vote of 219 to 212. Obama signed the bill into law on March 23, 2010.

The ACA includes health-related provisions, most of which took effect in 2014, including expanding Medicaid eligibility for people making up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) starting in 2014, subsidizing insurance premiums for people making up to 400 percent of the FPL ($88,000 for family of four in 2010) so their maximum "out-of-pocket" payment for annual premiums will be from 2 percent to 9.5 percent of income, providing incentives for businesses to provide health care benefits, prohibiting denial of coverage and denial of claims based on pre-existing conditions, establishing health insurance exchanges, prohibiting annual coverage caps, and support for medical research. According to White House and CBO figures, the maximum share of income that enrollees would have to pay would vary depending on their income relative to the federal poverty level.

The costs of these provisions are offset by taxes, fees, and cost-saving measures, such as new Medicare taxes for those in high-income brackets, taxes on indoor tanning, cuts to the Medicare Advantage program in favor of traditional Medicare, and fees on medical devices and pharmaceutical companies; there is also a tax penalty for those who do not obtain health insurance, unless they are exempt due to low income or other reasons. In March 2010, the CBO estimated that the net effect of both laws will be a reduction in the federal deficit by $143 billion over the first decade.

The law faced several legal challenges, primarily based on the argument that an individual mandate requiring Americans to buy health insurance was unconstitutional. On June 28, 2012, the Supreme Court ruled by a 5–4 vote in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius that the mandate was constitutional under the U.S. Congress's taxing authority. In Burwell v. Hobby Lobby the Court ruled that "closely-held" for-profit corporations could be exempt on religious grounds under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act from regulations adopted under the ACA that would have required them to pay for insurance that covered certain contraceptives. In June 2015, the Court ruled 6–3 in King v. Burwell that subsidies to help individuals and families purchase health insurance were authorized for those doing so on both the federal exchange and state exchanges, not only those purchasing plans "established by the State", as the statute reads.

Foreign policy

In February and March 2009, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made separate overseas trips to announce a "new era" in U.S. foreign relations with Russia and Europe, using the terms "break" and "reset" to signal major changes from the policies of the preceding administration. Obama attempted to reach out to Arab leaders by granting his first interview to an Arab satellite TV network, Al Arabiya. On March 19, Obama continued his outreach to the Muslim world, releasing a New Year's video message to the people and government of Iran. On June 4, 2009, Obama delivered a speech at Cairo University in Egypt calling for "A New Beginning" in relations between the Islamic world and the United States and promoting Middle East peace. On June 26, 2009, Obama condemned the Iranian government's actions towards protesters following Iran's 2009 presidential election.

In 2011, Obama ordered a drone strike in Yemen which targeted and killed Anwar al-Awlaki, an American imam suspected of being a leading Al-Qaeda organizer. al-Awlaki became the first U.S. citizen to be targeted and killed by a U.S. drone strike. The Department of Justice released a memo justifying al-Awlaki's death as a lawful act of war, while civil liberties advocates described it as a violation of al-Awlaki's constitutional right to due process. The killing led to significant controversy. His teenage son and young daughter, also Americans, were later killed in separate US military actions, although they were not targeted specifically.

In March 2015, Obama declared that he had authorized U.S. forces to provide logistical and intelligence support to the Saudis in their military intervention in Yemen, establishing a "Joint Planning Cell" with Saudi Arabia. In 2016, the Obama administration proposed a series of arms deals with Saudi Arabia worth $115 billion. Obama halted the sale of guided munition technology to Saudi Arabia after Saudi warplanes targeted a funeral in Yemen's capital Sanaa, killing more than 140 people.

In September 2016 Obama was snubbed by Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party as he descended from Air Force One to the tarmac of Hangzhou International Airport for the 2016 G20 Hangzhou summit without the usual red carpet welcome.

War in Iraq

On February 27, 2009, Obama announced that combat operations in Iraq would end within 18 months. The Obama administration scheduled the withdrawal of combat troops to be completed by August 2010, decreasing troop's levels from 142,000 while leaving a transitional force of about 50,000 in Iraq until the end of 2011. On August 19, 2010, the last U.S. combat brigade exited Iraq. Remaining troops transitioned from combat operations to counter-terrorism and the training, equipping, and advising of Iraqi security forces. On August 31, 2010, Obama announced that the United States combat mission in Iraq was over. On October 21, 2011, President Obama announced that all U.S. troops would leave Iraq in time to be "home for the holidays."

In June 2014, following the capture of Mosul by ISIL, Obama sent 275 troops to provide support and security for U.S. personnel and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. ISIS continued to gain ground and to commit widespread massacres and ethnic cleansing. In August 2014, during the Sinjar massacre, Obama ordered a campaign of U.S. airstrikes against ISIL. By the end of 2014, 3,100 American ground troops were committed to the conflict and 16,000 sorties were flown over the battlefield, primarily by U.S. Air Force and Navy pilots. In early 2015, with the addition of the "Panther Brigade" of the 82nd Airborne Division the number of U.S. ground troops in Iraq increased to 4,400, and by July American-led coalition air forces counted 44,000 sorties over the battlefield.

Afghanistan and Pakistan

In his election campaign, Obama called the war in Iraq a "dangerous distraction" and that emphasis should instead be put on the war in Afghanistan, the region he cites as being most likely where an attack against the United States could be launched again. Early in his presidency, Obama moved to bolster U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan. He announced an increase in U.S. troop levels to 17,000 military personnel in February 2009 to "stabilize a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan", an area he said had not received the "strategic attention, direction and resources it urgently requires." He replaced the military commander in Afghanistan, General David D. McKiernan, with former Special Forces commander Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal in May 2009, indicating that McChrystal's Special Forces experience would facilitate the use of counterinsurgency tactics in the war. On December 1, 2009, Obama announced the deployment of an additional 30,000 military personnel to Afghanistan and proposed to begin troop withdrawals 18 months from that date; this took place in July 2011. David Petraeus replaced McChrystal in June 2010, after McChrystal's staff criticized White House personnel in a magazine article. In February 2013, Obama said the U.S. military would reduce the troop level in Afghanistan from 68,000 to 34,000 U.S. troops by February 2014. In October 2015, the White House announced a plan to keep U.S. Forces in Afghanistan indefinitely in light of the deteriorating security situation.

Regarding neighboring Pakistan, Obama called its tribal border region the "greatest threat" to the security of Afghanistan and Americans, saying that he "cannot tolerate a terrorist sanctuary." In the same speech, Obama claimed that the U.S. "cannot succeed in Afghanistan or secure our homeland unless we change our Pakistan policy."

Death of Osama bin Laden

Starting with information received from Central Intelligence Agency operatives in July 2010, the CIA developed intelligence over the next several months that determined what they believed to be the hideout of Osama bin Laden. He was living in seclusion in a large compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, a suburban area 35 miles (56 km) from Islamabad. CIA head Leon Panetta reported this intelligence to President Obama in March 2011. Meeting with his national security advisers over the course of the next six weeks, Obama rejected a plan to bomb the compound, and authorized a "surgical raid" to be conducted by United States Navy SEALs. The operation took place on May 1, 2011, and resulted in the shooting death of bin Laden and the seizure of papers, computer drives and disks from the compound. DNA testing was one of five methods used to positively identify bin Laden's corpse, which was buried at sea several hours later. Within minutes of the President's announcement from Washington, DC, late in the evening on May 1, there were spontaneous celebrations around the country as crowds gathered outside the White House, and at New York City's Ground Zero and Times Square. Reaction to the announcement was positive across party lines, including from former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

Relations with Cuba

Since the spring of 2013, secret meetings were conducted between the United States and Cuba in the neutral locations of Canada and Vatican City. The Vatican first became involved in 2013 when Pope Francis advised the U.S. and Cuba to exchange prisoners as a gesture of goodwill. On December 10, 2013, Cuban President Raúl Castro, in a significant public moment, greeted and shook hands with Obama at the Nelson Mandela memorial service in Johannesburg.

In December 2014, after the secret meetings, it was announced that Obama, with Pope Francis as an intermediary, had negotiated a restoration of relations with Cuba, after nearly sixty years of détente. Popularly dubbed the Cuban Thaw, The New Republic deemed the Cuban Thaw to be "Obama's finest foreign policy achievement." On July 1, 2015, President Obama announced that formal diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States would resume, and embassies would be opened in Washington and Havana. The countries' respective "interests sections" in one another's capitals were upgraded to embassies on July 20 and August 13, 2015, respectively. Obama visited Havana, Cuba for two days in March 2016, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to arrive since Calvin Coolidge in 1928.

Israel

During the initial years of the Obama administration, the U.S. increased military cooperation with Israel, including increased military aid, re-establishment of the U.S.-Israeli Joint Political Military Group and the Defense Policy Advisory Group, and an increase in visits among high-level military officials of both countries. The Obama administration asked Congress to allocate money toward funding the Iron Dome program in response to the waves of Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel. In March 2010, Obama took a public stance against plans by the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to continue building Jewish housing projects in predominantly Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem. In 2011, the United States vetoed a Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements, with the United States being the only nation to do so. Obama supports the two-state solution to the Arab–Israeli conflict based on the 1967 borders with land swaps.

In 2013, Jeffrey Goldberg reported that, in Obama's view, "with each new settlement announcement, Netanyahu is moving his country down a path toward near-total isolation." In 2014, Obama likened the Zionist movement to the civil rights movement in the United States. He said both movements seek to bring justice and equal rights to historically persecuted peoples, explaining: "To me, being pro-Israel and pro-Jewish is part and parcel with the values that I've been fighting for since I was politically conscious and started getting involved in politics." Obama expressed support for Israel's right to defend itself during the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict. In 2015, Obama was harshly criticized by Israel for advocating and signing the Iran Nuclear Deal; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had advocated the U.S. congress to oppose it, said the deal was "dangerous" and "bad."

On December 23, 2016, under the Obama Administration, the United States abstained from United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, which condemned Israeli settlement building in the occupied Palestinian territories as a violation of international law, effectively allowing it to pass. Netanyahu strongly criticized the Obama administration's actions, and the Israeli government withdrew its annual dues from the organization, which totaled $6 million, on January 6, 2017. On January 5, 2017, the United States House of Representatives voted 342–80 to condemn the UN Resolution.

Libya

In February 2011, protests in Libya began against long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi as part of the Arab Spring. They soon turned violent. In March, as forces loyal to Gaddafi advanced on rebels across Libya, calls for a no-fly zone came from around the world, including Europe, the Arab League, and a resolution passed unanimously by the U.S. Senate. In response to the passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 on March 17, the Foreign Minister of Libya Moussa Koussa announced a ceasefire. However Gaddafi's forces continued to attack the rebels.

On March 19, a multinational coalition led by France and the United Kingdom with Italian and U.S. support, approved by Obama, took part in air strikes to destroy the Libyan government's air defense capabilities to protect civilians and enforce a no-fly-zone, including the use of Tomahawk missiles, B-2 Spirits, and fighter jets. Six days later, on March 25, by unanimous vote of all its 28 members, NATO took over leadership of the effort, dubbed Operation Unified Protector. Some members of Congress questioned whether Obama had the constitutional authority to order military action in addition to questioning its cost, structure and aftermath. In 2016 Obama said "Our coalition could have and should have done more to fill a vacuum left behind" and that it was "a mess". He has stated that the lack of preparation surrounding the days following the government's overthrow was the "worst mistake" of his presidency.

Syrian civil war

On August 18, 2011, several months after the start of the Syrian civil war, Obama issued a written statement that said: "The time has come for President Assad to step aside." This stance was reaffirmed in November 2015. In 2012, Obama authorized multiple programs run by the CIA and the Pentagon to train anti-Assad rebels. The Pentagon-run program was later found to have failed and was formally abandoned in October 2015.

In the wake of a chemical weapons attack in Syria, formally blamed by the Obama administration on the Assad government, Obama chose not to enforce the "red line" he had pledged and, rather than authorize the promised military action against Assad, went along with the Russia-brokered deal that led to Assad giving up chemical weapons; however attacks with chlorine gas continued. In 2014, Obama authorized an air campaign aimed primarily at ISIL.

Iran nuclear talks

On October 1, 2009, the Obama administration went ahead with a Bush administration program, increasing nuclear weapons production. The "Complex Modernization" initiative expanded two existing nuclear sites to produce new bomb parts. In November 2013, the Obama administration opened negotiations with Iran to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons, which included an interim agreement. Negotiations took two years with numerous delays, with a deal being announced on July 14, 2015. The deal titled the "Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action" saw sanctions removed in exchange for measures that would prevent Iran from producing nuclear weapons. While Obama hailed the agreement as being a step towards a more hopeful world, the deal drew strong criticism from Republican and conservative quarters, and from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In addition, the transfer of $1.7 billion in cash to Iran shortly after the deal was announced was criticized by the Republican party. The Obama administration said that the payment in cash was because of the "effectiveness of U.S. and international sanctions." In order to advance the deal, the Obama administration shielded Hezbollah from the Drug Enforcement Administration's Project Cassandra investigation regarding drug smuggling and from the Central Intelligence Agency. On a side note, the very same year, in December 2015, Obama started a $348 billion worth program to back the biggest U.S. buildup of nuclear arms since Ronald Reagan left the White House.

Russia

In March 2010, an agreement was reached with the administration of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with a new pact reducing the number of long-range nuclear weapons in the arsenals of both countries by about a third. Obama and Medvedev signed the New START treaty in April 2010, and the U.S. Senate ratified it in December 2010. In December 2011, Obama instructed agencies to consider LGBT rights when issuing financial aid to foreign countries. In August 2013, he criticized Russia's law that discriminates against gays, but he stopped short of advocating a boycott of the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

After Russia's invasion of Crimea in 2014, military intervention in Syria in 2015, and the interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, George Robertson, a former UK defense secretary and NATO secretary-general, said Obama had "allowed Putin to jump back on the world stage and test the resolve of the West", adding that the legacy of this disaster would last.

Cultural and political image

Obama's family history, upbringing, and Ivy League education differ markedly from those of African-American politicians who launched their careers in the 1960s through participation in the civil rights movement. Expressing puzzlement over questions about whether he is "black enough", Obama told an August 2007 meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists that "we're still locked in this notion that if you appeal to white folks then there must be something wrong." Obama acknowledged his youthful image in an October 2007 campaign speech, saying: "I wouldn't be here if, time and again, the torch had not been passed to a new generation." Additionally, Obama has frequently been referred to as an exceptional orator. During his pre-inauguration transition period and continuing into his presidency, Obama delivered a series of weekly Internet video addresses.

Job approval

According to the Gallup Organization, Obama began his presidency with a 68 percent approval rating, the fifth highest for a president following their swearing in. His ratings remained above the majority level until November 2009 and by August 2010 his approval was in the low 40s, a trend similar to Ronald Reagan's and Bill Clinton's first years in office. Following the death of Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011, Obama experienced a small poll bounce and steadily maintained 50–53 percent approval for about a month, until his approval numbers dropped back to the low 40s.

His approval rating fell to 38 percent on several occasions in late 2011 before recovering in mid-2012 with polls showing an average approval of 50 percent. After his second inauguration in 2013, Obama's approval ratings remained stable around 52 percent before declining for the rest of the year and eventually bottoming out at 39 percent in December. In polling conducted before the 2014 midterm elections, Obama's approval ratings were at their lowest with his disapproval rating reaching a high of 57 percent. His approval rating continued to lag throughout most of 2015 but began to reach the high 40s by the end of the year. According to Gallup, Obama's approval rating reached 50 percent in March 2016, a level unseen since May 2013. In polling conducted January 16–19, 2017, Obama's final approval rating was 59 percent, which placed him on par with George H. W. Bush and Dwight D. Eisenhower, whose final Gallup ratings also measured in the high 50s.

Obama has maintained relatively positive public perceptions after his presidency. In Gallup's retrospective approval polls of former presidents, Obama garnered a 63 percent approval rating in 2018 and again in 2023, ranking him the fourth most popular president since World War II.

Foreign perceptions

Polls showed strong support for Obama in other countries both before and during his presidency. In a February 2009 poll conducted in Western Europe and the U.S. by Harris Interactive for France 24 and the International Herald Tribune, Obama was rated as the most respected world leader, as well as the most powerful. In a similar poll conducted by Harris in May 2009, Obama was rated as the most popular world leader, as well as the one figure most people would pin their hopes on for pulling the world out of the economic downturn.

On October 9, 2009—only nine months into his first term—the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that Obama had won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples", which drew a mixture of praise and criticism from world leaders and media figures. He became the fourth U.S. president to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and the third to become a Nobel laureate while in office. He himself called it a "call to action" and remarked: "I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments but rather an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations".

Thanks, Obama

In 2009 the saying "thanks, Obama" first appeared in a Twitter hashtag "#thanks Obama" and was later used in a demotivational poster. It was later adopted satirically to blame Obama for any socio-economic ills. Obama himself used the phrase in video in 2015 and 2016. In 2017 the phrase was used by Stephen Colbert to express gratitude to Obama on his last day in office. In 2022, President Joe Biden's Twitter account posted the phrase.

Post-presidency (2017–present)

Obama's presidency ended on January 20, 2017, upon the inauguration of his successor, Donald Trump. The family moved to a house they rented in Kalorama, Washington, D.C. On March 2, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum awarded the Profile in Courage Award to Obama "for his enduring commitment to democratic ideals and elevating the standard of political courage." His first public appearance since leaving the office was a seminar at the University of Chicago on April 24, where he appealed for a new generation to participate in politics. On September 7, Obama partnered with former presidents Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush to work with One America Appeal to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma in the Gulf Coast and Texas communities. From October 31 to November 1, Obama hosted the inaugural summit of the Obama Foundation, which he intended to be the central focus of his post-presidency and part of his ambitions for his subsequent activities following his presidency to be more consequential than his time in office.

Barack and Michelle Obama signed a deal on May 22, 2018, to produce docu-series, documentaries and features for Netflix under the Obamas' newly formed production company, Higher Ground Productions. Higher Ground's first film, American Factory, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2020. On October 24, a pipe bomb addressed to Obama was intercepted by the Secret Service. It was one of several pipe-bombs that had been mailed out to Democratic lawmakers and officials. In 2019, Barack and Michelle Obama bought a home on Martha's Vineyard from Wyc Grousbeck. On October 29, Obama criticized "wokeness" and call-out culture at the Obama Foundation's annual summit.

Obama was reluctant to make an endorsement in the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries because he wanted to position himself to unify the party, regardless of the nominee. On April 14, 2020, Obama endorsed Biden, the presumptive nominee, for president in the presidential election, stating that he has "all the qualities we need in a president right now." In May, Obama criticized President Trump for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, calling his response to the crisis "an absolute chaotic disaster", and stating that the consequences of the Trump presidency have been "our worst impulses unleashed, our proud reputation around the world badly diminished, and our democratic institutions threatened like never before." On November 17, Obama's presidential memoir, A Promised Land, was released.

In February 2021, Obama and musician Bruce Springsteen started a podcast called Renegades: Born in the USA where the two talk about "their backgrounds, music and their 'enduring love of America.'" Later that year, Regina Hicks had signed a deal with Netflix, in a venture with his and Michelle's Higher Ground to develop comedy projects.

On March 4, 2022, Obama won an Audio Publishers Association (APA) Award in the best narration by the author category for the narration of his memoir A Promised Land. On April 5, Obama visited the White House for the first time since leaving office, in an event celebrating the 12th annual anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act. In June, it was announced that the Obamas and their podcast production company, Higher Ground, signed a multi-year deal with Audible. In September, Obama visited the White House to unveil his and Michelle's official White House portraits. Around the same time, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator for his narration in the Netflix documentary series Our Great National Parks.

In 2022, Obama opposed expanding the Supreme Court beyond the present nine Justices.

In March 2023, Obama traveled to Australia as a part of his speaking tour of the country. During the trip, Obama met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and visited Melbourne for the first time. Obama was reportedly paid more than $1 million for two speeches.

In October 2023, during the Israel–Hamas war, Obama declared that Israel must dismantle Hamas in the wake of the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel. Weeks later, Obama warned Israel that its actions could "harden Palestinian attitudes for generations" and weaken international support for Israel; any military strategy that ignored the war's human costs "could ultimately backfire."

In July 2024, Obama expressed concerns about Biden's campaign viability after his critically maligned debate performance against former president Trump. On July 21, Biden withdrew his candidacy and swiftly endorsed Vice President Harris right after to run as the Democratic nominee. Obama endorsed Harris alongside his wife Michelle five days later and delivered a critically acclaimed speech at the 2024 Democratic National Convention formally endorsing her. He joined Harris on the campaign trail in October, traveling to various swing states and emphasizing her record as a prosecutor, Senator, and Vice President and advocating for increased voter turnout, and his criticisms of Donald Trump and the Republican Party were widely reported by various media outlets. After Trump was declared the winner of the election on November 6, Obama and Michelle congratulated him and Vice President-elect JD Vance while praising the Harris campaign and calling on liberal voters to continue supporting democracy and human rights.

Legacy and recognition

Obama has been described as one of the most effective campaigners in American history (his 2008 campaign being particularly highlighted) as well as one of the most talented political orators of the 21st century. Historian Julian Zelizer credits Obama with "a keen sense of how the institutions of government work and the ways that his team could design policy proposals." Zeitzer notes Obama's policy successes included the economic stimulus package which ended the Great Recession and the Dodd-Frank financial and consumer protection reforms, as well as the Affordable Care Act. Zeitzer also notes the Democratic Party lost power and numbers of elected officials during Obama's term, saying that the consensus among historians is that Obama "turned out to be a very effective policymaker but not a tremendously successful party builder." Zeitzer calls this the "defining paradox of Obama's presidency".

The Brookings Institution noted that Obama passed "only one major legislative achievement (Obamacare)—and a fragile one at that—the legacy of Obama's presidency mainly rests on its tremendous symbolic importance and the fate of a patchwork of executive actions." David W. Wise noted that Obama fell short "in areas many Progressives hold dear", including the continuation of drone strikes, not going after big banks during the Great Recession, and failing to strengthen his coalition before pushing for Obamacare. Wise called Obama's legacy that of "a disappointingly conventional president".

Obama's most significant accomplishment is generally considered to be the Affordable Care Act (ACA), provisions of which went into effect from 2010 to 2020. Many attempts by Senate Republicans to repeal the ACA, including a "skinny repeal", have thus far failed. However, in 2017, the penalty for violating the individual mandate was repealed effective 2019. Together with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act amendment, it represents the U.S. healthcare system's most significant regulatory overhaul and expansion of coverage since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965.

Many commentators credit Obama with averting a threatened depression and pulling the economy back from the Great Recession. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Obama administration created 11.3 million jobs from the month after his first inauguration to the end of his second term. In 2010, Obama signed into effect the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Passed as a response to the financial crisis of 2007–2008, it brought the most significant changes to financial regulation in the United States since the regulatory reform that followed the Great Depression under Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

In 2009, Obama signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, which contained in it the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the first addition to existing federal hate crime law in the United States since Democratic President Bill Clinton signed into law the Church Arson Prevention Act of 1996. The act expanded existing federal hate crime laws in the United States, and made it a federal crime to assault people based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.

As president, Obama advanced LGBT rights. In 2010, he signed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act, which brought an end to "don't ask, don't tell" policy in the U.S. armed forces that banned open service from LGBT people; the law went into effect the following year. In 2016, his administration brought an end to the ban on transgender people serving openly in the U.S. armed forces. A Gallup poll, taken in the final days of Obama's term, showed that 68 percent of Americans believed the U.S. had made progress on LGBT rights during Obama's eight years in office.

Obama substantially escalated the use of drone strikes against suspected militants and terrorists associated with al-Qaeda and the Taliban. In 2016, the last year of his presidency, the U.S. dropped 26,171 bombs on seven different countries. Obama left about 8,400 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, 5,262 in Iraq, 503 in Syria, 133 in Pakistan, 106 in Somalia, seven in Yemen, and two in Libya at the end of his presidency.

According to Pew Research Center and United States Bureau of Justice Statistics, from December 31, 2009, to December 31, 2015, inmates sentenced in U.S. federal custody declined by five percent. This is the largest decline in sentenced inmates in U.S. federal custody since Democratic President Jimmy Carter. By contrast, the federal prison population increased significantly under presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) called Obama's human rights record "mixed", adding that "he has often treated human rights as a secondary interest—nice to support when the cost was not too high, but nothing like a top priority he championed."

Obama left office in January 2017 with a 60 percent approval rating. He gained 10 spots from the same survey in 2015 from the Brookings Institution that ranked him the 18th-greatest American president. In Gallup's 2018 job approval poll for the past 10 U.S. presidents, he received a 63 percent approval rating.

Presidential library

The Barack Obama Presidential Center is Obama's planned presidential library. It will be hosted by the University of Chicago and located in Jackson Park on the South Side of Chicago.

Awards and honors

Obama received the Norwegian Nobel Committee's Nobel Peace Prize in 2009, The Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education's Ambassador of Humanity Award in 2014, the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in 2017, and the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award in 2018. He was named TIME Magazine's Time Person of the Year in 2008 and 2012. He also received two Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word Album for Dreams from My Father (2006), and The Audacity of Hope (2008) as well as two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Narrator for Our Great National Parks (2022), and Working: What We Do All Day (2023). He also won two Children's and Family Emmy Awards.

Eponymy

Bibliography

Books

• Obama, Barack (July 18, 1995). Dreams from My Father (1st ed.). New York: Times Books. ISBN 978-0-8129-2343-8.
• ——————— (October 17, 2006). The Audacity of Hope (1st ed.). New York: Crown Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-307-23769-9.
• ——————— (November 16, 2010). Of Thee I Sing (1st ed.). New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 978-0-375-83527-8.
• ——————— (November 17, 2020). A Promised Land (1st ed.). New York: Crown Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-5247-6316-9.

Audiobooks

• 2006: The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (read by the author), Random House Audio, ISBN 978-0-7393-6641-7
• 2020: A Promised Land (read by the author)

Articles

• Obama, Barack (1988). "Why organize? Problems in the inner city". Illinois Issues. XIV (8 & 9): 40–42. ISSN 0738-9663.
• ——————— (1990). "Tort Law. Prenatal Injuries. Supreme Court of Illinois Refuses to Recognize Cause of Action Brought by Fetus Against Its Mother for Unintentional Infliction of Prenatal Injuries. Stallman v. Youngquist, 125 Ill. 2d 267, 531 N. E.2d 355 (1988)". Harvard Law Review. 103 (3): 823–828. doi:10.2307/1341352. JSTOR 1341352. Uncredited case comment.
• ——————— (2005). "Bound to the Word". American Libraries. 36 (7): 48–52. JSTOR 25649652.
• ———————; Clinton, Hillary (May 25, 2006). "Making Patient Safety the Centerpiece of Medical Liability Reform". The New England Journal of Medicine. 354 (21): 2205–2208. doi:10.1056/NEJMp068100. PMID 16723612.
• ——————— (2007). "Renewing American Leadership". Foreign Affairs. 86 (4): 2–16. JSTOR 20032411.
• ——————— (2008). "A More Perfect Union". The Black Scholar. 38 (1): 17–23. doi:10.1080/00064246.2008.11413431. JSTOR 41069296. S2CID 219318643.
• ——————— (2009). "What Science Can Do". Issues in Science and Technology. 25 (4): 23–30. JSTOR 43314908.
• ——————— (2009). "A New Beginning". Zeitschrift für Staats- und Europawissenschaften (ZSE). 7 (2): 173–186. doi:10.5771/1610-7780-2009-2-173. JSTOR 26165626.
• ——————— (August 2, 2016). "United States Health Care Reform: Progress to Date and Next Steps". Journal of the American Medical Association. 130 (5): 811–866. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.9797. PMC 5069435. PMID 27400401.
• ——————— (January 5, 2017). "The President's Role in Advancing Criminal Justice Reform" (PDF). Harvard Law Review. 130 (3): 811–866. JSTOR 44865604.
• ——————— (January 13, 2017). "The Irreversible Momentum of Clean Energy". Science. 355 (6321): 126–129. Bibcode:2017Sci...355..126O. doi:10.1126/science.aam6284. PMID 28069665. S2CID 30991274.
• ——————— (May 2017). "Repealing the ACA Without a Replacement—the Risks to American Health Care". Obstetrical & Gynecological Survey. 72 (5): 263–264. doi:10.1097/OGX.0000000000000447. S2CID 80088566.

See also

Politics

• DREAM Act
• Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009
• Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
• IRS targeting controversy
• Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012
• National Broadband Plan (United States)
• Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
• Social policy of the Barack Obama administration
• SPEECH Act
• Stay with It
• White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy

Other

• Roberts Court
• Speeches of Barack Obama

Lists

• Assassination threats against Barack Obama
• List of African-American United States senators
• List of Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign endorsements
• List of Barack Obama 2012 presidential campaign endorsements
• List of federal political scandals, 2009–17
• List of people granted executive clemency by Barack Obama
• List of presidents of the United States
• List of presidents of the United States by previous experience
• List of things named after Barack Obama

Notes

1. Pronounced /bəˈrɑːk huːˈseɪn oʊˈbɑːmə/ , bə-RAHK hoo-SAYN oh-BAH-mə

References

1. "Barack Hussein Obama Takes The Oath Of Office" on YouTube. January 20, 2009.
2. "President Barack Obama". The White House. 2008. Archived from the original on October 26, 2009. Retrieved December 12, 2008.
3. "President Obama's Long Form Birth Certificate". whitehouse.gov. April 27, 2011. Archived from the original on July 31, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
4. "Certificate of Live Birth: Barack Hussein Obama II, August 4, 1961, 7:24 pm, Honolulu" (PDF). whitehouse.gov. April 27, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 11, 2017 – via National Archives.
5. Maraniss, David (August 24, 2008). "Though Obama had to leave to find himself, it is Hawaii that made his rise possible". The Washington Post. p. A22. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
6. Nakaso, Dan (December 22, 2008). "Twin sisters, Obama on parallel paths for years". The Honolulu Advertiser. p. B1. Archived from the original on January 29, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
7. Barreto, Amílcar Antonio; O'Bryant, Richard L. (November 12, 2013). "Introduction". American Identity in the Age of Obama. Taylor & Francis. pp. 18–19. ISBN 978-1-317-93715-9. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
8. "On This Day: US President Barack Obama arrives in Ireland for a visit". IrishCentral.com. May 23, 2022. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
9. ""Ancestry.com Discovers Ph Suggests"". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
10. Stolberg, Sheryl Gay (July 30, 2012). "Obama Has Ties to Slavery Not by His Father but His Mother, Research Suggests". The New York Times. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
11. Hennessey, Kathleen. "Obama related to legendary Virginia slave, genealogists say", Los Angeles Times. July 30, 2012.
12. Maraniss (2012), p. 65 Archived March 5, 2024, at the Wayback Machine: He had been born inside the euphorbia hedges of the K'obama homestead on June 18, 1934.
13. Liberties (2012), p. 202 Archived March 5, 2024, at the Wayback Machine: The age of his father is questionable since June 18, 1934, is on most of the documents Obama Sr. filled out for his United States student visa; however, Obama II's book Dreams of My Father states his father's birth date was June 18, 1936. Immigration and Naturalization Service records indicate the birth date to be June 18, 1934, thereby making Obama Sr. twenty-seven at the birth of Obama II instead of the annotated twenty-five on the birth certificate.
14. ^ Jacobs, Sally (July 6, 2011). "President Obama's Father: A 'Bold And Reckless Life'". NPR. Archived from the original on December 23, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
15. Swaine, Jon (April 29, 2011). "Barack Obama's father 'forced out of US in 1960s'". Telegraph. Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
16. Swarns, Rachel L. (June 18, 2016). "Words of Obama's Father Still Waiting to Be Read by His Son". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 18, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
17. David R Arnott. "From Obama's old school to his ancestral village, world reacts to US presidential election". NBC News. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
18. Bearak, Max (June 19, 2016). "The fascinating tribal tradition that gave Obama his last name". Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
19. Jones, Tim (March 27, 2007). "Barack Obama: Mother not just a girl from Kansas; Stanley Ann Dunham shaped a future senator". Chicago Tribune. p. 1 (Tempo). Archived from the original on February 7, 2017.
20. ^ Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 9–10.
    • Scott (2011), pp. 80–86.
    • Jacobs (2011), pp. 115–118.
    • Maraniss (2012), pp. 154–160.
21. Ripley, Amanda (April 9, 2008). "The story of Barack Obama's mother". Time. Archived from the original on August 28, 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2007.
22. Scott (2011), p. 86.
    • Jacobs (2011), pp. 125–127.
    • Maraniss (2012), pp. 160–163.
23. Scott (2011), pp. 87–93.
    • Jacobs (2011), pp. 115–118, 125–127, 133–161.
    • Maraniss (2012), pp. 170–183, 188–189.
24. Obama "Dreams from My Father a Story of Race and Inheritance"
25. Scott (2011), pp. 142–144.
    • Jacobs (2011), pp. 161–177, 227–230.
    • Maraniss (2012), pp. 190–194, 201–209, 227–230.
26. Ochieng, Philip (November 1, 2004). "From home squared to the US Senate: how Barack Obama was lost and found". The EastAfrican. Nairobi. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.
    • Merida, Kevin (December 14, 2007). "The ghost of a father". The Washington Post. p. A12. Archived from the original on August 29, 2008. Retrieved June 25, 2008.
    • Jacobs (2011), pp. 251–255.
    • Maraniss (2012), pp. 411–417.
27. Serrano, Richard A. (March 11, 2007). "Obama's peers didn't see his angst". Los Angeles Times. p. A20. Archived from the original on November 8, 2008. Retrieved March 13, 2007.
    • Obama (1995, 2004), Chapters 4 and 5.
28. Scott (2011), pp. 97–103.
    • Maraniss (2012), pp. 195–201, 225–230.
29. Maraniss (2012), pp. 195–201, 209–223, 230–244.
30. ^ Suhartono, Anton (March 19, 2010). "Sekolah di SD Asisi, Obama Berstatus Agama Islam". Okezone (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
31. Maraniss (2012), pp. 216, 221, 230, 234–244.
32. "Barack Obama: Calvert Homeschooler?—Calvert Education Blog". calverteducation.com. January 25, 2014. Archived from the original on March 13, 2017. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
33. Zimmer, Benjamin (2009). "Obama's Indonesian Redux". Language Log. Archived from the original on March 3, 2009. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
    • "Obama: Saya Kangen Nasi Goreng, Bakso, dan Rambutan". Kompas (in Indonesian). November 26, 2008. Archived from the original on December 3, 2008.
34. Meacham, Jon (August 22, 2008). "What Barack Obama Learned from His Father". Newsweek. Archived from the original on January 7, 2017. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
35. Serafin, Peter (March 21, 2004). "Punahou grad stirs up Illinois politics". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2008.
    • Scott, Janny (March 14, 2008). "A free-spirited wanderer who set Obama's path". The New York Times. p. A1. Archived from the original on March 14, 2008. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
    • Obama (1995, 2004), Chapters 3 and 4.
    • Scott (2012), pp. 131–134.
    • Maraniss (2012), pp. 264–269.
36. Wolffe, Richard (March 22, 2008). "When Barry Became Barack". Newsweek. Archived from the original on April 18, 2010. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
37. Scott (2011), pp. 139–157.
    • Maraniss (2012), pp. 279–281.
38. Scott (2011), pp. 157–194.
    • Maraniss (2012), pp. 279–281, 324–326.
39. Scott (2011), pp. 214, 294, 317–346.
40. Reyes, B.J. (February 8, 2007). "Punahou left lasting impression on Obama". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2007. As a teenager, Obama went to parties and sometimes sought out gatherings on military bases or at the University of Hawaii that were attended mostly by blacks.
41. Elliott, Philip (November 21, 2007). "Obama gets blunt with N.H. students". The Boston Globe. Associated Press. p. 8A. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
42. Karl, Jonathan (May 25, 2012). "Obama and His Pot-Smoking 'Choom Gang'". ABC News. Archived from the original on May 25, 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2012.
    • Obama, Barack (2004) . Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. Crown. pp. 93–94. ISBN 978-0-307-39412-5. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
    • Maraniss, David (2012). Barack Obama: The Story. Simon and Schuster. pages with "choom gang". ISBN 978-1-4391-6753-3. Archived from the original on March 5, 2024. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
    • for analysis of the political impact of the quote and Obama's more recent admission that he smoked marijuana as a teenager ("When I was a kid, I inhaled"), see:
    • Seelye, Katharine Q. (October 24, 2006). "Obama offers more variations from the norm". The New York Times. p. A21. Archived from the original on May 11, 2011. Retrieved October 29, 2006.
    • Romano, Lois (January 3, 2007). "Effect of Obama's candor remains to be seen". The Washington Post. p. A1. Archived from the original on May 11, 2008. Retrieved January 14, 2007.
43. "FRONTLINE The Choice 2012". PBS. October 9, 2012. Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
44. ^ Gordon, Larry (January 29, 2007). "Occidental recalls 'Barry' Obama". Los Angeles Times. p. B1. Archived from the original on May 24, 2010. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
    • Possley, Maurice (March 30, 2007). "Activism blossomed in college". Chicago Tribune. p. 20. Archived from the original on October 9, 2010. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
    • Kovaleski, Serge F. (February 9, 2008). "Old friends say drugs played bit part in Obama's young life". The New York Times. p. A1. Archived from the original on February 11, 2008. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
    • Rohter, Larry (April 10, 2008). "Obama says real-life experience trumps rivals' foreign policy credits". The New York Times. p. A18. Archived from the original on April 11, 2008. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
    • Goldman, Adam; Tanner, Robert (May 15, 2008). "Old friends recall Obama's years in LA, NYC". USA Today. Associated Press. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
    • Helman, Scott (August 25, 2008). "Small college awakened future senator to service (subscription archive)". The Boston Globe. p. 1A. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
    • Jackson, Brooks (June 5, 2009). "More 'birther' nonsense: Obama's 1981 Pakistan trip". FactCheck.org. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
    • Remnick, David (2010). The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. pp. 98–112. ISBN 978-1-4000-4360-6.
    • Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 92–112.
    • Mendell (2007), pp. 55–62.
45. Boss-Bicak, Shira (January 2005). "Barack Obama '83". Columbia College Today. ISSN 0572-7820. Archived from the original on September 5, 2008. Retrieved October 1, 2006.
46. "Remarks by the President in Town Hall". whitehouse.gov. June 26, 2014. Archived from the original on February 16, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2016 – via National Archives.
47. "The Approval Matrix". New York. August 27, 2012. Archived from the original on May 19, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
48. Horsley, Scott (July 9, 2008). "Obama's Early Brush With Financial Markets". NPR. Archived from the original on August 3, 2017. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
49. Obama, Barack (1998). "Curriculum vitae". The University of Chicago Law School. Archived from the original on May 9, 2001. Retrieved October 1, 2006.
    • Issenberg, Sasha (August 6, 2008). "Obama shows hints of his year in global finance; Tied markets to social aid". The Boston Globe. p. 1A. Archived from the original on November 7, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2008.
50. Scott, Janny (July 30, 2007). "Obama's account of New York often differs from what others say". The New York Times. p. B1. Archived from the original on October 31, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2007.
    • Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 133–140.
    • Mendell (2007), pp. 62–63.
51. ^ Chassie, Karen, ed. (2007). Who's Who in America, 2008. New Providence, NJ: Marquis Who's Who. p. 3468. ISBN 978-0-8379-7011-0.
52. Fink, Jason (November 9, 2008). "Obama stood out, even during brief 1985 NYPIRG job". Newsday. Archived from the original on May 6, 2011. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
53. Lizza, Ryan (March 19, 2007). "The agitator: Barack Obama's unlikely political education". The New Republic. Vol. 236, no. 12. pp. 22–26, 28–29. ISSN 0028-6583. Archived from the original on November 12, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2007.
    • Secter, Bob; McCormick, John (March 30, 2007). "Portrait of a pragmatist". Chicago Tribune. p. 1. Archived from the original on December 14, 2009. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
    • Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 140–295.
    • Mendell (2007), pp. 63–83.
54. ^ Matchan, Linda (February 15, 1990). "A Law Review breakthrough". The Boston Globe. p. 29. Archived from the original on January 22, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
    • Corr, John (February 27, 1990). "From mean streets to hallowed halls" (paid archive). The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. C01. Archived from the original on August 28, 2019. Retrieved June 6, 2008.
55. Obama, Barack (August–September 1988). "Why organize? Problems and promise in the inner city". Illinois Issues. Vol. 14, no. 8–9. pp. 40–42. ISSN 0738-9663. reprinted in:
    Knoepfle, Peg, ed. (1990). After Alinsky: community organizing in Illinois. Springfield, IL: Sangamon State University. pp. 35–40. ISBN 978-0-9620873-3-2. He has also been a consultant and instructor for the Gamaliel Foundation, an organizing institute working throughout the Midwest.
56. Obama, Auma (2012). And then life happens: a memoir. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 189–208, 212–216. ISBN 978-1-250-01005-6.
57. Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 299–437.
    • Maraniss (2012), pp. 564–570.
58. "Ten O'Clock News; Derrick Bell threatens to leave Harvard". WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting. Boston and Washington, D.C.: WGBH and the Library of Congress. April 24, 1990. Archived from the original on November 8, 2016. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
59. Joey Del Ponte; Somerville Scout Staff. "Something in the Water". Somerville Scout. No. January/February 2014. p. 26. Archived from the original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2020. Barack Obama lived in the big, ivy-covered brick building at 365 Broadway ... From 1988 to 1991, the future president resided in a basement apartment while attending Harvard Law School.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
60. ^ Levenson, Michael; Saltzman, Jonathan (January 28, 2007). "At Harvard Law, a unifying voice". Boston Globe. p. 1A. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
    • Kantor, Jodi (January 28, 2007). "In law school, Obama found political voice". The New York Times. p. A1. Archived from the original on March 7, 2007. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
    • Mundy, Liza (August 12, 2007). "A series of fortunate events". The Washington Post. p. W10. Archived from the original on August 14, 2007. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
    • Mendell (2007), pp. 80–92.
61. ^ Butterfield, Fox (February 6, 1990). "First black elected to head Harvard's Law Review". The New York Times. p. A20. Archived from the original on April 10, 2008. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
    • Ybarra, Michael J (February 7, 1990). "Activist in Chicago now heads Harvard Law Review". Chicago Tribune. p. 3. Archived from the original on October 22, 2018. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
    • Drummond, Tammerlin (March 12, 1990). "Barack Obama's law; Harvard Law Review's first black president plans a life of public service". Los Angeles Times. p. E1. Archived from the original (paid archive) on June 17, 2008. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
    • Evans, Gaynelle (March 15, 1990). "Opening another door: The saga of Harvard's Barack H. Obama". Black Issues in Higher Education. Vol. 7, no. 1. p. 5. ISSN 0742-0277. Archived from the original on May 20, 2012. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
    • Pugh, Allison J. (April 18, 1990). "Law Review's first black president aims to help poor" (PDF). The Miami Herald. Associated Press. p. C01. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
62. "Obama Made A Strong First Impression At Harvard". NPR. Archived from the original on December 20, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
63. Aguilar, Louis (July 11, 1990). "Survey: Law firms slow to add minority partners". Chicago Tribune. p. 1 (Business). Archived from the original on September 29, 2008. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
64. ^ Scott, Janny (May 18, 2008). "The story of Obama, written by Obama". The New York Times. p. A1. Archived from the original on April 1, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
    • Obama (1995, 2004), pp. xiii–xvii.
65. "Obama joins list of seven presidents with Harvard degrees". news.harvard.edu. November 6, 2008. Retrieved October 23, 2017. Adams, Richard (May 9, 2007). "Barack Obama". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on October 13, 2008. Retrieved October 26, 2008.
66. Merriner, James L. (June 2008). "The friends of O". Chicago. Vol. 57, no. 6. pp. 74–79, 97–99. ISSN 0362-4595. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
    • Zengerle, Jason (July 30, 2008). "Con law; What the University of Chicago right thinks of Obama". The New Republic. Vol. 239, no. 1. pp. 7–8. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
    • Kantor, Jodi (July 30, 2008). "Teaching law, testing ideas, Obama stood slightly apart". The New York Times. p. A1. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
    • Gray, Steven (September 10, 2008). "Taking professor Obama's class". Time. Archived from the original on May 12, 2009. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
    • Starr, Alexandra (September 21, 2008). "Case study". The New York Times Magazine. p. 76. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
    • Hundley, Tom (March 22, 2009). "Ivory tower of power". Chicago Tribune Magazine. p. 6. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
67. "Statement regarding Barack Obama". University of Chicago Law School. March 27, 2008. Archived from the original on June 8, 2008. Retrieved June 5, 2008.
    • Miller, Joe (March 28, 2008). "Was Barack Obama really a constitutional law professor?". FactCheck.org. Archived from the original on May 16, 2012. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
    • Holan, Angie Drobnic (March 7, 2008). "Obama's 20 years of experience". PolitiFact.com. Archived from the original on May 15, 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2008.
68. White, Jesse, ed. (2000). Illinois Blue Book, 2000, Millennium ed (PDF). Springfield, IL: Illinois Secretary of State. p. 83. OCLC 43923973. Archived from the original on April 16, 2004. Retrieved June 6, 2008.
    • Jarrett, Vernon (August 11, 1992). "'Project Vote' brings power to the people" (paid archive). Chicago Sun-Times. p. 23. Retrieved June 6, 2008.
    • Reynolds, Gretchen (January 1993). "Vote of confidence". Chicago Magazine. Vol. 42, no. 1. pp. 53–54. ISSN 0362-4595. Archived from the original on May 14, 2008. Retrieved June 6, 2008.
    • Anderson, Veronica (October 3, 1993). "40 under Forty: Barack Obama, Director, Illinois Project Vote". Crain's Chicago Business. Vol. 16, no. 39. p. 43. ISSN 0149-6956.
69. "Keeping Hope Alive: Barack Obama Puts Family First". The Oprah Winfrey Show. October 18, 2006. Archived from the original on April 17, 2009. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
70. Fornek, Scott (September 9, 2007). "Half Siblings: 'A Complicated Family'". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on January 18, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2008. See also: "Interactive Family Tree". Chicago Sun-Times. September 9, 2007. Archived from the original on July 3, 2008. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
71. Fornek, Scott (September 9, 2007). "Madelyn Payne Dunham: 'A Trailblazer'". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on March 4, 2009. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
72. "Obama's grandmother dies after battle with cancer". CNN. November 3, 2008. Archived from the original on November 3, 2008. Retrieved November 4, 2008.
73. Smolenyak, Megan (May 9, 2011). "Tracing Barack Obama's Roots to Moneygall". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on September 15, 2018. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
74. Obama (1995, 2004), p. 13. For reports on Obama's maternal genealogy, including slave owners, Irish connections, and common ancestors with George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Harry S. Truman, see: Nitkin, David; Merritt, Harry (March 2, 2007). "A New Twist to an Intriguing Family History". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
75. Jordan, Mary (May 13, 2007). "Tiny Irish Village Is Latest Place to Claim Obama as Its Own". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 5, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
76. "Obama's Family Tree Has a Few Surprises". CBS 2 (Chicago). Associated Press. September 8, 2007. Archived from the original on June 2, 2008. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
77. ^ Hosie, Rachel (May 3, 2017). "Before Michelle: The story of Barack Obama's proposal to Sheila Miyoshi Jager". The Independent. Archived from the original on May 9, 2017. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
78. ^ Tobias, Andrew J. (May 3, 2017). "Oberlin College professor received unsuccessful marriage proposal from Barack Obama in 1980s, new biography reveals". The Plain Dealer. Archived from the original on May 3, 2017. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
79. Obama (2006), pp. 327–332. See also: Brown, Sarah (December 7, 2005). "Obama '85 masters balancing act". The Daily Princetonian. Archived from the original on February 20, 2009. Retrieved February 9, 2009.
80. Obama (2006), p. 329.
81. Fornek, Scott (October 3, 2007). "Michelle Obama: 'He Swept Me Off My Feet'". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on December 8, 2009. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
82. Riley-Smith, Ben (November 9, 2018). "Michelle Obama had miscarriage, used IVF to conceive girls". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
83. Martin, Jonathan (July 4, 2008). "Born on the 4th of July". Politico. Archived from the original on July 10, 2008. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
84. Obama (1995, 2004), p. 440, and Obama (2006), pp. 339–340. See also: "Election 2008 Information Center: Barack Obama". Gannett News Service. Archived from the original on February 21, 2009. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
85. "Obamas choose private Sidwell Friends School". International Herald Tribune. November 22, 2008. Archived from the original on January 29, 2009. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
86. Cooper, Helene (April 13, 2009). "One Obama Search Ends With a Puppy Named Bo". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 16, 2009. Retrieved December 22, 2010.
87. Feldmann, Linda (August 20, 2013). "New little girl arrives at White House. Meet Sunny Obama. (+video)". Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
88. Wang, Amy (May 8, 2021). "Obamas announce death of dog Bo, 'a true friend and loyal companion'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
89. Silva, Mark (August 25, 2008). "Barack Obama: White Sox 'serious' ball". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on August 29, 2008.
90. "Obama throws ceremonial first pitch at All-Star game". CNN Politics. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
91. Branigin, William (January 30, 2009). "Steelers Win Obama's Approval". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 5, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2017. But other than the Bears, the Steelers are probably the team that's closest to my heart.
92. Mayer, Larry (October 7, 2011). "1985 Bears honored by President Obama". Chicago Bears. Archived from the original on May 7, 2013. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
93. Kantor, Jodi (June 1, 2007). "One Place Where Obama Goes Elbow to Elbow". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 1, 2009. Retrieved April 28, 2008. See also: "The Love of the Game" (video). Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. HBO. April 15, 2008. Archived from the original on October 16, 2011. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
94. Stolberg, Sheryl Gay; Kirkpatrick, David D.; Shane, Scott (January 22, 2009). "On First Day, Obama Quickly Sets a New Tone". The New York Times. p. 1. Archived from the original on January 23, 2009. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
95. Zeleny, Jeff (December 24, 2005). "The first time around: Sen. Obama's freshman year". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on May 13, 2011. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
96. Slevin, Peter (December 17, 2006). "Obama says he regrets land deal with fundraiser". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 10, 2008.
    • Robinson, Mike (June 4, 2008). "Rezko found guilty in corruption case". NBC News. Associated Press. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
97. Harris, Marlys (December 7, 2007). "Obama's Money". CNNMoney. Archived from the original on April 24, 2008. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
    See also:Goldfarb, Zachary A (March 24, 2007). "Measuring Wealth of the '08 Candidates". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 12, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
98. Zeleny, Jeff (April 17, 2008). "Book Sales Lifted Obamas' Income in 2007 to a Total of $4.2 Million". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 16, 2009. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
99. Shear, Michael D.; Hilzenrath, David S. (April 16, 2010). "Obamas report $5.5 million in income on 2009 tax return". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 26, 2011. Retrieved December 22, 2010.
100. Solman, Paul (April 18, 2011). "How Much Did President Obama Make in 2010?". PBS NewsHour. Archived from the original on May 2, 2011. Retrieved January 27, 2012.
101. Solman, Paul (April 27, 2011). "The Obamas Gave $131,000 to Fisher House Foundation in 2010; What Is It?". PBS NewsHour. Archived from the original on January 29, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2012.
102. Wolf, Richard (May 16, 2012). "Obama worth as much as $10 million". USA Today. Archived from the original on May 16, 2012. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
103. "American President: Barack Obama". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. 2009. Archived from the original on January 23, 2009. Retrieved January 23, 2009. Religion: Christian
     • "The Truth about Barack's Faith" (PDF). Obama for America. Archived from the original on January 5, 2011. Retrieved July 1, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
     • Miller, Lisa (July 18, 2008). "Finding his faith". Newsweek. Archived from the original on February 6, 2010. Retrieved February 4, 2010. He is now a Christian, having been baptized in the early 1990s at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.
     • Barakat, Matthew (November 17, 2008). "Obama's church choice likely to be scrutinized; D.C. churches have started extending invitations to Obama and his family". NBC News. Associated Press. Retrieved January 20, 2009. The United Church of Christ, the denomination from which Obama resigned when he left Wright's church, issued a written invitation to join a UCC denomination in Washington and resume his connections to the church.
     • "Barack Obama, long time UCC member, inaugurated forty-fourth U.S. President". United Church of Christ. January 20, 2009. Archived from the original on January 25, 2009. Retrieved January 21, 2009. Barack Obama, who spent more than 20 years as a UCC member, is the forty-fourth President of the United States.
     • Sullivan, Amy (June 29, 2009). "The Obama's find a church home—away from home". Time. Archived from the original on April 4, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2010. instead of joining a congregation in Washington, D.C., he will follow in George W. Bush's footsteps and make his primary place of worship Evergreen Chapel, the nondenominational church at Camp David.
     • Kornblut, Anne E. (February 4, 2010). "Obama's spirituality is largely private, but it's influential, advisers say". The Washington Post. p. A6. Retrieved February 5, 2010. Obama prays privately ... And when he takes his family to Camp David on the weekends, a Navy chaplain ministers to them, with the daughters attending a form of Sunday school there.
104. Obama (2006), pp. 202–208. Portions excerpted in: Obama, Barack (October 16, 2006). "My Spiritual Journey". Time. Archived from the original on April 30, 2008. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
     • Obama, Barack (June 28, 2006). "'Call to Renewal' Keynote Address". Barack Obama: U.S. Senator for Illinois. Archived from the original on January 4, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2008.
105. Pulliam, Sarah; Olsen, Ted (January 23, 2008). "Q&A: Barack Obama". Christianity Today. Archived from the original on April 28, 2019. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
106. Babington, Charles; Superville, Darlene (September 28, 2010). "Obama 'Christian By Choice': President Responds To Questioner". The Huffington Post. Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 11, 2011.
107. "President Obama: 'I am a Christian By Choice ... The Precepts of Jesus Spoke to Me'". ABC News. September 29, 2010. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
108. Garrett, Major; Obama, Barack (March 14, 2008). "Obama talks to Major Garrett on 'Hannity & Colmes'". RealClearPolitics. Retrieved November 10, 2012. Major Garrett, Fox News correspondent: So the first question, how long have you been a member in good standing of that church? Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), presidential candidate: You know, I've been a member since 1991 or '92. And—but I have known Trinity even before then when I was a community organizer on the South Side, helping steel workers find jobs ... Garrett: As a member in good standing, were you a regular attendee of Sunday services? Obama: You know, I won't say that I was a perfect attendee. I was regular in spurts, because there was times when, for example, our child had just been born, our first child. And so we didn't go as regularly then.
     • "Obama strongly denounces former pastor". NBC News. Associated Press. April 29, 2008. Retrieved November 10, 2012. I have been a member of Trinity United Church of Christ since 1992, and have known Reverend Wright for 20 years. The person I saw yesterday was not the person I met 20 years ago.
     • Miller, Lisa (July 11, 2008). "Finding his faith". Newsweek. Archived from the original on July 20, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2012. He is now a Christian, having been baptized in the early 1990s at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.
     • Remnick, David (2010). The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. p. 177. ISBN 978-1-4000-4360-6. In late October 1987, his third year as an organizer, Obama went with Kellman to a conference on the black church and social justice at the Harvard Divinity School.
     • Maraniss (2012), p. 557: It would take time for Obama to join and become fully engaged in Wright's church, a place where he would be baptized and married; that would not happen until later, during his second time around in Chicago, but the process started then, in October 1987 ... Jerry Kellman: "He wasn't a member of the church during those first three years, but he was drawn to Jeremiah."
     • Peter, Baker (2017). Obama: The Call of History. New York: The New York Times Company/Callaway. ISBN 978-0-935112-90-0. OCLC 1002264033.
109. "Obama's church choice likely to be scrutinized". NBC News. Associated Press. November 17, 2008. Archived from the original on March 21, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2009.
110. Parker, Ashley (December 28, 2013). "As the Obamas Celebrate Christmas, Rituals of Faith Become Less Visible". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 30, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
111. Gilgoff, Dan (June 30, 2009). "TIME Report, White House Reaction Raise More Questions About Obama's Church Hunt". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on June 25, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
112. "First Lady: We Use Sundays For Naps If We're Not Going To Church". CBS DC. Associated Press. April 22, 2014. Archived from the original on January 16, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
113. "Revealed: Obama always carries Hanuman statuette in pocket". The Hindu. January 16, 2016. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
114. "Obama Reveals Personal Faith-Related Items, Including Rosary Beads, Buddha Statuette". NBC News. January 15, 2016. Archived from the original on December 20, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
115. Gore, D'Angelo (June 14, 2012). "The Obamas' Law Licenses". FactCheck.org. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
116. Robinson, Mike (February 20, 2007). "Obama got start in civil rights practice". The Boston Globe. Associated Press. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
     • Pallasch, Abdon M. (December 17, 2007). "As lawyer, Obama was strong, silent type; He was 'smart, innovative, relentless,' and he mostly let other lawyers do the talking". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 4. Retrieved June 15, 2008.(subscription required)
     • Morain, Dan (April 6, 2008). "Obama's law days effective but brief". Los Angeles Times. p. A14. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
     • "Document". Chicago Tribune. June 27, 1993. p. 9 (Business). Archived from the original on December 4, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2008.(subscription required)
     • "Business appointments". Chicago-Sun-Times. July 5, 1993. p. 40. Retrieved June 15, 2008.(subscription required)
     • Ripley, Amanda (November 3, 2004). "Obama's ascent". Time. Archived from the original on August 11, 2010. Retrieved February 13, 2010.
     • "About us". Miner, Barnhill & Galland—Chicago, Illinois. 2008. Archived from the original on July 20, 2008. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
     • Reardon, Patrick T. (June 25, 2008). "Obama's Chicago". Chicago Tribune. p. 1 (Tempo). Retrieved February 13, 2010.
     • Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 438–439.
     • Mendell (2007), pp. 104–106.
117. Jackson, David; Long, Ray (April 3, 2007). "Obama Knows His Way Around a Ballot". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
     • White, Jesse (2001). "Legislative Districts of Cook County, 1991 Reapportionment" (PDF). Illinois Blue Book 2001–2002. Springfield: Illinois Secretary of State. p. 65. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2008. Retrieved July 16, 2011. State Sen. District 13 = State Rep. Districts 25 & 26.
118. Slevin, Peter (February 9, 2007). "Obama Forged Political Mettle in Illinois Capitol". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 16, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
119. Helman, Scott (September 23, 2007). "In Illinois, Obama dealt with Lobbyists". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on April 16, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2008. See also:"Obama Record May Be Gold Mine for Critics". CBS News. Associated Press. January 17, 2007. Archived from the original on April 12, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
120. ^ Scott, Janny (July 30, 2007). "In Illinois, Obama Proved Pragmatic and Shrewd". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 10, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
121. Allison, Melissa (December 15, 2000). "State takes on predatory lending; Rules would halt single-premium life insurance financing" (paid archive). Chicago Tribune. p. 1 (Business). Archived from the original on June 17, 2008. Retrieved June 1, 2008.
122. Long, Ray; Allison, Melissa (April 18, 2001). "Illinois OKs predatory loan curbs; State aims to avert home foreclosures". Chicago Tribune. p. 1. Archived from the original (paid archive) on December 18, 2008. Retrieved June 1, 2008.
123. "13th District: Barack Obama". Illinois State Senate Democrats. August 24, 2000. Archived from the original on August 24, 2000. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
124. "13th District: Barack Obama". Illinois State Senate Democrats. October 9, 2004. Archived from the original on August 2, 2004. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
125. "Federal Elections 2000: U.S. House Results—Illinois". Federal Election Commission. Archived from the original on March 28, 2008. Retrieved April 24, 2008.
     • Gonyea, Dan (September 19, 2007). "Obama's Loss May Have Aided White House Bid". NPR. Archived from the original on February 18, 2011.
     • Scott, Janny (September 9, 2007). "A Streetwise Veteran Schooled Young Obama". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 21, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
     • McClelland, Edward (February 12, 2007). "How Obama Learned to Be a Natural". Salon. Archived from the original on March 8, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
     • Wolffe, Richard; Briscoe, Daren (July 16, 2007). "Across the Divide". Newsweek. Archived from the original on April 18, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
     • Helman, Scott (October 12, 2007). "Early Defeat Launched a Rapid Political Climb". The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
     • Wills, Christopher (October 24, 2007). "Obama learned from failed Congress run". USA Today. Retrieved November 15, 2010.
126. Calmes, Jackie (February 23, 2007). "Statehouse Yields Clues to Obama". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on September 18, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
127. Tavella, Anne Marie (April 14, 2003). "Profiling, taping plans pass Senate" (paid archive). Daily Herald. p. 17. Archived from the original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2008.
128. Haynes, V. Dion (June 29, 2003). "Fight racial profiling at local level, lawmaker says; U.S. guidelines get mixed review" (paid archive). Chicago Tribune. p. 8. Archived from the original on June 17, 2008. Retrieved June 1, 2008.
129. Pearson, Rick (July 17, 2003). "Taped confessions to be law; State will be 1st to pass legislation". Chicago Tribune. p. 1 (Metro). Archived from the original (paid archive) on December 18, 2008. Retrieved June 1, 2008.
130. Youngman, Sam; Blake, Aaron (March 14, 2007). "Obama's Crime Votes Are Fodder for Rivals". The Hill. Archived from the original on November 14, 2012. Retrieved May 18, 2012. See also: "US Presidential Candidate Obama Cites Work on State Death Penalty Reforms". International Herald Tribune. Associated Press. November 12, 2007. Archived from the original on June 7, 2008. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
131. Coffee, Melanie (November 6, 2004). "Attorney Chosen to Fill Obama's State Senate Seat". HPKCC. Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 16, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
132. Helman, Scott (October 12, 2007). "Early defeat launched a rapid political climb". The Boston Globe. p. 1A. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved April 13, 2008.
133. Strausberg, Chinta (September 26, 2002). "Opposition to war mounts". Chicago Defender. p. 1. Archived from the original (paid archive) on May 11, 2011. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
134. Office of the Press Secretary (October 2, 2002). "President, House leadership agree on Iraq resolution". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved February 18, 2008 – via National Archives.
     • Tackett, Michael (October 3, 2002). "Bush, House OK Iraq deal; Congress marches with Bush". Chicago Tribune. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 26, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2008.(subscription required)
135. Glauber, Bill (October 3, 2003). "War protesters gentler, but passion still burns". Chicago Tribune. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 17, 2008. Retrieved February 3, 2008.(subscription required)
     • Strausberg, Chinta (October 3, 2002). "War with Iraq undermines U.N". Chicago Defender. p. 1. Archived from the original on October 14, 2009. Retrieved October 28, 2008. Photo caption: Left Photo: Sen. Barack Obama along with Rev. Jesse Jackson spoke to nearly 3,000 anti-war protestors (below) during a rally at Federal Plaza Wednesday.
     • Katz, Marilyn (October 2, 2007). "Five years since our first action". Chicagoans Against War & Injustice. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved February 18, 2008.
     • Bryant, Greg; Vaughn, Jane B. (October 3, 2002). "300 attend rally against Iraq war". Daily Herald. p. 8. Retrieved October 28, 2008.(subscription required)
     • Mendell (2007), pp. 172–177.
136. Obama, Barack (October 2, 2002). "Remarks of Illinois State Sen. Barack Obama against going to war with Iraq". Barack Obama. Archived from the original on January 30, 2008. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
     • McCormick, John (October 3, 2007). "Obama marks '02 war speech; Contender highlights his early opposition in an effort to distinguish him from his rivals". Chicago Tribune. p. 7. Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved October 28, 2008. The top strategist for Sen. Barack Obama has just 14 seconds of video of what is one of the most pivotal moments of the presidential candidate's political career. The video, obtained from a Chicago TV station, is of Obama's 2002 speech in opposition to the impending Iraq invasion.(subscription required)
     • Pallasch, Abdon M. (October 3, 2007). "Obama touts anti-war cred; Kicks off tour 5 years after speech critical of going to Iraq". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 26. Retrieved October 28, 2008.(subscription required)
137. Ritter, Jim (March 17, 2003). "Anti-war rally here draws thousands". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 3. Retrieved February 3, 2008. (subscription required)
     • Office of the Press Secretary (March 16, 2003). "President Bush: Monday 'moment of truth' for world on Iraq". whitehouse.gov (Press release). Retrieved February 18, 2008 – via National Archives.
138. Davey, Monica (March 7, 2004). "Closely watched Illinois Senate race attracts 7 candidates in millionaire range". The New York Times. p. 19. Archived from the original on April 16, 2009. Retrieved April 13, 2008.
139. Mendell, David (March 17, 2004). "Obama routs Democratic foes; Ryan tops crowded GOP field; Hynes, Hull fall far short across state". Chicago Tribune. p. 1. Retrieved March 1, 2009.
     • Davey, Monica (March 18, 2004). "As quickly as overnight, a Democratic star is born". The New York Times. p. A20. Archived from the original on May 6, 2009. Retrieved March 1, 2009.
     • Howlett, Debbie (March 19, 2004). "Dems see a rising star in Illinois Senate candidate". USA Today. p. A04. Retrieved March 1, 2009.
     • Scheiber, Noam (May 31, 2004). "Race against history. Barack Obama's miraculous campaign". The New Republic. Vol. 230, no. 20. pp. 21–22, 24–26 (cover story). Retrieved March 24, 2009.
     • Finnegan, William (May 31, 2004). "The Candidate. How far can Barack Obama go?". The New Yorker. Vol. 20, no. 14. pp. 32–38. Retrieved March 24, 2009.
     • Dionne, E.J. Jr. (June 25, 2004). "In Illinois, a star prepares". The Washington Post. p. A29. Retrieved March 24, 2009.
     • Scott, Janny (May 18, 2008). "The story of Obama, written by Obama". The New York Times. p. A1. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
     • Mendell (2007), pp. 235–259.
140. Bernstein, David (June 2007). "The Speech". Chicago Magazine. Archived from the original on June 14, 2008. Retrieved April 13, 2008.
141. "Star Power. Showtime: Some are on the rise; others have long been fixtures in the firmament. A galaxy of bright Democratic lights". Newsweek. August 2, 2004. pp. 48–51. Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved November 15, 2008.
     • Samuel, Terence (August 2, 2004). "A shining star named Obama. How a most unlikely politician became a darling of the Democrats". U.S. News & World Report. p. 25. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved November 15, 2008.
     • Lizza, Ryan (September 2004). "Why is Barack Obama generating more excitement among Democrats than John Kerry?". The Atlantic Monthly. pp. 30, 33. Retrieved November 15, 2008.
     • Davey, Monica (July 26, 2004). "A surprise Senate contender reaches his biggest stage yet". The New York Times. p. A1. Archived from the original on May 7, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2010.
     • Leibovich, Mark (July 27, 2004). "The other man of the hour". The Washington Post. p. C1. Retrieved November 15, 2008.
     • Milligan, Susan (July 27, 2004). "In Obama, Democrats see their future". The Boston Globe. p. B8. Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved November 15, 2008.
     • Seelye, Katharine Q. (July 28, 2004). "Illinois Senate nominee speaks of encompassing unity". The New York Times. p. A1. Archived from the original on June 24, 2006.
     • Broder, David S. (July 28, 2004). "Democrats focus on healing divisions; Addressing convention, newcomers set themes". The Washington Post. p. A1. Retrieved November 15, 2008.
     • Bing, Jonathan; McClintock, Pamela (July 29, 2004). "Auds resist charms of Dem stars". Variety. p. 1. Retrieved November 15, 2008.
     • Mendell (2007), pp. 272–285.
142. "Ryan drops out of Senate race in Illinois". CNN. June 25, 2004. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
     • Mendell (2007), pp. 260–271.
143. Lannan, Maura Kelly (August 9, 2004). "Alan Keyes enters U.S. Senate race in Illinois against rising Democratic star". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 14, 2011. Retrieved April 13, 2008.
144. "America Votes 2004: U.S. Senate / Illinois". CNN. 2005. Archived from the original on April 16, 2008. Retrieved April 13, 2008.
     • Slevin, Peter (November 13, 2007). "For Obama, a handsome payoff in political gambles". The Washington Post. p. A3. Retrieved April 13, 2008.
     • Chase, John; Mendell, David (November 3, 2004). "Obama scores a record landslide" (PDF). Chicago Tribune. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 13, 2011. Retrieved April 3, 2009.
     • Fornek, Scott (November 3, 2004). "Obama takes Senate seat in a landslide". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 6. Archived from the original on May 10, 2013. Retrieved April 3, 2009.
145. United States Congress. "Barack Obama (id: o000167)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
146. "Member Info". Congressional Black Caucus. Archived from the original on July 9, 2008. Retrieved June 25, 2008.
147. "Lugar–Obama Nonproliferation Legislation Signed into Law by the President". Richard Lugar U.S. Senate Office. January 11, 2007. Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved April 27, 2008. See also: Lugar, Richard G.; Obama, Barack (December 3, 2005). "Junkyard Dogs of War". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 14, 2008. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
148. McCormack, John (December 21, 2007). "Google Government Gone Viral". Weekly Standard. Archived from the original on April 23, 2008. Retrieved April 27, 2008. See also: "President Bush Signs Coburn–Obama Transparency Act". Tom Coburn U.S. Senate Office. September 26, 2006. Archived from the original on May 1, 2008. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
149. "S. 3077: Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008: 2007–2008 (110th Congress)". Govtrack.us. June 3, 2008. Archived from the original on May 3, 2012. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
150. "S. 1033, Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act". Library of Congress. May 12, 2005. Archived from the original on February 26, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
151. "Democratic Republic of the Congo". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. April 2006. Archived from the original on January 8, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
152. "The IRC Welcomes New U.S. Law on Congo". International Rescue Committee. January 5, 2007. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
153. Weixel, Nathaniel (November 15, 2007). "Feingold, Obama Go After Corporate Jet Travel". The Hill. Archived from the original on May 15, 2008. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
154. Weixel, Nathaniel (December 5, 2007). "Lawmakers Press FEC on Bundling Regulation". The Hill. Archived from the original on April 16, 2008. Retrieved April 27, 2008. See also: "Federal Election Commission Announces Plans to Issue New Regulations to Implement the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007". Federal Election Commission. September 24, 2007. Archived from the original on April 11, 2008. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
155. "Obama, Bond Hail New Safeguards on Military Personality Disorder Discharges, Urge Further Action". Kit Bond U.S. Senate Office. October 1, 2007. Archived from the original on December 5, 2010. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
156. "Obama, Bond Applaud Senate Passage of Amendment to Expedite the Review of Personality Disorder Discharge Cases". March 14, 2008. Archived from the original on December 18, 2008.
157. "Iran Sanctions Enabling Act of 2009 (2009—S. 1065)". GovTrack.us. Archived from the original on August 28, 2018. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
158. "Obama, Schiff Provision to Create Nuclear Threat Reduction Plan Approved" (Press release). Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office. December 20, 2007. Archived from the original on December 18, 2008.
159. "Senate Passes Obama, McCaskill Legislation to Provide Safety Net for Families of Wounded Service Members". Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office. August 2, 2007. Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
160. "Committee Assignments". Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office. December 9, 2006. Archived from the original on December 9, 2006. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
161. "Obama Gets New Committee Assignments". Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office. Associated Press. November 15, 2006. Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
162. Baldwin, Tom (December 21, 2007). "'Stay at home' Barack Obama comes under fire for a lack of foreign experience". Sunday Times (UK). Archived from the original on April 15, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
163. Larson, Christina (September 2006). "Hoosier Daddy: What Rising Democratic Star Barack Obama Can Learn from an Old Lion of the GOP". Washington Monthly. Archived from the original on April 30, 2008. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
     • Goudie, Chuck (January 12, 2006). "Obama Meets with Arafat's Successor". Chicago: WLS-TV. Archived from the original on November 3, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
     • "Obama Slates Kenya for Fraud". Cape Town: News24. August 28, 2006. Archived from the original on June 5, 2008. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
     • Wamalwa, Chris (September 2, 2006). "Envoy Hits at Obama Over Graft Remark". The Standard (Nairobi). Archived from the original on October 10, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
     • Moracha, Vincent; Mosota, Mangoa (September 4, 2006). "Leaders Support Obama on Graft Claims". The Standard. Nairobi. Archived from the original on October 7, 2007.
164. Mason, Jeff (November 16, 2008). "Obama resigns Senate seat, thanks Illinois". Reuters. Retrieved March 10, 2009.
165. ^ Pearson, Rick; Long, Ray (February 10, 2007). "Obama: I'm running for president". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on August 13, 2007. Retrieved September 20, 2008.
166. "Obama Launches Presidential Bid". BBC News. February 10, 2007. Archived from the original on February 2, 2008. Retrieved January 14, 2008.
167. Parsons, Christi (February 10, 2007). "Obama's launch site: Symbolic Springfield: Announcement venue evokes Lincoln legacy". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on May 11, 2011. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
168. "Barack Obama on the Issues: What Would Be Your Top Three Overall Priorities If Elected?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 9, 2008. Retrieved April 14, 2008. See also:
     • Thomas, Evan (2009). A Long Time Coming. New York: PublicAffairs. p. 74. ISBN 978-1-58648-607-5.
     • Falcone, Michael (December 21, 2007). "Obama's 'One Thing'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 16, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2008.
169. Tumulty, Karen (May 8, 2008). "The Five Mistakes Clinton Made". Time. Archived from the original on December 11, 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2008.
     • Baker, Peter; Rutenberg, Jim (June 8, 2008). "The Long Road to a Clinton Exit". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 9, 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2008.
170. Nagourney, Adam; Zeleny, Jeff (June 5, 2008). "Clinton to End Bid and Endorse Obama". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 5, 2008. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
171. ^ Nagourney, Adam; Zeleny, Jeff (August 23, 2008). "Obama Chooses Biden as Running Mate". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 1, 2009. Retrieved September 20, 2008.
172. Baldwin, Tom (August 27, 2008). "Hillary Clinton: 'Barack is my candidate'". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
173. Nagourney, Adam (August 28, 2008). "Obama Wins Nomination; Biden and Bill Clinton Rally Party". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 27, 2008. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
174. Liasson, Mara; Norris, Michele (July 7, 2008). "Obama To Accept Nomination at Mile High Stadium". NPR. Archived from the original on March 16, 2015. Retrieved December 22, 2010.
175. "Obama accepts Democrat nomination". BBC News. August 29, 2008. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved August 29, 2008.
     • Marks, Alexandra (August 29, 2008). "Soaring speech from Obama, plus some specifics". The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on March 14, 2010.
176. Lloyd, Robert (August 29, 2008). "Barack Obama, Al Gore Raise the Roof at Invesco Field". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 6, 2008. Retrieved August 29, 2008.
177. Malone, Jim (July 2, 2007). "Obama Fundraising Suggests Close Race for Party Nomination". Voice of America. Archived from the original on September 14, 2007.
     • Cummings, Jeanne (September 26, 2007). "Small Donors Rewrite Fundraising Handbook". Politico. Archived from the original on February 1, 2008. Retrieved January 14, 2008.
     • Cadei, Emily (February 21, 2008). "Obama Outshines Other Candidates in January Fundraising". CQ Politics. Archived from the original on June 13, 2008.
178. Salant, Jonathan D. (June 19, 2008). "Obama Won't Accept Public Money in Election Campaign". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2008.
179. "Commission on Presidential Debates Announces Sites, Dates, Formats and Candidate Selection Criteria for 2008 General Election" (Press release). Commission on Presidential Debates. November 19, 2007. Archived from the original on July 6, 2008.
     • "Gun Ruling Reverberates". Hartford Courant. June 27, 2008. Archived from the original on July 5, 2008. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
180. Johnson, Alex (November 4, 2008). "Barack Obama elected 44th president". NBC News. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
     • "CNN Electoral Map Calculator—Election Center 2008". CNN. 2008. Archived from the original on December 12, 2008. Retrieved December 14, 2008.
181. "General Election: McCain vs. Obama". Real Clear Politics. Archived from the original on February 17, 2009. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
182. "Obama wins historic US election". BBC News. November 5, 2008. Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved November 5, 2008.
     • Nagourney, Adam (November 4, 2008). "Obama Elected President as Racial Barrier Falls". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 9, 2008. Retrieved November 5, 2008.
     • "Obama: 'This is your victory'". CNN. November 5, 2008. Archived from the original on November 4, 2008. Retrieved November 5, 2008.
183. Obama, Barack (2008). "Transcript of Senator Barack Obama's speech to supporters after the Feb. 5 nominating contests, as provided by Federal News Service". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 21, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023. Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
184. Johnson, Wesley (November 5, 2008). "Change has come, says President-elect Obama". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on December 9, 2008. Retrieved November 5, 2008.
185. "U.S. Senate: Senators Who Became President". senate.gov. Archived from the original on July 24, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
186. Shear, Michael D. (April 4, 2011). "Obama Begins Re-Election Facing New Political Challenges". The New York Times (blog). Archived from the original on April 5, 2011.
187. "Obama announces re-election bid". United Press International. April 4, 2011. Archived from the original on May 10, 2011.
188. Zeleny, Jeff & Calmes, Jackie (April 4, 2011). "Obama Opens 2012 Campaign, With Eye on Money and Independent Voters". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 15, 2012. Retrieved April 5, 2011.
189. Yoon, Robert (April 3, 2012). "Leading presidential candidate to clinch nomination Tuesday". CNN (blog). Archived from the original on April 26, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
190. "Obama clinches Democratic nomination". CNN (blog). April 3, 2012. Archived from the original on April 4, 2012. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
191. Cohen, Tom (September 6, 2012). "Clinton says Obama offers a better path forward for America". CNN. Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
192. Lauter, David (November 8, 2012). "Romney campaign gives up in Florida". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 9, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
193. Barnes, Robert (November 6, 2012). "Obama wins a second term as U.S. president". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 17, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
194. Welch, William M.; Strauss, Gary (November 7, 2012). "With win in critical battleground states, Obama wins second term". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 16, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
195. FEC (July 2013). "Election Results for the U.S. President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives" (PDF). Federal Elections Commission. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 2, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
196. Brownstein, Ronald (November 9, 2012). "The U.S. has reached a demographic milestone—and it's not turning back". National Journal. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
197. Nichols, John (November 9, 2012). "Obama's 3 Million Vote, Electoral College Landslide, Majority of States Mandate". The Nation. Archived from the original on November 27, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
198. Lee, Kristen A. (November 7, 2012). "Election 2012: President Obama gives victory speech in front of thousands in Chicago, 'I have never been more hopeful about America'". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on November 9, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
199. ^ Shear, Michael (January 21, 2013). "Obama Offers Liberal Vision: 'We Must Act'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
200. Gearan, Anne; Baldor, Lolita C. (January 23, 2009). "Obama asks Pentagon for responsible Iraq drawdown". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 23, 2020. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
201. Glaberson, William (January 21, 2009). "Obama Orders Halt to Prosecutions at Guantánamo". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 16, 2009. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
202. "Senate blocks transfer of Gitmo detainees", NBC News, Associated Press, May 20, 2009, archived from the original on November 4, 2014, retrieved March 22, 2011
203. Serbu, Jared (January 7, 2011), "Obama signs Defense authorization bill", Federal News Radio, archived from the original on December 12, 2018, retrieved March 22, 2011
204. Northam, Jackie (January 23, 2013). "Obama's Promise To Close Guantanamo Prison Falls Short". NPR. Archived from the original on March 26, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
205. Savage, Charlie (December 30, 2009). "Obama Curbs Secrecy of Classified Documents". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 20, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
206. Meckler, Laura (January 24, 2009). "Obama lifts 'gag rule' on family-planning groups". The Wall Street Journal. p. A3. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
     • Stein, Rob; Shear, Michael (January 24, 2009). "Funding restored to groups that perform abortions, other care". The Washington Post. p. A3. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2012. Lifting the Mexico City Policy would not permit U.S. tax dollars to be used for abortions, but it would allow funding to resume to groups that provide other services, including counseling about abortions.
207. Stolberg, Sheryl Gay (January 30, 2009). "Obama Signs Equal-Pay Legislation". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 30, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
208. Levey, Noam N. (February 5, 2009). "Obama signs into law expansion of SCHIP health care program for children". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on April 30, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
209. "Obama overturns Bush policy on stem cells". CNN. March 9, 2009. Archived from the original on March 30, 2010. Retrieved April 18, 2010.
210. Desjardins, Lisa; Keck, Kristi; Mears, Bill (August 6, 2009). "Senate confirms Sotomayor for Supreme Court". CNN. Archived from the original on September 25, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2009.
211. Hamby, Peter; Henry, Ed; Malveaux, Suzanne; Mears, Bill (May 26, 2009). "Obama nominates Sonia Sotomayor to Supreme Court". CNN. Archived from the original on September 15, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
212. Sherman, Mark (October 4, 2010). "New Era Begins on High Court: Kagan Takes Place as Third Woman". The Ledger. Associated Press. Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2010.
213. "Obama Administration Implements Priority Enforcement Program, Limits Interior Enforcement". NumbersUSA. June 24, 2015. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
214. Block, Robert; Matthews, Mark K. (January 27, 2010). "White House won't fund NASA moon program". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 26, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2011. President Obama's budget proposal includes no money for the Ares I and Ares V rocket or Constellation program. Instead, NASA would be asked to monitor climate change and develop a new rocket
215. Mardell, Mark (January 16, 2013). "US gun debate: Obama unveils gun control proposals". BBC News. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
216. "What's in Obama's Gun Control Proposal". The New York Times. January 16, 2013. Archived from the original on February 21, 2013. Retrieved February 12, 2013.
217. "Obama announces gun control executive action (full transcript)". CNN. January 5, 2016. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
218. "Obama, in Europe, signs Patriot Act extension". NBC News. May 27, 2011. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
219. Wolf, Z. Byron (August 13, 2013). "Fact-checking Obama's claims about Snowden". CNN. Archived from the original on August 8, 2019. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
220. Hosenball, Mark (April 3, 2014). "Obama's NSA overhaul may require phone carriers to store more data". Reuters. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
221. Ackerman, Spencer (January 17, 2014). "Obama to overhaul NSA's bulk storage of Americans' telephone data". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 12, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
222. ^ Roth, Kenneth (January 9, 2017). "Barack Obama's Shaky Legacy on Human Rights". Human Rights Watch. Archived from the original on February 2, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
223. Dyson, Michael Eric (2016). The Black Presidency: Barack Obama and the Politics of Race in America. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 275. ISBN 978-0-544-38766-9.
224. Gillion, Daniel Q. (2016). Governing with Words. doi:10.1017/CBO9781316412299. ISBN 978-1-316-41229-9. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
225. Butler, Bennett; Mendelberg, Tali; Haines, Pavielle E. (2019). ""I'm Not the President of Black America": Rhetorical versus Policy Representation". Perspectives on Politics. 17 (4). Cambridge University Press: 1038–1058. doi:10.1017/S1537592719000963. ISSN 1537-5927.
226. ^ Rodgers, Walter (January 5, 2010). "A year into Obama's presidency, is America postracial?". The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
227. Shear, Michael; Alcindor, Yamiche (January 14, 2017). "Jolted by Deaths, Obama Found His Voice on Race". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 16, 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
228. Cillizza, Chris (August 14, 2014). "President Obama's vision of post-racial America faces another stress test with Ferguson". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
229. Blake, John (July 1, 2016). "What black America won't miss about Obama". CNN. Archived from the original on October 3, 2022.
230. Cillizza, Chris (July 19, 2013). "President Obama's remarkably personal speech on Trayvon Martin and race in America". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
231. ^ Capeheart, Jonathan (February 27, 2015). "From Trayvon Martin to 'black lives matter'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
232. Bacon, Perry Jr. (January 3, 2015). "In Wake of Police Shootings, Obama Speaks More Bluntly About Race". NBC. Archived from the original on November 11, 2015. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
233. Hirschfield Davis, Julie (July 13, 2016). "Obama Urges Civil Rights Activists and Police to Bridge Divide". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 18, 2016. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
234. "U.S. Worries About Race Relations Reach a New High". Gallup. April 11, 2016. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
235. "Obama signs hate crimes bill into law". CNN. October 28, 2009. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
236. Preston, Julia (October 30, 2009). "Obama Lifts a Ban on Entry Into U.S. by H.I.V.-Positive People". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 7, 2010. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
237. "'Don't ask, don't tell' repealed as Obama signs landmark law". The Guardian. London. December 22, 2010. Archived from the original on December 23, 2010. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
238. Sheryl Gay Stolberg (December 23, 2010). "Obama Signs Away 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 12, 2011.
239. ^ Redden, Molly; Holpuch, Amanda (June 30, 2016). "US military ends ban on transgender service members". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 19, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
240. Baim, Tracy (January 14, 2009). "Windy City Times exclusive: Obama's Marriage Views Changed. WCT Examines His Step Back". Windy City Times. Archived from the original on November 14, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
241. Baim, Tracy (February 4, 2004). "Obama Seeks U.S. Senate seat". Windy City Times. Archived from the original on May 14, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
242. "President Barack Obama's shifting stance on gay marriage". PolitiFact. Archived from the original on November 26, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
243. Daly, Corbett (May 9, 2012). "Obama backs same-sex marriage". CBS News. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
244. Stein, Sam (May 9, 2012). "Obama Backs Gay Marriage". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on June 29, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
245. Robillard, Kevin (January 21, 2013). "First inaugural use of the word 'gay'". Politico. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
246. Michelson, Noah (January 21, 2013). "Obama Inauguration Speech Makes History With Mention of Gay Rights Struggle, Stonewall Uprising". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on September 19, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
247. Reilly, Ryan J. (February 28, 2013). "Obama Administration: Gay Marriage Ban Unconstitutional In Prop. 8 Supreme Court Case". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
248. Mears, Bill (February 27, 2013). "Obama administration weighs in on defense of marriage law". CNN. Archived from the original on September 1, 2013. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
249. "Stimulus package en route to Obama's desk". CNN. February 14, 2009. Archived from the original on March 30, 2009. Retrieved March 29, 2009.
250. "Obama's remarks on signing the stimulus plan". CNN. February 17, 2009. Archived from the original on February 20, 2009. Retrieved February 17, 2009.
251. Andrews, Edmund L.; Dash, Eric (March 23, 2009). "U.S. Expands Plan to Buy Banks' Troubled Assets". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 25, 2009. Retrieved April 12, 2010.
     • "Wall Street soars 7% on bank plan debut". Reuters. March 23, 2009.
252. "White House questions viability of GM, Chrysler". The Huffington Post. March 30, 2009. Archived from the original on April 7, 2009.
253. Bunkley, Nick; Vlasic, Bill (April 27, 2009). "Chrysler and Union Agree to Deal Before Federal Deadline". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 28, 2009. Retrieved April 12, 2010.
254. Hughes, John; Salas, Caroline; Green, Jeff; Van Voris, Bob (June 1, 2009). "GM Begins Bankruptcy Process With Filing for Affiliate". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on June 13, 2010. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
255. Conkey, Christopher; Radnofsky, Louise (June 9, 2009). "Obama Presses Cabinet to Speed Stimulus Spending". The Wall Street Journal. News Corp. Archived from the original on July 26, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
256. Hedgpeth, Dana (August 21, 2009). "U.S. Says 'Cash for Clunkers' Program Will End on Monday". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 16, 2011. Retrieved March 26, 2010.
257. Szczesny, Joseph R. (August 26, 2009). "Was Cash for Clunkers a Success?". Time. Archived from the original on August 28, 2009. Retrieved March 26, 2010.
258. Mian, Atif R.; Sufi, Amir (September 1, 2010). "The Effects of Fiscal Stimulus: Evidence from the 2009 'Cash for Clunkers' Program". The Quarterly Journal of Economics. 127 (3): 1107–1142. doi:10.2139/ssrn.1670759. S2CID 219352572. SSRN 1670759.
259. Goldman, David (April 6, 2009). "CNNMoney.com's bailout tracker". CNNMoney. Vol. 06. p. 20. Archived from the original on April 7, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2010.
260. Stein, Sylvie. "First Read—A breakdown of the debt-limit legislation". MSNBC. Archived from the original on January 14, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
261. "House passes debt ceiling bill". NBC News. March 8, 2011. Archived from the original on July 21, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
262. Theodossiou, Eleni; Hipple, Steven F. (2011). "Unemployment Remains High in 2010" (PDF). Monthly Labor Review. 134 (3): 3–22. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 8, 2011. Retrieved April 7, 2011.
263. Eddlemon, John P. (2011). "Payroll Employment Turns the Corner in 2010" (PDF). Monthly Labor Review. 134 (3): 23–32. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 6, 2011. Retrieved April 7, 2011.
264. "Unemployment Rate". Bureau of Labor Statistics. Archived from the original on November 21, 2011. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
265. "Unemployment Rate". Bureau of Labor Statistics. Archived from the original on April 28, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
266. "Unemployment Rate". Bureau of Labor Statistics. Archived from the original on April 28, 2019. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
267. ^ "Percent Change in Real Gross Domestic Product (Quarterly)". National Income and Product Accounts Table. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Archived from the original on May 12, 2011. Retrieved April 7, 2011.
268. Harding, Robin (July 28, 2010). "Beige Book survey reports signs of slowdown". Financial Times. Archived from the original on July 29, 2010. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
269. "Percent Change in Real Gross Domestic Product (Annual)". National Income and Product Accounts Table. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Archived from the original on May 12, 2011. Retrieved April 7, 2011.
270. "Unemployment Rate". Bureau of Labor Statistics. Archived from the original on April 28, 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
271. "1-month net change in employment". Bureau of Labor Statistics. Archived from the original on April 28, 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
272. ^ "Estimated Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on Employment and Economic Output". Congressional Budget Office. November 22, 2011. Archived from the original on February 29, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
273. ^ Calmes, Jackie; Cooper, Michael (November 20, 2009). "New Consensus Sees Stimulus Package as Worthy Step". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 11, 2011. Retrieved December 21, 2010.
274. "CBO: Stimulus created as many as 2.1 million jobs". February 23, 2010. Archived from the original on March 3, 2010. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
275. Isidore, Chris (January 29, 2010). "Best economic growth in six years". CNN. Archived from the original on April 20, 2010. Retrieved April 18, 2010.
276. "New NABE Survey Shows Business Recovery Gaining Momentum, with More Jobs Ahead". Archived from the original on May 2, 2010. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
277. "U.S. GDP Growth Relative to Original NATO Members". Politics that Work. March 9, 2015. Archived from the original on April 23, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
278. Chapple, Irene (May 29, 2013). "OECD: U.S. will recover faster, Europe faces unemployment crisis". CNN. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
279. Herszenhorn, David M.; Stolberg, Sheryl Gay (December 7, 2010). "Democrats Skeptical of Obama on New Tax Plan". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 9, 2010.
280. "Obama signs tax deal into law". CNN. December 17, 2010. Archived from the original on December 18, 2010. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
281. Kuhnhenn, Jim (December 4, 2013). "Obama: Income Inequality a Defining Challenge". Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 7, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
282. "President Obama uses his final months to bring congressional approval of a 12-nation free trade pact called the Trans-Pacific Partnership". CBS News. September 5, 2016. Archived from the original on September 6, 2016. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
283. "Obama Halts Drilling Projects, Defends Actions". NPR. May 27, 2010. Archived from the original on September 19, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
284. Jonsson, Patrik (May 29, 2010). "Gulf oil spill: Obama's big political test". The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on June 1, 2010. Retrieved June 6, 2010.
285. Neuman, Scott (March 31, 2010). "Obama Ends Ban On East Coast Offshore Drilling". NPR. Archived from the original on November 3, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
286. Goldenberg, Suzanne (July 28, 2013). "Barack Obama expresses reservations about Keystone XL pipeline project". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on December 29, 2016. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
287. Stein, Sam (June 25, 2013). "Obama: Keystone XL Should Not Be Approved If It Will Increase Greenhouse Gas Emissions". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on March 1, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
288. Calamur, Krishnadev (February 24, 2015). "Obama Vetoes Keystone XL Pipeline Bill". NPR. Archived from the original on June 9, 2015. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
289. Barron-Lopez, Laura (March 4, 2015). "Keystone veto override fails". The Hill. Capitol Hill Publishing. Archived from the original on July 15, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
290. "Obama bans oil drilling 'permanently' in millions of acres of ocean". BBC News. December 21, 2016. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
291. Smith, David (December 20, 2016). "This article is more than 4 years old Barack Obama bans oil and gas drilling in most of Arctic and Atlantic oceans". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
292. Volcovici, Valerie; Gardner, Timothy (December 20, 2016). "Obama bans new oil, gas drilling off Alaska, part of Atlantic coast". Reuters. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
293. Eilperin, Juliet; Dennis, Brady (December 28, 2016). "With new monuments in Nevada, Utah, Obama adds to his environmental legacy". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 8, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
294. "Obama's Newly Designated National Monuments Upset Some Lawmakers". All Things Considered. NPR. December 29, 2016. Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
295. Connolly, Amy R. (February 13, 2016). "Obama expands public lands more than any U.S. president". United Press International. Archived from the original on May 19, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
296. ^ Sweet, Lynn (July 22, 2009). "Obama July 22, 2009 press conference. Transcript". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
297. Stolberg, Sheryl Gay; Zeleny, Jeff (September 9, 2009). "Obama, Armed With Details, Says Health Plan Is Necessary". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 12, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
298. Allen, Mike (September 9, 2009). "Barack Obama will hedge on public option". Politico. Archived from the original on July 26, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
299. "Health Insurance Premium Credits in the PPACA" (PDF). Congressional Research Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
300. "Obama calls for Congress to face health care challenge". CNN. September 9, 2009. Archived from the original on September 10, 2009. Retrieved September 9, 2009.
301. Nasaw, Daniel (March 10, 2009). "Stem cell". The Guardian. Archived from the original on July 26, 2013. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
302. Hulse, Carl; Pear, Robert (November 7, 2009). "Sweeping Health Care Plan Passes House". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 31, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2009.
303. Herszenhorn, David M.; Calmes, Jackie (December 7, 2009). "Abortion Was at Heart of Wrangling". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 31, 2011. Retrieved December 6, 2009.
304. Hensley, Scott (December 24, 2009). "Senate Says Yes To Landmark Health Bill". NPR. Archived from the original on January 21, 2010. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
305. Stolberg, Sheryl Gay (March 23, 2010). "Obama Signs Landmark Health Care Bill". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 25, 2010. Retrieved March 23, 2010.
306. Rice, Sabriya (March 25, 2010). "5 key things to remember about health care reform". CNN. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
307. Grier, Peter (March 20, 2010). "Health Care Reform Bill 101". The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
308. Elmendorf, Douglas W. (November 30, 2009). "An Analysis of Health Insurance Premiums Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" (PDF). Congressional Budget Office. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 27, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
309. Obama, Barack (August 2, 2016). "United States Health Care Reform". JAMA. 316 (5): 525–532. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.9797. ISSN 0098-7484. PMC 5069435. PMID 27400401.
310. Grier, Peter (March 21, 2010). "Health care reform bill 101: Who will pay for reform?". Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
311. Grier, Peter (March 19, 2010). "Health care reform bill 101: Who must buy insurance?". The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on April 5, 2010. Retrieved April 7, 2010.
312. Elmendorf, Douglas W. (March 20, 2010). "H.R. 4872, Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Final Health Care Legislation)". Congressional Budget Office. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
313. Barnes, Robert (June 28, 2012). "Supreme Court upholds Obama health care overhaul by 5–4 vote, approving insurance requirement". The Washington Post. Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 28, 2012. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
314. Leonard, Kimberly. "Supreme Court Upholds Obamacare Subsidies". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on January 16, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
315. Colvin, Ross; Barkin, Noah (February 7, 2009). "Biden vows break with Bush era foreign policy". Toronto: Canada.com. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
     • Ghattas, Kim (March 8, 2009). "Clinton's gaffes and gains on tour". BBC News. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
316. "Obama reaches out to Muslim world on TV". NBC News. January 27, 2009. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
317. "Barack Obama's address to Iran: Full text of Barack Obama's videotaped message to the people and leaders of Iran as they celebrate their New Year's holiday, Nowruz". The Guardian. London. March 20, 2013. Archived from the original on September 6, 2013. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
318. DeYoung, Karen (April 9, 2009). "Nation U.S. to Join Talks on Iran's Nuclear Program". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 4, 2018. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
319. "Obama in Egypt reaches out to Muslim world". CNN. June 4, 2009. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
320. Weber, Joseph; Dinan, Stephen (June 26, 2009). "Obama dismisses Ahmadinejad apology request". The Washington Times. Archived from the original on April 10, 2019. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
321. Lauter, David (June 23, 2014). "Memo justifying drone killing of American Al Qaeda leader is released". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 30, 2019. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
322. "Long-sought memo on lethal drone strike is released". Washington Post. June 23, 2014. Archived from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
323. Shane, Scott (August 27, 2015). "The Lessons of Anwar al-Awlaki". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 27, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
324. Lauter, David (June 24, 2014). "Memo justifying drone killing of American Al Qaeda leader is released". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 30, 2019. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
325. "Saudi Arabia launces air attacks in Yemen". The Washington Post. March 25, 2015. Archived from the original on October 11, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
326. "Yemen conflict: US 'could be implicated in war crimes'". BBC News. October 10, 2016. Archived from the original on August 27, 2018. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
327. Bayoumy, Yara (September 7, 2016). "Obama administration arms sales offers to Saudi top $115 billion: ..." Reuters. Archived from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
328. Stewart, Phil; Strobel, Warren (December 13, 2016). "America 'agrees to stop selling some arms' to Saudi Arabia". The Independent. Archived from the original on April 1, 2019.
329. Phillips, Tom (September 4, 2016). "Barack Obama 'deliberately snubbed' by Chinese in chaotic arrival at G20". The Guardian.
330. Feller, Ben (February 27, 2009). "Obama sets firm withdrawal timetable for Iraq". The Gazette. Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2009.
331. Jones, Athena (February 27, 2009). "Obama announces Iraq plan". MSNBC. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
332. Sykes, Hugh (August 19, 2010). "Last US combat brigade exits Iraq". BBC News. Retrieved December 25, 2012.
333. MacAskill, Ewen (September 1, 2010). "Barack Obama ends the war in Iraq. 'Now it's time to turn the page'". The Guardian. London.
334. "All U.S. troops out of Iraq by end of year". NBC News. October 21, 2011. Retrieved December 25, 2012.
335. Walker, Hunter (June 16, 2014). "Obama Is Sending 275 US Troops To Iraq". Business Insider. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
336. Nebehay, Stephanie (September 8, 2014). "New U.N. rights boss warns of 'house of blood' in Iraq, Syria". Reuters. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
337. "DoD Authorizes War on Terror Award for Inherent Resolve Ops". Defense.gov. October 31, 2014. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
338. "Islamic State: Coalition 'pledges more troops' for Iraq". BBC News. December 8, 2014. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
339. Mehta, Aaron (January 19, 2015). "A-10 Performing 11 Percent of Anti-ISIS Sorties". Defense News. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
340. Harper, Jon (December 19, 2014). "1,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne headed to Iraq". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
341. Baldor, Lolita C. (July 21, 2015). "Stealthy Jet Ensures Other War-Fighting Aircraft Survive". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on August 13, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
342. "Obama calls Iraq war a 'dangerous distraction'". CNN. July 15, 2008. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
343. Broder, John M. (July 16, 2008). "Obama and McCain Duel over Iraq". The New York Times.
344. Hodge, Amanda (February 19, 2009). "Obama launches Afghanistan Surge". The Australian. Sydney.
345. "Top U.S. Commander in Afghanistan Is Fired". The Washington Post. May 12, 2009.
     • "New U.S. Commander Brings Counterinsurgency Experience to Afghanistan". Fox News. May 13, 2009. Archived from the original on February 16, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
346. "Obama details Afghan war plan, troop increases". NBC News. Associated Press. December 1, 2009.
347. "Gates says he agrees with Obama decision on McChrystal". CNN. June 24, 2010. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
348. Chandrasekaran, Rajiv (February 12, 2013). "Obama wants to cut troop level in Afghanistan in half over next year". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
349. Marcus, Jonathan (October 15, 2015). "US troops in Afghanistan: Taliban resurgence sees rethink". BBC News. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
350. "Obama's Remarks on Iraq and Afghanistan". The New York Times. July 15, 2008.
351. ^ Mazzetti, Mark; Cooper, Helene; Baker, Peter (May 3, 2011). "Clues Gradually Led to the Location of Osama bin Laden". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 3, 2011. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
352. ^ Rucker, Philip; Wilson, Scott; Kornblut, Anne E. (May 2, 2011). "Osama bin Laden is killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
353. "Official offers details of bin Laden raid". Newsday. May 2, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
354. Schabner, Dean; Travers, Karen (May 1, 2011). "Osama bin Laden Killed by U.S. Forces in Pakistan". ABC News. Archived from the original on May 4, 2011. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
355. Baker, Peter; Cooper, Helene; Mazzetti, Mark (May 2, 2011). "Bin Laden Is Dead, Obama Says". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 5, 2011. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
356. Walsh, Declan; Adams, Richard; MacAskill, Ewen (May 2, 2011). "Osama bin Laden is dead, Obama announces". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on May 3, 2011. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
357. Dorning, Mike (May 2, 2011). "Death of Bin Laden May Strengthen Obama's Hand in Domestic, Foreign Policy". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on May 3, 2011. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
358. Warren, Strobel. "Secret talks in Canada, Vatican City led to Cuba breakthrough". Reuters. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
359. Morello, Carol; DeYoung, Karen. "Secret U.S.-Cuba diplomacy ended in landmark deal on prisoners, future ties". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
360. Roberts, Dan; Luscombe, Richard (December 10, 2013). "Obama shakes hands with Raúl Castro for first time at Mandela memorial". The Guardian. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
361. Nadeau, Barbie Latza (December 17, 2014). "The Pope's Diplomatic Miracle: Ending the U.S.–Cuba Cold War". The Daily Beast. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
362. Gillin, Joel (April 13, 2015). "The Cuban Thaw Is Obama's Finest Foreign Policy Achievement to Date". The New Republic.
363. "Obama announces re-establishment of U.S.-Cuba diplomatic ties". CNN. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
364. Whitefield, Mimi (July 20, 2015). "United States and Cuba reestablish diplomatic relations". The Miami Herald. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
365. Julie Hirschfeld Davis; Cave, Damien (March 21, 2016). "Obama Arrives in Cuba, Heralding New Era After Decades of Hostility". The New York Times. p. A1. Archived from the original on March 20, 2016.
366. Levinson, Charles (August 14, 2010). "U.S., Israel Build Military Cooperation". The Wall Street Journal. New York. Retrieved March 1, 2011.
367. Kampeas, Ron (October 26, 2012). "For Obama campaign, trying to put to rest persistent questions about 'kishkes'". Jewish Journal.
368. Berger, Robert (March 25, 2010). "Israel Refuses to Halt Construction in East Jerusalem". Voice of America. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
369. Kershner, Isabel (March 24, 2010). "Israel Confirms New Building in East Jerusalem". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 29, 2010. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
370. "United States vetoes Security Council resolution on Israeli settlements". UN News Service Section. February 18, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
371. Levy, Elior (May 22, 2011). "PA challenges Netanyahu to accept 1967 lines". Ynetnews. Retrieved May 22, 2011.
372. Goldberg, Jeffrey (January 14, 2013). "Obama: 'Israel Doesn't Know What Its Best Interests Are'". Bloomberg. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
373. Goldberg, Jeffrey (September 13, 2015). "After the Iran Deal: Obama, Netanyahu, and the Future of the Jewish State". The Atlantic. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
374. Keinon, Herb (July 19, 2014). "Obama reaffirms Israel's right to defend itself". The Times of Israel.
375. "Netanyahu: Iran nuclear deal makes world much more dangerous, Israel not bound by it". Haaretz. July 14, 2015. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
376. Collinson, Stephen; Wright, David; Labott, Elise (December 24, 2016). "US Abstains as UN Demands End to Israeli Settlements". CNN. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
377. Barak, Ravid (December 26, 2016). "Netanyahu on UN Settlement Vote: Israel Will Not Turn the Other Cheek". Haaretz. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
378. "Israel-Palestinians: Netanyahu Condemns John Kerry Speech". BBC News. December 29, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
379. "Israel Halts $6 million to UN to Protest UN Settlements Vote". Fox News (from the Associated Press). January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
380. "House Overwhelmingly Votes to Condemn UN Resolution on Israel Settlements". Fox News. January 5, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
381. Cortellessa, Eric (January 6, 2017). "US House Passes Motion Repudiating UN Resolution on Israel". The Times of Israel. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
382. "Floor Statement by Senator McCain Introducing the Senate Resolution Calling for a No-Fly Zone in Libya". Senate.gov. March 14, 2011. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved March 28, 2011.
383. "Senate Passes Resolution Calling for No-Fly Zone Over Libya". National Journal. March 1, 2011. Archived from the original on May 11, 2011.
384. "Libya declares ceasefire but fighting goes on". Al Jazeera. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
385. Kirkpatrick, David D.; Erlanger, Steven; Bumiller, Elisabeth (March 19, 2011). "Allies Open Air Assault on Qaddafi's Forces in Libya". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
386. "Obama says US efforts in Libya have saved lives, control of operation can be turned over soon". Ventura County Star. Associated Press. Archived from the original on August 28, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
387. Pannell, Ian (March 21, 2011). "Gaddafi 'not targeted' by allied strikes". BBC News. Archived from the original on June 23, 2011. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
388. Jones, Sam (March 22, 2011). "F-15 fighter jet crashes in Libya". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on March 22, 2011. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
389. "NATO No-Fly Zone over Libya Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR" (PDF). NATO. March 25, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 15, 2011.
390. Montopoli, Brian (March 22, 2011). "Is Obama's Libya offensive constitutional?". CBS News. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
391. Stein, Sam (March 21, 2011). "Obama's Libya Policy Makes Strange Bedfellows of Congressional Critics". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on March 23, 2011. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
392. "Obama juggles Libya promises, realities". CNN. March 25, 2011. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
393. Malloy, Allie; Treyz, Catherine (April 10, 2016). "Obama admits worst mistake of his presidency — CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
394. "President Obama: Libya aftermath 'worst mistake' of presidency". BBC News. April 11, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
395. "Assad must go, Obama says". The Washington Post. August 18, 2011. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
396. Nelson, Colleen. "Obama Says Syrian Leader Bashar al-Assad Must Go".
397. Hosenball, Mark (August 2, 2012). "Obama authorizes secret support for Syrian rebels". Reuters. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
398. Shear, Michael D.; Cooper, Helene; Schmitt, Eric (October 9, 2015). "Obama Administration Ends Effort to Train Syrians to Combat ISIS". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 9, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
399. Stewart, Phil; Holton, Kate (October 9, 2015). "U.S. pulls plug on Syria rebel training effort; will focus on weapons supply". Reuters. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
400. "Obama 'red line' erased as Bashar Assad's chemical weapons use goes unchecked by U.S. military". The Washington Times. May 17, 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
401. Gordon, Michael (September 14, 2013). "U.S. and Russia Reach Deal to Destroy Syria's Chemical Arms". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 14, 2013. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
402. Boghani, Priyanka. "Syria Got Rid of Its Chemical Weapons—But Reports of Attacks Continue". Retrieved February 19, 2016.
403. "Obama outlines plan to target IS fighters". Al Jazeera. September 11, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
404. "Iran deal reached, Obama hails step toward 'more hopeful world'". Reuters. July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
405. Solomon, Jay; Norman, Laurence; Lee, Carol E. (July 14, 2015). "Iran, World Powers Prepare to Sign Nuclear Accord". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
406. "Landmark deal reached on Iran nuclear program". CNN. July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
407. "$1.7-billion payment to Iran was all in cash due to effectiveness of sanctions, White House says". Los Angeles Times. September 7, 2016. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
408. "Obama Administration Reportedly Shielded Hezbollah From DEA and CIA to Save Iran Nuclear Deal". Haaretz. December 18, 2017.
409. Meyer, Josh (December 18, 2017). "A Global Threat Emerges". Politico.
410. Thompson, Loren. "Obama Backs Biggest Nuclear Arms Buildup Since Cold War". Forbes.
411. Baker, Peter (March 26, 2010). "Obama Seals Arms Control Deal With Russia". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 28, 2010.
412. Baker, Peter (December 22, 2010). "Senate Passes Arms Control Treaty With Russia, 71–26". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 23, 2010.
413. McVeigh, Karen (December 6, 2011). "Gay rights must be criterion for US aid allocations, instructs Obama". The Guardian. London. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
414. Parsons, Christi (August 7, 2013). "Obama criticizes Russia's new anti-gay law in Leno interview". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
415. Johnson, Luke (August 9, 2013). "Obama Opposes Olympic Boycott, Criticizes Russian Anti-Gay Law". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
416. "US election: The Russia factor: Officials say Moscow's interference is unprecedented. Has the Kremlin achieved its goal?". Financial Times. November 4, 2016. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017.
417. "Europeans View Obama's Exit With a Mix of Admiration and Regret". The New York Times. November 6, 2016. Archived from the original on November 7, 2016.
418. Wallace-Wells, Benjamin (November 2004). "The Great Black Hope: What's Riding on Barack Obama?". Washington Monthly. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2008. See also: Scott, Janny (December 28, 2007). "A Member of a New Generation, Obama Walks a Fine Line". International Herald Tribune. Archived from the original on January 17, 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
419. Payne, Les (August 19, 2007). "In One Country, a Dual Audience". Newsday. New York. Archived from the original (paid archive) on September 15, 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
420. Dorning, Mike (October 4, 2007). "Obama Reaches Across Decades to JFK". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original (paid archive) on June 17, 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2008. See also: Harnden, Toby (October 15, 2007). "Barack Obama is JFK Heir, Says Kennedy Aide". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on May 15, 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
421. Holmes, Stephanie (November 30, 2008). "Obama: Oratory and originality". The Age. Melbourne. Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
     • Gallo, Carmine (March 3, 2008). "How to Inspire People Like Obama Does". Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Archived from the original on February 26, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
     • Zlomislic, Diana (December 11, 2008). "New emotion dubbed 'elevation'". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on December 12, 2008. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
     • Greene, Richard (January 25, 2011). "Obama Is America's Third Greatest Presidential Orator in Modern Era". The Huffington Post. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
422. "ChangeDotGov's Channel". Archived from the original on February 20, 2010. Retrieved April 18, 2010 – via YouTube.
423. Saad, Lydia (January 24, 2009). "Obama Starts With 68% Job Approval". Gallup. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
424. Jones, Jeffrey M. (January 22, 2009). What History Foretells for Obama’s First Job Approval Rating. Gallup, Inc..
425. Jones, Jeffrey M. (November 20, 2009). Obama Job Approval Down to 49%. Gallup Inc..
426. Jackson, David (April 15, 2011). "Obama hits low point in Gallup Poll—41%". USA Today. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
427. Terbush, Jon (December 9, 2010). "Approval By Numbers: How Obama Compares To Past Presidents". TPMDC. Archived from the original on July 4, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
428. ^ "Gallup Daily: Obama Job Approval". Gallup Polling. January 22, 2015. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
429. Oliphant, James (May 11, 2011). "Bin Laden bounce? New poll shows jump in Obama approval". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
430. Balz, Dan; Cohen, John (June 6, 2011). "Obama loses bin Laden bounce; Romney on the move among GOP contenders". The Washington Post. Nash Holdings LLC. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
431. Jones, Jeffrey M. (October 21, 2011). "Obama Job Approval Average Slides to New Low in 11th Quarter". Gallup Inc. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024.
432. ' Saad, Lydia (September 27, 2012). Obama Approval, Vote Support Both Reach 50% or Better. Gallup. Inc.
433. "Presidential Job Approval Center". Gallup. Archived from the original on July 2, 2015. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
434. Topaz, Jonathan (October 15, 2014). Obama hits lowest approval. Politico.
435. Horsley, Scott (November 3, 2014). Obama's Low Approval Rating Casts Shadow Over Democratic Races. NPR.
436. Topaz, Jonathan (June 18, 2014). "NBC/WSJ poll: Obama low point". Politico. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
437. Preston, Mark (October 28, 2014). "Voters are angry". CNN. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
438. Jones, Jeffrey M. (February 6, 2015). "Obama Approval Ratings Still Historically Polarized". Gallup Inc. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
439. Dugan, Andrew; Newport, Frank (March 10, 2016). "Obama's Job Approval at Highest Level Since May 2013". Gallup Polling. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
440. "Barack Obama gets a midterm do-over to help boost Democrats". The Virginia Pilot. Associated Press. October 28, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
441. Saad, Lydia (June 19, 2017). "George W. Bush and Barack Obama Both Popular in Retirement". Gallup Inc. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
442. Jones, Jeffrey M. (February 15, 2018). "Obama's First Retrospective Job Approval Rating Is 63%". Gallup Inc. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
443. Jones, Jeffrey M. (July 17, 2023). "Retrospective Approval of JFK Rises to 90%; Trump at 46%". Gallup Inc. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
444. "World wants Obama as president: poll". ABC News. Reuters. September 9, 2008.
445. Wike, Richard; Poushter, Jacob; Zainulbhai, Hani (June 29, 2016). "As Obama Years Draw to Close, President and U.S. Seen Favorably in Europe and Asia". Global Attitudes & Trends. Pew Research Center. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
446. Wan, William; Clement, Scott (November 18, 2016). "Most of the world doesn't actually see America the way Trump said it did". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
447. Freed, John C. (February 6, 2009). "Poll shows Obama atop list of most respected". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 27, 2009. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
448. "Obama Most Popular Leader, Poll Finds". The New York Times. May 29, 2009. Archived from the original on June 1, 2009. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
449. "Obama remains a popular symbol of hope". France 24. June 2, 2009. Archived from the original on May 13, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
450. "The Nobel Peace Prize 2009". Nobel Foundation. Archived from the original on October 10, 2009. Retrieved October 9, 2009.
451. Philp, Catherine (October 10, 2009). "Barack Obama's peace prize starts a fight". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
452. Otterman, Sharon (October 9, 2009). "World Reaction to a Nobel Surprise". The New York Times. Retrieved October 9, 2009.
453. "Obama Peace Prize win has Americans asking why?". Reuters. October 9, 2009. Retrieved October 9, 2009.
454. "Obama: Nobel Peace Prize 'a call to action'—Politics—White House". NBC News. October 9, 2009. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
455. "Obama's win unique among presidents". CNN. October 9, 2009.
456. Matt Spetalnick; Wojciech Moskwa (October 10, 2009). "Obama says Nobel Peace Prize is 'call to action'". Reuters.
457. "How Obama felt after Trump's inauguration". BBC News. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
458. Panetta, Grace. "Michelle Obama said attending Trump's inauguration as one of few people of color was 'a lot emotionally'". Business Insider. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
459. Kosinski, Michelle; Diaz, Daniella (May 27, 2016). "Peek inside Obama's post-presidential pad". CNN. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
460. "Former President Barack H. Obama Announced as Recipient of 2017 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award". John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. March 2, 2017. Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
461. Shear, Michael D. (April 24, 2017). "Obama Steps Back into Public Life, Trying to Avoid One Word: Trump". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 24, 2017.
462. Shelbourne, Mallory (September 10, 2017). "Former presidents fundraise for Irma disaster relief". The Hill. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
463. Hope, Leah (September 14, 2017). "Obama Foundation holds public meeting about presidential library project". WLS-TV. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
464. Dovere, Edward-Isaac (October 31, 2017). "Obama, opening his foundation's first summit, calls for fixing civic culture". Politico.
465. Neuman, Scott (May 22, 2018). "Obamas Sign Deal With Netflix, Form 'Higher Ground Productions'". NPR. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
466. Harris, Hunter (May 21, 2018). "The Obamas Will Produce Movies and Shows for Netflix". Vulture. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
467. Gonzalez, Sandra (January 13, 2020). "Barack and Michelle Obama's production company scores first Oscar nomination". CNN. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
468. Pitofsky, Marina (October 24, 2018). "Suspicious packages sent to Clintons, Obamas, CNN: What we know so far". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 24, 2018.
469. Lukpat, Alyssa (December 5, 2019). "Obamas reportedly buy Martha's Vineyard waterfront estate for $11.75 million". The Boston Globe.
470. "Barack Obama challenges 'woke' culture". BBC News. October 30, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
471. Rueb, Emily S.; Taylor, Derrick Bryson (October 31, 2019). "Obama on Call-Out Culture: 'That's Not Activism'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 31, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
472. Jackson, John Fritze and David. "'Voters themselves must pick': Why Barack Obama isn't endorsing Joe Biden or anyone else for president". USA Today. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
473. Astor, Maggie; Glueck, Katie (April 14, 2020). "Barack Obama Endorses Joe Biden for President". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 14, 2020.
474. "Obama endorses Joe Biden for president". BBC News. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
475. "DNC 2020: Obama blasts Trump's 'reality show' presidency". BBC News. August 20, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
476. Harris, Elizabeth A. (September 17, 2020). "Obama's Memoir 'A Promised Land' Coming in November". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020.
477. Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi (November 12, 2020). "Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on Barack Obama's 'A Promised Land'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
478. Carras, Christi (September 17, 2020). "Barack Obama's new memoir will arrive right after the presidential election". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
479. Gabbatt, Adam (February 22, 2021). "Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen team up for new podcast". The Guardian. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
480. Sisario, Ben (February 22, 2021). "Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen: The Latest Podcast Duo". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
481. Otterson, Joe (December 8, 2021). "'Upshaws' Co-Creator Regina Hicks Sets Netflix Overall Deal, to Develop Comedy Series With Obamas' Higher Ground". Variety. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
482. Perez, Lexy (March 5, 2022). "Barack Obama, Lin-Manuel Miranda Among 2022 Audie Awards Winners". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
483. "Remarks by President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Former President Obama on the Affordable Care Act". The White House. April 5, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
484. Benson, Samuel (April 5, 2022). "Obama returns to White House for first time since leaving office". POLITICO. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
485. "Obama's back—for a day—in White House health bill push". AP NEWS. April 5, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
486. "Barack and Michelle Obama sign with Amazon after Spotify declines to renew audio deal". Fortune. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
487. Chan, J. Clara (June 21, 2022). "The Obamas' Higher Ground Leaves Spotify for Audible Multiyear Deal". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
488. "Meet the artists who painted the Obama White House portraits". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
489. Montgomery, Daniel (September 3, 2022). "2022 Creative Arts Emmy winners list in all categories [UPDATING LIVE]". GoldDerby. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
490. "5 lessons from Obama's national parks show on Netflix". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
491. Jones, Mondaire (October 21, 2022). "Barack Obama is Wrong to Oppose Expanding the Supreme Court". The Nation.
492. "Here's why former US president Barack Obama is in Australia". March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
493. Staszewska, Ewa (March 28, 2023). "Barack Obama set to reel in $1 million during Aussie speaking tour as he visits Sydney Opera House with wife Michelle". Retrieved March 29, 2023.
494. Vidler, Adam; Theocharous, Mikala (March 28, 2023). "Former US President Barack Obama could net $1 million for Australian speaking gigs". Retrieved March 29, 2023.
495. Mueller, Julia (October 9, 2023). "Obama condemns 'brazen' attacks against Israel". The Hill. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
496. Singh, Kanishka (October 23, 2023). "Obama warns some of Israel's actions in Gaza may backfire". Reuters.
497. "Obama tells allies Biden's path to winning reelection has greatly diminished". The Washington Post. July 18, 2024. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
498. "Obamas endorse Kamala Harris for president". BBC. July 26, 2024.
499. Dovere, Edward-Isaac (October 13, 2024). "Obama's reemergence on the campaign trail for Harris comes as he recognizes his own legacy is at stake". CNN.
500. "Obama urges Black men to show up for Harris as he campaigns in critical Pennsylvania". Associated Press. October 11, 2024.
501. "Obamas Call on Americans to 'Keep Building' a Country That's 'More Equal and More Free'". Rolling Stone. November 6, 2024.
502. Stirland, Sarah Lai (November 30, 2008). "The Obama Campaign: A Great Campaign, or the Greatest?". Wired. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023.
503. Gallo, Carmine. "Barack Obama: A Master Class in Public Speaking [Video]". Forbes.
504. "3 Moments Where President Obama Earned the Title of Great Communicator". September 13, 2016.
505. Zelizer, Julian E. (2018). "Policy Revolution without a Political Transformation". In Zelizer, Julian (ed.). The Presidency of Barack Obama: a First Historical Assessment. Princeton University Press. pp. 1–10. ISBN 978-0-691-16028-3.
506. Kamarck, Elaine (April 6, 2018). "The fragile legacy of Barack Obama". Brookings. Archived from the original on April 6, 2018. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
507. W. Wise, David (April 30, 2019). "Obama's legacy is as a disappointingly conventional president". Retrieved November 4, 2022.
508. ^ "Obama Legacy Will Be Recovery from Recession, Affordable Care Act". ABC News. January 20, 2017. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
509. Eibner, Christine; Nowak, Sarah (2018). The Effect of Eliminating the Individual Mandate Penalty and the Role of Behavioral Factors. Commonwealth Fund (Report). doi:10.26099/SWQZ-5G92.
510. Oberlander, Jonathan (June 1, 2010). "Long Time Coming: Why Health Reform Finally Passed". Health Affairs. 29 (6): 1112–1116. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2010.0447. ISSN 0278-2715. PMID 20530339.
511. Blumenthal, David; Abrams, Melinda; Nuzum, Rachel (June 18, 2015). "The Affordable Care Act at 5 Years". New England Journal of Medicine. 372 (25): 2451–2458. doi:10.1056/NEJMhpr1503614. ISSN 0028-4793. PMID 25946142. S2CID 28486139.
512. Cohen, Alan B.; Colby, David C.; Wailoo, Keith A.; Zelizer, Julian E. (June 1, 2015). Medicare and Medicaid at 50: America's Entitlement Programs in the Age of Affordable Care. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-023156-9.
513. Stolberg, Sheryl Gay; Pear, Robert (March 23, 2010). "Obama Signs Health Care Overhaul into Law". The New York Times.
514. Long, Heather (January 6, 2017). "Final tally: Obama created 11.3 million jobs". CNN.
515. "Barack Obama's Legacy: Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform". CBS News. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
516. Bowman, Quinn (October 28, 2009). "Obama Signs Measure to Widen Hate Crimes Law". PBS NewsHour. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
517. Crary, David (January 4, 2017). "LGBT activists view Obama as staunch champion of their cause". Associated Press.
518. Bumiller, Elisabeth (July 22, 2011). "Obama Ends 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011.
519. Kennedy, Kennedy (June 30, 2016). "Pentagon Says Transgender Troops Can Now Serve Openly". The Two-Way. NPR.
520. Smith, Michael; Newport, Frank (January 9, 2017). "Americans Assess Progress Under Obama". The Gallup Organization.
521. Zenko, Micah (January 12, 2016). "Obama's Embrace of Drone Strikes Will Be a Lasting Legacy". The New York Times. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
522. Grandin, Greg (January 15, 2017). "Why Did the US Drop 26,171 Bombs on the World Last Year?". The Nation. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
523. Agerholm, Harriet (January 19, 2017). "Map shows where President Barack Obama dropped his 20,000 bombs". The Independent. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
524. Parsons, Christi; Hennigan, W. J. (January 13, 2017). "President Obama, who hoped to sow peace, instead led the nation in war". Los Angeles Times.
525. Gramlich, John (January 5, 2017). "Federal prison population fell during Obama's term, reversing recent trend". Pew Research Center.
526. Cone, Allen (January 18, 2017). "Obama leaving office at 60 percent approval rating". United Press International. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
527. Agiesta, Jennifer (January 18, 2017). "Obama approval hits 60 percent as end of term approaches". CNN. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
528. Rottinghaus, Brandon; Vaughn, Justin S. (February 13, 2015). "Measuring Obama against the great presidents". Brookings Institution.
529. Jones, Jeffrey M. (February 15, 2018). "Obama's First Retrospective Job Approval Rating Is 63%". Gallup. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
530. "The Obama Presidential Center". Barack Obama Foundation. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
531. Williams, Sydney (November 17, 2020). "Former President Barack Obama's third book starts shipping today". NBC News. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
532. Ressner, Jeffrey; Smith, Ben (August 22, 2008). "Exclusive: Obama's Lost Law Review Article". Politico. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2021.