Obama’s ability to bridge divides and his strong oratory delivery made him an impressive public figure. He spent much of 2007 and 2008 campaigning for the presidency.
Campaigning for the Office of President of the United States
Popular talk show host, Oprah Winfrey, would be a big supporter of the senator. As the 2008 race for the highest political office in the United States lengthened, the country’s economic condition began to deteriorate significantly.
Combined with people’s frustrations over the Iraq War, this economic shift would place the focus of leadership and policy change squarely on Barack Obama’s shoulders. Another historical and political first, Sarah Palin being added to the Republican Party’s ticket, would offer Obama his greatest challenge.
November 4, 2008 Barack Obama delivered a rousing presidential election acceptance speech at Chicago, Illinois’ Grant Park. Two months later on January 20, 2009, Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America with his wife, Michelle at his side. The historical election would make Obama the first African American president in the country’s history.
Early Key Initiatives during the Presidency
Healthcare reform has been a key initiative that the president has worked on since he was sworn into office. Discussion around healthcare reform has been a hot item during prior televised presidential campaigns debates going back more than a decade. However, it has long been thought to be too burdensome and complicated an issue to take on.
Town halls and televised presidential addresses discussing healthcare reform have created the type of public outcry that previous presidents might have anticipated and steered clear of after they took office. Former president Bill Clinton was the other president who tried to have healthcare reform approved.
The Contentious 1993 Healthcare Reform Package
Clinton’s 1993 healthcare reform package was designed to offer universal healthcare for all American citizens. One way to achieve this through the plan was to require employers to offer healthcare coverage for all of their employees. Clinton’s plan drew heavy opposition from conservatives and decision makers in the health insurance industry.
Although the United States is the only industrialized country in the world that does not offer its citizens universal healthcare, the decision on how to go about or if to offer each of its citizens healthcare insurance coverage at all, remains a heated topic.
Economic Impact of Lack of Health Insurance
The United States Census Bureau reports that as of 2007, approximately 46 million Americans did not have healthcare insurance coverage. The approximately 14.9 million Americans who have lost their jobs due to the 2007 economic downturn who had healthcare insurance coverage through their employer can drive the numbers up uneven higher.
According to “The American Journal of Medicine’s” June 5, 2009 article “Medical Bankruptcy in the United States, 2007: Results of a National Study,” 62.1% of all bankruptcies in the United States were related to medical bill expenses. 92% of the people surveyed had medical bills in excess of $5,000 or 10% of their pretax family income.
Lack of adequate or any type of health insurance has left many Americans to make the decision as to whether or not to visit the doctor or a hospital for routine checkups or emergency procedures versus remaining at home during a healthcare crisis and crossing their fingers and hoping for the best.
Sources: Biography True Story. Barack Obama Biography. 13 September 2009.
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