by: Trevor Metcalfe, Managing Editor
Barack Obama’s Facebook page posted a perfect encapsulation of his meteoric rise from community organizer to president last week, among a flurry of campaign pictures and pleas for support. A three-im age photo strip showed the president and Michelle exchanging goofy faces, a laugh and finally a kiss at a campaign event.
These photos illustrate something a majority of Americans saw in Obama in 2008: beyond all the dirty politics, questions about leadership ability and a post-Bush America was a man with political prowess, a commanding presence and a sense of humor to boot.
Four years later, Obama has led the United States out of a recession, created thousands of jobs and started to reverse the mishaps of the Bush administration. As president, Obama has earned four more years of support from this nation and from this publication.
On the domestic front, Obama has led this nation on the slow road to recovery, boosting job creation of 5 million in the private sector throughout the last 30 months and an unemployment rate of 7.8 percent, the lowest since Obama took office. Additionally, Obama has kept tax cuts and incentives for small businesses and middle class Americans. Romney’s economic plans include $5 trillion in tax cuts, including the top percent of Americans and does not offer enough details on how it will jump start the economy.
During his first term, Obama’s foreign policy ended the war in Iraq, brought Osama bin Laden to justice and renewed America’s place as a global leader and ally. He has pledged to remove U.S. troops from Afghanistan by 2014 and help end nuclear proliferation around the globe. Romney has no plan to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and has repeatedly insulted and criticized oversees allies like the British.
Obama’s social policies have benefited millions of women, minorities and the LGBT community, and his open support of gay marriage has brought the push for equality closer to fruition. Under Obamacare, many insurance plans now offer full coverage for birth control, and they also have fought back against Republican efforts to stop funding Planned Parenthood. Obama also reversed the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and ordered the federal government to extend key benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees. Romney, however, supports efforts to outlaw abortion and pass a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
Through the last four years, Obama has proven his worth as leader of this country and a spokesperson for America abroad. A Romney administration would bring back the Bush era of trickle-down economics, a new reign of American jingoism abroad and a huge step backward in social reform. America does not need a leadership based on the politics of fear and division. We still need a leader who will reflect the positive values of equality, compassion and sensibility, and Obama deserves our support to continue promoting those values.