By KelseyWarner on March 4, 2016 Inside Gov
He
likely will not play the role of a “lame-duck” president, as the administration
has yet to slow down. Obama currently finds himself in the middle of a heated standoff with the Republican-led Senate to fill
a Supreme Court vacancy. He still pursues a workable plan to close GuantanamoBay, one of his 2008 campaign promises. As his term nears its end,
the passionate, vocal opinions on both sides of the political aisle may reach
their crescendo as his legacy becomes ripe for interpretation.
When
reflecting on Obama’s time in the White House, the facts beyond the opinions
deserve to be examined. Obama has racked up notable historical accomplishments,
such as being the first African-American U.S. president. Obama was also the
first to use the internet widely in his 2008 campaign and once in office.
The team
at InsideGov queried
our presidential database to
find key data points regarding this controversial sitting president. From pet
gorillas and inflation to drone strikes, we explore these facts from smallest
to largest figures.
.05 Percent Unemployment
Rate Decrease
Obama inherited an economy reeling from the 2008 financial crisis. The
unemployment rate peaked at 10 percent in 2009 and has declined, on average, at
a monthly rate of .05 percent since the beginning of his term.
1 Nobel Peace Prize
In 2009, Obama was awarded a Nobel PeacePrize by the Norwegian Nobel Committee for “his extraordinary efforts to
strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples,” with
additional emphasis on “Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear
weapons.” This award garnered controversy, which Obama noted in his acceptance speech.
He acknowledged that at the time, he was “at the beginning, and not the end of
my labors on the world stage” and the “commander in chief of the military of a
nation in the midst of two wars.”
1 Ape
During his time in Indonesia as a child, Obama had a pet ape named Tata.
This experience was revealed in his memoir “Dreams from My Father.”
Dreams from My Father
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and
Inheritance is
a memoir by Barack Obama, who would later be elected U.S. President, that
chronicles the events of his early years up until his entry into law school in
1988.
Publication date: July 18, 1995
Genre: Memoir and autobiography
Original language of work: English
Followed by: The Audacity of Hope
Author: Barack Obama
1.5 Percent Inflation
Inflation under the Obama administration has increased an
average of 1.5 percent per year. As less than the ideal rate of 2 percent,
this is considered low. When Obama assumed the presidency, the economy was
experiencing deflation (negative inflation growth), which indicates a stagnanteconomy and
discourages spending.
2 Daughters
President Obama and his wife, Michelle, have two
daughters, Malia and Natasha, who goes by Sasha. They grew up in the national spotlight,
since their dad was elected to the White House when they were 10 and 7 years
old, respectively.
2 Grammy Wins
Obama secured two Grammy Awards,
both for Best Spoken Word Album. He first won in 2006 for the narration of his
memoir “Dreams from My Father.” In 2008, he won another Grammy for his
audiobook "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American
Dream.” Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter also nabbed Grammys
in the Best Spoken Word category.
2.0 Percent GDP Growth
The economy under the Obama administration has
experienced, on average, 2 percent annual GDP growth. During the last full year
of Obama’s presidency, the economy started on “solid footing,” according to the “WallStreet Journal.”
3 Years of
"Birthers"
Obama publicly released his long form birthcertificate on April
27, 2011, after three years of demandsfrom “birthers,”people who believe Obama is not a U.S. citizen and
therefore ineligible for the presidency. Current Republican presidential
candidate Donald Trump headed
this campaign, and after the official release, stated:
“Today, I’m very proud of myself, because I’ve been able to accomplish
something that nobody else was able to accomplish.”
3-Pointers
Obama enjoys basketball and said that he “used to play basketball more.” He
has been filmed multiple times sinking three-point shots throughout
his presidency. Sports Illustrated writer Alexander Wolff published a book aboutObama and basketball titled
“The Audacity of Hoop: Basketball and the Age of Obama.”
6'1"
Obama stands at just over 6 feet tall, making him one of the tallestpresidents.
6.2 Percent Yearly Debt
Increase
The federal debt has grown at an average of 6.2 percent
annually under Obama. Near the end of 2011, the federal debt exceeded the GDP,
which the Congressional Budget Office speculates can have long-term
consequences on the economy and policy decisions.
7 Books
Obama read all seven books of the Harry Potter series,
which he admitted to authorJ.K. Rowling during a
dinner for the G20 summit.
8-Year Ban
Through Executive Order 13505,
Obama removed an eight-year President George W. Bush-era ban on
federally funded stem cell research.
12 Years
Although he studied law at Harvard, Obama went on to
teach as a professor at the University of Chicago LawSchoolfrom 1992-2004. During that time, he also worked at Miner, Barnhill &Galland, ran campaigns for the Illinois state Senate, served
as a state Senator and wrote his memoir “Dreams from My Father.”
$21
Obama’s haircuts cost $21. Zariff, a Chicago barber nowknown as the First Barber, has been cutting Obama’s hair for over
two decades. He invented the “Obama Cut.”
27 Years Old
Obama was 27 years old when he first met Michelle
LaVaughn Robinson Obama. Michelle was assigned as a mentor toObama, who was a summer associate at the same corporate law firm.
31 Flavors
During his adolescence in Hawaii during the 1970s, Obama worked as an ice creamscooper at
Baskin-Robbins. Nowadays, he dislikes ice cream.
47 Years
Obama was 47 at the time of his inauguration in January
2009. This makes him the fifth-youngest U.S. president.
#53
The Portuguese Water Dog is the 53rd most popular dog in the
U.S., according to the 2015 American KennelClub rankings. The Obama family currently owns two Portuguese Water Dogs, named Bo
and Sunny.
54 Years Old
In 2011, the CIA-led Operation Neptune's Spear succeeded in killing Osama bin Laden,
the founder of al-Qaida. At the time of his death, bin Laden was 54 years old.
During his subsequent address to the nation,
Obama claimed the success of the operation was a “testament to the greatness of
our country and the determination of the American people.”
65.5 Percent
Obama’s approval rating peaked at 65.5 percent in 2009 —
and then dropped to under 40 percent at the end of 2013. In his book
“Polarization and the Presidency: From FDR to Barack Obama,” San Francisco
State University professor Robert Smith reflected on the source of these low approval
ratings. “Obama's race and his Ivy League background and the sense of his
elitism, all of those come together to make his case the worst we've seen,”
Smith wrote.
90 Miles
Starting in 2009, Obama
facilitated the re-establishment ofrelations with Cuba, separated from the U.S. by 90 miles of ocean.
Relations initially were severed in January 1961 during the height of the Cold
War. According to the WhiteHouse, the two countries will commit to “improved human rights
conditions and democratic reforms in Cuba.”
147 Prisoners
As of March 2016, 147 detainees received transfer from the Guantanamo Bay detention
facility during Obama’s time in the White House. Approximately six detainees
released under Obama re-engaged in terrorism or militant activities.
Ninety-one detainees are still held.
372 Drone Strikes
Since 2009, there have been 372 CIA drone strikes in Pakistan. The Bureau of
Investigative Journalism records that at least 108 drone strikes in Yemen and at least 18 strikes in Somalia have occurred under the Obama
administration.
21,000 Troops
Obama began his presidency with an order to send 21,000additional troops to
Afghanistan. This marked the beginning of the surge in Afghanistan. Promises of
the eventual withdrawal have been repeatedly pushed back.
Currently, the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan is scheduled to end in 2017.
Compare him to other presidents....
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