mlk & barack obama The Completion of a Dream

Barack Obama faces heavy challenges as he enters
office as the 44th president of the U.S. But while he has a myriad of
trials to overcome, he is not the first president to face such tasks.
After his successful 2008 campaign, and first few months transitioning
into office, Obama has shown characteristics that positively compare to
some of the country’s greatest leaders. Here are three presidential
characteristics that Obama displays, and three leaders whose ability to
guide the country through conflict may serve as a guide for the road
that the president-elect is about to tread. –todd williams

JOHN F. KENNEDY
A Renewed Sense of Optimism:
When the Cold War was at its height, JFK was a charismatic, confident
and shrewd leader who became the personification of the hope and
optimism of the post-war generation. Kennedy instilled a sense of pride
in the average American and seemed to beckon a future teeming with
potential. Much like JFK provided the spark for the baby boomers that
would define the decade by wrestling control away from their
Depression-era parents; Obama’s election was seen as a watershed moment
for Generations X and Y. He has become the symbol of that generation’s
desire to write its own history and chart its own course. Similar to
John (and later, Robert) Obama dominated the youth vote in his
successful presidential run of 2008.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN
National Solidarity:
In the wake of high-profile, racially charged police shootings,
controversial rulings on gay marriage and an ever-widening gap between
rich and poor, Obama must show a steadfast dedication to strengthening
the ties across this nation and healing the fractured spirit left in
the wake of the Bush administration. Despite whatever his personal
feelings on race may have been, Abraham Lincoln’s unflinching
commitment to maintaining the union in the face of secession and Civil
War, helped to fortify the United States. Obama’s election is the
result of his ability to touch a wide swath of Americans. He must
channel that appeal and use it to build bridges of communication and a
sense of community. Obama’s rise from outside of the typical political
sphere and his reputation as more of an up-from-his-bootstraps success
story is very similar to Lincoln, who was seen as a political outsider
prior to his successful presidential bid.

FRANKLIN D. ROOSVEVELT
Crisis Management:
Like Franklin D. Roosevelt, Obama faces the twin challenges of tough
economic times and mounting international conflict. Roosevelt’s New
Deal helped salvage America’s economy and he helped guide the country
through World War II. However, in FDR’s day it was considered a radical
idea for the U.S. government to step into the economic fray and provide
hopeful and far-reaching solutions. But, it should also be noted that
the unemployment rate during the Great Depression was approximately 25
percent, as compared to a current 6 percent unemployment rate as of
November 2008. But like FDR, the president-elect has also proposed
public works programs to help repair the nation’s crumbling
infrastructure and create jobs.