Argumentative Essay: Legacy Of The 44th American President

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Course Code: ENG101
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Title: Argumentative Essay
Introduction
The legacy of the 44th American president remains undoubtedly one of the most remarkable, perhaps because of Obama’s ability to influence and inspire the American people that there was still hope for the greatest nation on earth. Having taken over at a time when America was writhing from the effects war on terror, Obama’s presidency offered a stark contrast to that of his predecessor, George W Bush. Not only was America divided, but the economy of the world’s greatest nation was devastated and greatly weakened. Thus America more than ever, needed a rational president who would unify and restore the nation back to the path of prosperity. Although many critics of Obama’s presidency poke holes in his undoubtedly impressive achievements, his legacy cannot be easily wished away. [Thesis statement]
Obama’s announcement speech at Chicago, Illinois, was no doubt an indicator that America was poised for a generational change in leadership. The speech was well targeted, and perfectly organized. In the introduction alone, he managed to capture the attention and the inspiration of his audience by recapturing the key issues that characterized his predecessor’s legacy such as War on terror. He says, “in the face of war, you believe there can be peace”(WP, 2007). He intelligently used a comparative approach to draw the audience to the stark contract of his anticipated leadership and his predecessor’s legacy. This approach captured the audience and prepared them for what was to be a paradigm shift in the political leadership of America. This I believe was necessary given the myriad challenges that America faced such as War on terror and economic meltdown. The speech provided a snap shot of his campaign manifesto and what Americans were to expect of his legacy. He knew that most Americans needed a president with whom they could relate with. He describes his background perhaps an indication that unlike his predecessor, he was familiar with social economic struggles that most Americans faced, hence better placed to provide a solution. This I believe was brilliant as he coined his campaign around middle class and low income Americans who comprised the largest American voting block.
Though Obama promised to tackle healthcare crisis, cut the cost of healthcare and ensure that every American had access to affordable healthcare, the benefits of this could never be fully realized. Indeed this has turned out to be his top and most notable accomplishment. He enacted Affordable Care Act 2010 that provides healthcare to millions of Americans (WM, 2017). Whether this is an achievement or not? Well statistics indicate that the uninsured rate has declined by 16% and 9% in 2010 and 2015 respectively (WM, 2017). Even though Obama’s healthcare reform achievements faces threats from the current administration, the gains made cannot be swept under the carpet.
He promised to make the American economy more competitive, while acknowledging that this endeavor would take great sacrifice. Indeed, Obama managed to revamp the eco...