Previously published July 2010

By: Jamil Crews

President Barack Obama knew prior to being elected to the most powerful position in the world that there were going to be challenges he was going to face. From a mounting debt crisis that has the future of America’s economy in doubt to dealing with two wars with no real end in sight, he certainly has his work cut out for him. But with the bold promises he’s made and the “Change You Can Believe In” platform he ran, he undoubtedly had the confidence of the American people.

The challenges the President faces aren’t unlike many of the problems of past administrations. Abraham Lincoln dealt with the issue of slavery and trying to restore a union. Franklin Roosevelt had to deal with bringing the country out of a crushing economic depression and while doing so, preparing the country for a war that eventually saw millions of lives lost. Lyndon B. Johnson had to redeem the promise of civil rights to all Americans. But things were a bit different for President Obama. Never before has an incoming President inherited such a catastrophic mess from a previous administration.

President Obama has the opportunity to change the trajectory of thiscountry. After all, that is what he campaigned for—change. Change you can believe in. After seeing the direction the country was headed during the last president’s administration, there left no doubt that change wasn’t just wanted, but more so necessary. But since the day President Obama was sworn in as Commander and Chief of this nation, the country has shown that it may be a bit intimidated by change. At first, President Obama was criticized for not doing enough. It seemed like the same people who voted for him may not have really understood the magnitude of the problems he inherited, and to act quickly without careful thought and planning would be extremely detrimental to the rebuilding of the nation. So not only did he begin to act, but did so in a way that completely changed the landscape of this country forever.

But with all the changes that have been made thus far into his presidency, you would think that he had a successful first year, right? Well not exactly. He seemed to change a lot of his positions on key elements that got him elected, starting with Guantanamo Bay. Upon taking office in January of 2009, one of his first orders of business was signing an executive order to close the facility that has housed suspected terrorists, many of which have not been tried or convicted of anything, within one year of the order. As of June 2010, there are still 181 detainees that remain imprisoned at the facility.

President Obama even had a change of heart when it came to passing his historic healthcare legislation. During the 2008 campaign, Obama heavily criticized democratic opponent Hillary Clinton on her stance about mandating health insurance for all Americans. However, when making a pitch to Congress to get his healthcare plan passed, he was said that “under my plan Americans would be required to carry a basic health plan”.

Regardless of whether you believe President Obama is making good on the promises he pledged during his campaign, there’s no debating that the one promise he has kept was change. Whether that change is for better or worse is yet to be determined, but we have at least another two years to judge for ourselves.