Dinner with Obama by Reggie

Dinner with Obama by Reggie - October 2017 Scholarship Essay

If I could have dinner with one U.S. President, it would be Barack Obama. I state this because of his accomplishments, temperament, and pursuit of equality and fairness in his positions. Let’s start with his positions and how they have promoted equality and fairness. Obama has supported equal rights for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. This is a policy I support because I believe everyone should have an equal chance of living the American dream regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity. He has spoken out against the unlawful torture of enemy combatants and for the writ of habeas corpus for anyone accused of any crime. This is a move I support because I believe no matter the crime committed, justice is only just when it allows the accused their day in court and only when the penalty for the crime is tough but fair. He has also advocated for decreasing the influence of money in politics.
One of the things I most appreciate about Obama is his support for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and people with disabilities in general, even agreeing to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This position is important to me because I am an individual with disabilities myself. I have high-functioning Asperger’s syndrome and mild Tourette’s (tic) syndrome. I am glad to know that a President like Obama has been willing to stand up for individuals like me. For that same reason, I also supported the Affordable Care Act which if it stays in place would make it so that people like me could not be denied insurance for a pre-existing condition. With equitable and compassionate positions like these, it is clear that we would get along quite well even if politics were brought up at the table.
Beyond his political positions, Barack Obama is also a very accomplished individual. As far as his economic accomplishments go, he rescued the country from the Great Recession of the 21st Century through his $787 billion economic stimulus package and through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The stimulus package cut taxes, extended unemployment benefits, and funded public works projects. The Recovery and Reinvestment Act pumped $241.9 billion into the economy to spend on relief for families, infrastructure, energy production, health care, education, scientific research, technology, and small businesses.
Obama also had great success in his military and foreign policy. He successfully ordered the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks. His policies helped to reduce the veteran homeless rate by 50 percent. He reversed many of the torture policies of his predecessor George W. Bush. He even managed to begin a process of normalizing relations with Cuba, something no other President since the Cold War has been able to do. He repealed the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, thereby allowing homosexuals to serve openly in the military. Last but not least, Obama’s diplomatic achievements earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”
As impressive as his economic and foreign policy achievements are, Obama’s domestic policy achievements also warrant recognition. He signed the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, making it a federal crime to assault anyone based on sexual or gender identification. He nominated Sonia Sotomayor as a Supreme Court justice, making her the first Hispanic person to serve a justice in the US Supreme Court. As mentioned above, he ratified the Affordable Care Act, a healthcare bill the likes of which no other President has ever been able to get passed. This act, if it remains in force, would allow over 20 million uninsured Americans to be able to obtain and afford health insurance. Truly, it would be an honor to have someone as accomplished as Barack Obama over for dinner.
Beyond politics and accomplishments, though, the true defining aspect of a dinner guest is his or her temperament. As I have surmised from his public appearance and most news stories about him, Obama seems to have a good temperament. In all the speeches I have heard him make during his presidency, he never raised his voice and he has always kept his main focus on defining his goals for the future. Even during his presidential campaign, he emphasized advertising himself and his policies over attacking opponents and their policies. Obama is highly confident, moderately accommodating and deliberative, and somewhat reserved. He is a very rational and patient person who never seemed to lose his temper even with his most vehement opponents. In his political life in general, he has been known to prioritize bipartisanship over confrontation. He has a great sense of humor, as shown when he invited Keegan-Michael Key to a White House Dinner to act as his “anger translator” character from Key and Peele. He has also shown himself to be willing to listen to other peoples’ perspectives even when he didn’t agree with them. Based on all these traits, Barack Obama would make a very good dinner guest.