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Obama's first 100 days in office
President Barack Obama's first 100 days in office began on January 20 and will end on April 29.
Issue date: 4/23/09 Section: Forum
This important day, much publicized in the media recently, seems to be slightly uneventful. Why would anyone care about the first 100 days of a four year - or possibly eight year - run in office?
The first 100 days are a measuring point and the term was first used in reference to FDR's administration. The term is not just used in just presidential politics; Nancy Pelosi notably spoke about the changes the new Democratic Congress would make after sweeping the nation away from Republicans in the 2006 midterm elections.
However, this is different from Congress. Obama's ability to capture the youth vote was undeniable - MSNBC.com said 18- to 24-year-old voters preferred Obama to McCain by 68 to 30 percent.
The 2008 election was the first presidential election many OSU students could vote in, and many of us put him into office.
With this support from the youth, he asked for "change" during the campaign, a call that resonated with young people and was palpable even on the OSU campus before the November election.
However, it's easy to have asked after the historic election, well, what does "change" actually mean?
But Obama has done several noteworthy things in his first one hundred days:
Three days after taking office, Obama repealed the Global Gag Rule, an order that kept international organizations from receiving U.S. foreign aid if the organization used its funds or donated funds to perform, advocate for or provide education on abortion services.
Also within days of the inauguration, Obama ordered to close Guantanamo Bay - though no plans as to what to do with the prisoners - and overseas C.I.A. prisons while also banning the use of torture by U.S. intelligence personnel.
He set up a plan to withdraw all combat forces from Iraq by August 2010 - although approximately 50,000 are to remain in the country - but is continuing to support soldiers currently in Iraq and Afghanistan by asking for $83.4 billion for war funding earlier this month.
The first 100 days are a measuring point and the term was first used in reference to FDR's administration. The term is not just used in just presidential politics; Nancy Pelosi notably spoke about the changes the new Democratic Congress would make after sweeping the nation away from Republicans in the 2006 midterm elections.
However, this is different from Congress. Obama's ability to capture the youth vote was undeniable - MSNBC.com said 18- to 24-year-old voters preferred Obama to McCain by 68 to 30 percent.
The 2008 election was the first presidential election many OSU students could vote in, and many of us put him into office.
With this support from the youth, he asked for "change" during the campaign, a call that resonated with young people and was palpable even on the OSU campus before the November election.
However, it's easy to have asked after the historic election, well, what does "change" actually mean?
But Obama has done several noteworthy things in his first one hundred days:
Three days after taking office, Obama repealed the Global Gag Rule, an order that kept international organizations from receiving U.S. foreign aid if the organization used its funds or donated funds to perform, advocate for or provide education on abortion services.
Also within days of the inauguration, Obama ordered to close Guantanamo Bay - though no plans as to what to do with the prisoners - and overseas C.I.A. prisons while also banning the use of torture by U.S. intelligence personnel.
He set up a plan to withdraw all combat forces from Iraq by August 2010 - although approximately 50,000 are to remain in the country - but is continuing to support soldiers currently in Iraq and Afghanistan by asking for $83.4 billion for war funding earlier this month.
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