I was thinking about my posts here, and I meant what I said when I would respect the office of the President no matter who sat in it, however since I started this blog I haven't said what I liked about President Obama either during the campaign or since his election, that changes now.
Obama has embraced technology and the new connections it can bring. This was one of the strongest points in his campaign, he used the internet to connect with the public in ways never seen on the national stage in this country. He used text messaging to announce hsi running mate rather than a press conference, he used the web to allow for micro-contrabutions so that people could donate as little as $5 to his campaign (weather this was to bypass audit trails is neither here nor there.) In these ways an many more President Obama has changed the way campaigns will be used for years to come. It is no longer reasonable for a Presidential candidate to not understand, or use technology. The micro-chip did for Obama what the first televised debate against Nixon did for JFK.
Obama has expressed a desire for volunteerism that I strongly agree with. I would love for programs similar to the GI bill and ROTC where if you donate time either before or after collage to helping the country (teaching inner-city children, being a cook or administrator in a homeless shelter, or other charitable work as your primary, or reserve type of job) for an agreed upon ammount of time, the government would help you with your college tuition.
This also allows those who oppose the military, but feel because of their background it's the only way to pay for college another way to assist the country and pay for college without going against their moral beliefs. I don't believe ALL benefits should be equal to those our soldiers get (government backed morgage, Healthcare, etc.) but enhancing the overall education of this country will only benefit it.
President Obama has also expressed a desire to increase stem-cell research. I have mixed opinions on the abortion debate that I will probably blog about at some further time, but as long as they are the law of the land, why not at least put the cells to use with research so the lost life counts for something rather than sending it to a medical waste landfill? Also fetus' aren't the only way to get stem-cells.
As someone who has had medical issues most of his life, I can see only benefits to furthering medical science down this path. This research is going to happen somewhere anyway, why not in this country where ethical standards can and will be maintained?
Those are the biggest 3 things I can think to praise President Obama for at the moment, but as I see more I will certainly add praise as well as criticisms.
