Comparison of two American Presidents

Posted: September 3rd, 2013

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Comparison of two American Presidents

            America also known as the United States of America is a republic comprising of fifty states. It is the third largest country in the world and has a population of over 312 million people. America got its independence on July 4, 1776. America has had forty-four presidents with the current president, Barrack Obama being from an African-American origin. President Barrack Obama took over from George W. Bush Junior, making him the first black president to govern a super power country. He made history in 2009 and was listed among the top 100 influential people in the world by Forbes magazine.

President Obama becomes the topic of discussion comparing him to the former president George W. Bush, considering how influential they both were during their terms in office. Both came in very strongly to beat their opponents and take over office to govern one of the world’s powerful nations. They were similar in a number of ways but they were far much different in what they believed and stood for. Having been brought up in very different backgrounds, they saw the world differently and like any normal human being, they too wanted to change the world and make a difference. They had their chance to do so, using the different ideas they had. They did what they thought was best.

Political ideology of liberalism and conservatism

Liberalism means open-mindedness, broadmindedness or simply freethinking. Conservatism means preserving traditional values. President Obama believes in the world as it is today not as it was yesterday. He believes in modern and not traditional. He focuses on the future and not the past. President Bush is more of a traditional man, focused on following in the footsteps of the founding fathers. He believed that America could not be where it is today if it was not for tradition. Obama believes that if people start seeing change, they start living in hope for a better tomorrow. Bush believed that preserving tradition would teach generations to come about national heritage.

Having had to work hard all his life in order to get ahead, President Obama believes that, we all need each other if we want to get to higher places (star bulleting, 2012). People think of him as Martin Luther King Junior in the making. Both came from humble backgrounds and because they both stood for change and took a huge risk by standing up for what they believed in. In one way or the other, he brought Martin Luther’s dream to reality. Former President Bush had everything growing up. He rose to the top by shadowing his father. He walked in his father’s footsteps. First graduating from Yale University, working in his father’s oil industry then later opening up his own and later became president. It is clear that he respected tradition and was ready to fight and preserve his roots any way possible (Famous Texas, 2012).

Political ideology standing and party affiliation

President Obama is affiliated with the Democratic Party while Former President Bush is affiliated with the Republican Party. The Democratic Party stands for liberalism, while the Republican Party stands for conservatism. The Democratic Party is more modern while the Republican Party is more traditional. Democrats believe in new creations bringing about modernization. Republicans preserve tradition. They try to follow in the footsteps of the founders of this great nation. They believe by preserving tradition that the generations to come will learn and appreciate their roots. (Miller Centre, 2012)

Domestic and foreign policies

Both presidents focused on improving the education and the health sector, so that every child was entitled to good education and accessed good health. They made sure that funding was increased in the education and health sectors. In the foreign policy, Former President focused mostly on the war against terrorism. After the 9/11, he sent troops to Afghanistan to wipe out the al Qaeda militia group. He later captured Saddam Hussein and his execution marked the end of terror attacks on the American soil. Barrack Obama wanted to focus on withdrawing troops from Iraq. He thought that it was about time the war ended and the troops united with their families. He wanted to focus more on border security (The Administration, 2012).

Both presidents came to the aid of orphans, making sure that they had food, shelter, clothing and education. By cutting taxes, they made life for the middle class families tolerable. They gave people something to smile about and look forward to another day. Unemployment and crime levels went down. They both agreed when it came to wiping out al-Qaeda, the militia group. During former President Bush’s era, Saddam Hussein was executed and the smuggling of dangerous weapons meant to destroy and bring down America died with him. Similarly, during President Barrack Obama’s era, the leader of the al-Qaeda militia group, Osama Bin Laden who organized 9/11 was executed.

Both presidents are heroes for having brought down two of the most dangerous men on earth. They will be remembered and celebrated throughout generations. They both had their worst times when the economy plummeted and drove the country into debt (Associated Press). In their own way, they brought change to America and Americans ought to be appreciative for the hard work they did. They cared for the less privileged and fought terrorism the best way they knew how. It is challenging having to carry the weight of the whole nation, making sure that the American people are safe from any kind of danger and that they have everything in order to a lead a comfortable life.

Work cited

Associated Press. Republican abandoning bush. Politics. 5 May 2006. Web. 29 Mar 2012.

The Administration. President Barrack Obama. The White House. 7 Jan 2010. Web. 29 Mar 2012

Famous Texans. George Walker Bush. Politics. 13 April 2004. Web. 29 Mar 2012

Miller Centre. American President George Walker Bush (1946- ). History, Policy, Impact. 3 December 2010. Web. 29 Mar 2012.

Star Bulletin. Punahou left a lasting impression on Obama. History. 8 February 2007. Web. 29 Mar 2012.