/ Aku Ammah-Tagoe
Obama's Report Card (and Ours)
It’s hard to believe it’s been three months already. When we launched Generation O back in May, President Obama had just completed his first 100 days in office, and we were excited to see what he would do next. So how has he measured up? In our final posts on Gen O (look for them throughout the day), we’ll be grading Obama’s performance on the issues that matter most to us. Obama’s term has barely begun, but it’s still useful to look back at the past few months and see how he’s lived up to his promises.
As we reflect on what Obama has done, we’ll also be thinking about how we’ve changed. Over the past three months, Gen O-ers have traveled across the country and around the world. We’ve been in and out of school, we’ve worked and volunteered in our communities, and, most importantly, we’ve tried to contribute to public discourse, not just watch passively. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading our posts as much as we enjoyed writing them. And we hope you’ll spend a few minutes today thinking about how much our government has tried to do since January—and what you’d like it to try next.
-Aku
(photo via)
This week: We’ve been keeping an eye on the same-sex marriage movement—with Maine now the fifth state to legalize gay marriages, there’s even more pressure on New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch (pictured above) to sign the similar bill that his state’s legislature passed last week. Eugene will have more on this later this week; we’re expecting word from Gov. Lynch on Monday or Tuesday.
I’m convinced that the gay rights movement will be the defining cause of our generation (closely followed by the environment, but we’ll save that for later). I spoke to Malena last week, and she told me that she worries sometimes that we don’t have a cause at all; unlike our parents, we’re living in an aimless, “post-struggle” universe. Since President Obama took office, though, she thinks that “we’re starting to realize that we have no excuses.” I’m inclined to agree, and, as poll numbers suggest, enough of us care about this particular issue that it’s one to watch.
Anyway, just a heads-up, and tune in later for more about what this will mean for Obama in the next few months.
-Aku
Presidential Speech of the Day: Obama kills at the White House Correspondents Dinner.
Money: “Most of you covered me; all of you voted for me. Apologies to the Fox table.”
See Also: Part 2.
[via.]
This is slightly less serious than Rob’s earlier post, but, in its own way, just as cool. Seriously, check out Part 2 for an excellent crack at John Boehner, some snark about the first 100 days (I know, I know, we jumped on that bandwagon too), and a few really kind words about the media—I’m biased, of course, but that part made me smile.
-Aku
Welcome to Generation O!
What is the “Obama Generation,” you ask? We’d like to know, too. The grassroots coalition that helped Barack Obama win the presidency is unique because it defies so many political stereotypes. Generation O isn’t defined by race, or class, or geography. Instead, we’re a diverse group of young, politically active people who care about a range of causes—from the economy to social issues to international politics and beyond—but are dedicated to finding solutions that transcend partisanship and benefit all of us. Newsweek.com is giving the members to this group a chance to talk directly to (and with) the public about what it’s like to work, live and learn in the age of Obama.
Because most of our generation is technologically plugged-in, it made sense to start a project that all of us could contribute to: a multimedia blog. For the next three months, our bloggers (you can meet the group here) will be checking in from all over the country, posting thoughts on the Obama administration as well as photographs, videos and audio clips from our lives. We’ll be introducting ourselves to you over the course of the week, and after that we’ll post regularly to let you know what we’re up to, what we think of local, national and international goings-on, and how Obama’s decisions are affecting our families, friends and communities. You’re invited to participate, too: we’d love to have you comment on the blog, join the Facebook group, and send in your own stories from time to time. We’re starting this blog with the hope that by connecting Obama supporters around the country and giving them the chance to compare stories and experiences, we’ll be able to figure out what it means to be a part of Generation O. We hope you’ll stick around, and enjoy!
-Aku
