Are the Obama’s the next Kennedy’s?

Now that Barack Obama has been elected the new President of the United States of America, it is interesting to think how our country will be affected. There seems to be a very real sense of excitement and intrigue into how Obama is going to carry our country through such rough times. With this is mind, it hit me that this same sense of wonder happened before in our nation’s history. John F. Kennedy held that same charisma and charm that won over this same nation is the 1960 presidential election. 

Both Obama and Kennedy were considered to be long-shots as presidential candidates. Kennedy was considered too young for the job at age 43. As a Catholic, he was also considered to be an unlikely candidate because of his religious views. Similar to JFK, Obama was also considered to be too young and inexperienced for the job at the age of 47. His African-American heritage also made him a controversial candidate for presidency, considering that the United States has never had a black president before him. Both of these men overcame their adversities and are a symbol of unity within the country. 

The Kennedy and Obama family are also similar in their structure. Both families are young, beautiful and stylish which have captured the attention of the American people. Michelle Obama and Jackie Onassis are considered style icons by the American people. They are featured in magazines wearing the “latest and greatest” in fashion. Both families also have two young children living in the White House, representing a new generation. I believe that the American people look at these two families as a symbol for change. It was a change with the civil rights movement in the 60’s and its a change for a new economy and peace in 2008. 

Both of these families represent hope for the American people. However after the assassination of JFK in 1963, the nation was in disarray and was divided once again. I believe that Obama represents that same hope and unity for America, and a very similar situation could occur if he too was assassinated. It is incredible to think how far our nation has come since the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950’s. However, racist and hateful people still exist in this country that could threaten our nation’s progress. There is so much excitement about our country’s potential with Obama as our president. I just hope that people can look back at our nation’s past and learn from our mistakes so that our nation is not divided once again.

The next four years will be paramount for our nation, and as an American, I am excited to experience it first hand. America is about to experience a great change that could be quite similar to that of the 1960’s. I just hope that our country can stay united in this case.