From Candidate to President
One-word descriptions of President Obama have changed dramatically since he was a candidate.
As Obama Takes Office, Global Press Turns to Regional Concerns
The celebratory tone that characterized international media coverage of Barack Obama’s historic election victory was again pervasive in many of the stories about his inauguration. However, many newspapers noted the more somber tone of Obama’s speech, and were themselves relatively somber about the enormous challenges and inflated expectations facing the new president.
Strong Confidence in Obama — Country Seen as Less Politically Divided
Public confidence in Barack Obama to deal with the nation’s most pressing problems is high and many Americans not only see the president-elect as a problem-solver, but as a “uniter” as well.
Hispanics and the New Administration: Immigration Slips as a Priority
Latinos, who heavily supported Obama in the November election, rate such issues as the economy, health care and education as the more important issues facing the country. Hispanics were more likely to be first time voters than the general public.
Obama Cabinet Appointees Highly Visible
Much of the increased awareness of the president-elect’s high-level personnel selections has to do with his choice of Hillary Clinton to serve as secretary of state.
States of the Union Before and After Bush
What a difference eight years can make — or not. As shown in a series of tables, some things have changed a great deal since George W. Bush was elected president in 2000, but other things, most notably certain American beliefs and attitudes, have remained remarkably constant.




