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Yes we can.

Campaign speech / New Hampshire primary night, January 8, 2008 (and recurring theme)

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Legacy

Promoting a message of hope and change throughout his 2008 campaign, Obama electrified voters at home and observers around the globe as he promised to end the war in Iraq, reinvigorate the economy, modernize health care, invest in early childhood education, and promote the use of alternative fuels and renewable energy. With an education in constitutional law and years of experience working as a community organizer, state senator, and senator, our first African American president entered the executive office with both knowledge and practical experience. Yet, his administration faced many daunting challenges as the global economy continued to sink into recession and military conflicts continued in Iraq and Afghanistan. In his weekly address to the nation during the first week of January 2009, Obama reaffirmed his positive stance regarding the future, “We are a people of boundless industry and ingenuity. We are innovators and entrepreneurs and have the most dedicated and productive workers in the world. And we have always triumphed in moments of trial by drawing on that great American spirit—that perseverance, determination and unyielding commitment to opportunity on which our nation was founded. And in this new year, let us resolve to do so once again.”

To confront the exploding economic crisis, Obama recommended Congress pass the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, an $800 billion stimulus package that funneled money to state governments, transportation and infrastructure projects, and middle-class tax relief. With mostly Democratic support, Congress passed the Act and the president was able to sign it into law less than one month following his inauguration.