US President Debate, hosted by NUI Galway Literary & Debating Society

“This House Believes Barack Obama Will Continue to Disappoint”

by Oisín Collins

The President of the USA is always in the public eye – every action, every decision, is scrutinised and questioned by the media, by the American people and by people all over the world. In the last election, one man captured the hearts of the globe by running a bold, ambitious campaign that had us all enthralled and filled with a feeling of expectation.

As we approach President Obama’s first State of the Union address – we must ask ourselves if this man who promised so much has actually accomplished anything during his first year in office. We were told that his election would herald a new, hopeful era for America. We were told that Guantanamo bay would be closed within 100 days of Obama taking power. We were told that we would see the US budget deficit tackled. Have these promised been reneged on or are we just being too demanding.

After all, Obama has taken the first steps towards health reform in recent months, in spite of massive lobby pressure and strong opposition to the bill on many levels. Internationally, we must also remember that this is a man whom the Nobel Committee deemed worthy of awarding the Peace Prize to after only a few months in office. This is a man who swept the country along with a message of hope and change, in whom we placed our trust. Surely we owe him more time to try and deliver all that he has assured us can come true.

All are welcome to attend give their own thoughts on the current US President’s record and then vote on the motion: “This House Believes Barack Obama Will Continue to Disappoint”.