Speak Outs
Speak Out
The Path to the Presidency: With the election over, what now?

The victory speech has been given, the balloons and confetti have fallen, and now Barack Obama is the President-Elect of the United States of America.

After more than a year of campaigning, from the primaries to the general election, the nation has finally spoken, and now Obama’s journey has just begun. On January 20, he will make his way down Pennsylvania Avenue and be sworn in as President.

The next two months will be no vacation for the president-elect. Between now and the end of January, he will have to create policy to address the issues at hand, prioritize his goals in office and put together a staff of secretaries and cabinet members to assist and advise him in his duties.

With all of these new responsibilities, how will our new president accomplish the goals he talked about during the campaign? What issues do you think President-Elect Obama should tackle first? How would you advise the new leader of the United States of America?

The issues: from the war to healthcare to the economy

During the run for presidency, Obama made many proposals and plans on how to address the issues of concern to citizens of the U.S. Now, he will have step up to the plate and come through with those plans. Obama will have to address the issues of:
  • The economy: With the stock markets around the world in a state of high volatility, the troubled American economy is on the minds of many Americans. Obama has offered to boost the economy by encouraging small business growth and offering tax credits to small businesses that create new jobs for Americans, increasing government spending on the creation of “green jobs” and reducing taxes on lower and middle class families.
  • Energy and the environment: During the campaign, Obama suggested that developing clean energy is important for the environment but also for the economy and security of the economy. In addition to the promotion of “Green Jobs” as mentioned above, Obama also has proposed fighting America’s dependence on foreign oil by investing in alternative energies like biofuels, solar power and clean coal technology.  Obama also plans to enact legislation that would curb greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by the year 2050.
  • Healthcare:  Obama will offer mandatory coverage for children and a push for universal coverage for adults by requiring large employers to share in the cost of healthcare with their employees.
  • Education: Obama plans to spend $18 billion on education, overhaul the No Child Left Behind, increase pay for teachers and offer a $4,000 tax credit for college tuition for students who work 100 hours of community service a year in addition to increasing the number or federal loans offered by the government, making college affordable for everyone.
  • A vocal opponent to the war in Iraq, Obama plans for a complete withdrawal of troops from Iraq over the first 16 months of his time in office. He plans on increasing troops in Afghanistan by about 7,000 as a means to thwart terrorist insurrections occurring throughout the country.
For more information on the issues, read the Speak Out “Path to the Presidency: What issues matter to you?”

Setting priorities

As president, Obama must set priorities if he is to accomplish the goals he set out during the campaign. Many of his plans cost large sums of money, which means that some of the plans will have to wait months if not years before beginning. Some of the issues can be accomplished at the same time, but they require vast amounts of time and research. Of the issues above, which ones are the most important, and which ones do you think can wait?

Creating a cabinet

Thankfully Obama is not alone when making decisions and setting priorities. When electing a president, you are also putting into power an employer; the president appoints many people – with the approval of the Senate -to high offices around him as advisers and executives of federal departments. He has a cabinet, which advises him on the issues of their expertise and speak for the president when asked to do so. From Secretary of State, who advises the president on domestic and international issues of the country, to the Secretary of Education, who oversees our nation’s education system, the people who fill these posts play an important role in the direction of the country.

In addition to his cabinet, the president has an army of staffers, secretaries, and policy gurus who advise him on matters ranging from natural disasters to public transit issues. These members of the president’s staff collect the data, conduct research and help the president get to the root of the issue before making decisions that affect the lives of millions of Americans.

Observers suggest that Obama will select many governors who are either nearing the end of their term or whose terms have come to a close to be part of his administration. Additionally, some say that other high-ranking members of former presidential administrations could be members of Obama’s staff. How should the new president select his cabinet?

What do you think?

How would you advise the new president? What issues do you think the he should set as his top priorities? How should Obama select his cabinet? What kind credentials or experience should the cabinet members have? Join the discussion and let us know what you think!
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Comments
12/9/2009

Matan
Montera Middle School, Oakland,California
Right now, President Obama needs to focus on this recession. If nothing is done soon, it will become a depression. Then, it will take longer to get out of and have a harder impact.
5/28/2009

Katy
Trinity High School, Washington, Pa
Right now, President Obama needs to focus on this recession. If nothing is done soon, it will become a depression. Then, it will take longer to get out of and have a harder impact.
5/11/2009

Sara
Trinity High School, Washington, Pa
Obama needs to focus on the economic recovery. Without substantial funds to support our economy, all other plans will fail.
5/11/2009

Duane
THS, Wash/PA
The first thing he needs to do is pull us out of this economic downturn and then get the soldiers out of Iraq.
5/1/2009

Joe
Trinity, Washington PA
I think with the election over, our new President must now lead America through a very tense, trying time with world affairs and the economy. I hope that he leads us through it with dignity and the economy improves.
4/24/2009

Robert
overbrook high school, Philadelphia,Pa
I think that he should tackle this enconomy problem because that's the most important thing in the U.S. right now besides this so called war. And also to answer what i think of americas new leader he makes me very proud first off by seeing an african american lead this country was somthing i thought i would never see it. He makes me think that sky is the limit and that everyone should follow there dreams and just keep on pushing because anything is possible if you just believe and i belive that he should do every thing one day at a time from a minority stand point
4/2/2009

Daynah
Trinity High School , Washington,PA
Obama should first focus on lowering the laxes for lower and middle-class families. With them having more money to spend by reducing the taxes, they are going to stimulate the economy. Also, by creating his "green jobs", he would also open up more job oppurtunities that will help give the people money, and to help stimulate the economy. The only way to get the economy out of the recession is finding ways to give people money that they can then spend in the economy.
4/1/2009

Ian
Trinity High School, Washington, PA
I'm not too happy with Obama. Of course, McCain is just as worse. This was a terrible election year. I don't expect these bailout plans to work. It's just ridiculous handing out trillions to businesses and bankers, but nothing for the middle-class worker. i'm just waiting for our economy to bottom out so these banks can buy up everything and take control.
3/31/2009

Derek
Trinity High School, Washington Pa
I think we should stop celebrating who is president and focus on what needs to be done to get our economy back to where it should be.
3/30/2009

Kim
Trinity High School, Washington Pa
Obama in my opinion, does not have what it takes to hanndle what we are going through right now. He is only gonna make things worse because he is going to turn us into a One World Government.
3/30/2009

Kimmie
Trinity High School, Washington Pa
I am kind of on the fence with this election. I hope we the american people have made a change for the best. Seriously, President-Elect Barack Obama, needs to worry about keeping our troops safe and make sure they have a safe return. Because as a girl that has a boyfriend in the service it kills me but I have much respect because he is fightin for us and I hope the President keeps his word and trys his best to keep them all safe.
3/23/2009

C.J.D.
Greencastle-Antrim, Greencastle, PA
I feel President Barrack Obama will accomplish his goals he talked about in his campaign by working hard, asking for the public’s opinion, and letting the public know what really is going on, and not what they want to hear. I strongly feel President Obama should tackle the problem we have in the economy first. Yes, the economy is going to get worse before it gets better but we need to start shriving towards getting it fixed. Between 2001 and now many things have impacted us or has changed. The stock market values have gone down, gas prices have increased, and prices of homes have decreased in value. Secondly, I think he should tackle the war. I feel we could fight longer than we can hold up our economy but the soldiers need to be home as soon as possible. I advice Obama to work hard towards coming up with a plan that will work with the public to get out of debt, but also get the United States out of debt. I think the economy to get better is going to take a lot more time than Obama’s presidency. It probably will not even happen during my lifetime but it will work to take the first step for the future generations.
2/20/2009

Jared D
GAHS, PA
I believe that it is going to be harder than it looks for President Obama to accomplish his goals for his time in office. With Obama being the first black President and one of the youngest he has many other issues to consider. The first major issues that Obama should tackle should be the declining economy and the other would be the war in Iraq. The horrible economy that we have now is going to get worse before it gets better. Obama just needs to do what the American people want, such as tax cuts and create more jobs. However, all Americans are not the same and it will be 50/50 on what the people want.
2/4/2009

Jerry
Central Dauphin High Scjool, Harrisburg
With the election over President Obama has many issues on his shoulders. He must pass a plan that will put money back into our economy to end this painful and dreadful economy. I believe if we the people of the U.S. support President Obama I belive we can work our way out of this recession.
1/26/2009

David JR4
Northeast High School, Philadelphia, PA
The main two issues Obama should tackle first, would be the 'Wars' going on in the middle east, and our country's recession. People think Obama will be the greatest President ever, and will change the world. I don't doubt that he'll be a good president, however it will take much longer than just his presidency to get out of our problems.
12/16/2008

Jami S.
PARKER, KB5, WI
I believe that Obama should veto the bailout plan for the auto industries, and find a better way to get the economy running. I also think that Obama should think carefully before he withdraws the troops from Iraq. With the economy in a slump, if he does pull the troops out, our country will suffer humiliation and defeat. It will make our citizens spirits even lower than it was before.
12/16/2008

Jami S.
Parker, 5kb, WI
No matter what Obama does he's going to flush the economy and the whole country down the drain. He needs all the help that he can get. Hopefully his administrators will give him good advice.
12/16/2008

chadkb
parker, janesville WI
I really don't have much faith in the president tackling any of the goals that he promised because presidents are a politicians and politicians lie and say what the people want just so that they get elected and then do what they want. but if i could advise the president i would tell him to pull the troops out of iraq and that would cut some of then nations cost and may help us get out of some of our debt
12/16/2008

Samuel KB
Parker High School, Janesville WI
I think that he should focus on the economic situation that we are in. I would advise him to place that as his number one on his to do list then focus on the smaller issues im not trying to call any one thing less important but im mearly saying that this is a major concern and he should focus on the economis situation were in
12/16/2008

Dani
Parker High School , Janesville WI
Hopefully, president elect Barack Obama will choose the staff of secretaries and cabinet members wisely who will help him handle these tough issues and goals. One of the first issues i think Obama should tackle should be the wars. It seems that our country is started to fall apart and in order to fix it, we need to concentrate on our own country and become stronger to help with our own struggling economy and poverty. Then after we start to rebuild the U.S. economy then we can start worrying about poverty and health care.
12/16/2008

Dani B. KB5
Parker High School , Janesville WI
Hopefully, president elect Barack Obama will choose the staff of secretaries and cabinet members wisely who will help him handle these tough issues and goals. One of the first issues i think Obama should tackle should be the wars. It seems that our country is started to fall apart and in order to fix it, we need to concentrate on our own country and become stronger to help with our own struggling economy and poverty. Then after we start to rebuild the U.S. economy then we can start worrying about poverty and health care.
12/8/2008

Matt
nimitz, irving, texas
Although Barack Obama is not who I would have voted for, I believe that I will end up doing us some good. The first thing he needs to do as president is to get our troops of Iraq. There is no need for us still be over there. The next thing he needs to do is find away to fix our economy without giving the public money to spend. Bush tried it and it did not work so why try it again with more money this time.
12/5/2008

Ben
Trinity, Washington
President Obama needs to back up all his claims and prove to the American people that he's ready for the job.
12/4/2008

Casey K
Trinity High School, Washignton Pa
I believe in some ways that Barack Obama will make positive changes in our world.
12/4/2008

Matt H
Trinity HIgh School, Washington Pa
I have some faith in Obama but not too much. I would just like the morallity of the country be boosted up as a whole. So i would like him to cross the party line and go with the republicans sometimes.
12/3/2008

Kyle M.
Trinity High School, Washington/PA
I think, fixing the economy is the most important issue President Elect Obama should deal with. Clearly we having issues in it, and changes need to be made.
12/3/2008

Olivia
Trinity High School, Washington PA
I believe that choosing Obama as our president will be a much needed change for America. I feel that he is able to overcome the many obstacles and issues that our country faces today. His plans and ideas make sense and will be able to affect everyone in a positive way.
12/3/2008

Anthony
Trinity Highschool, Washington Pa.
Barack Obama should have a devotion to fix our economic woes as soon as possible.
12/3/2008

Matt P
Trinity High School, Washington, PA
Even though I don't like the election of Obama, I only wish him the best. But in my honest opinion, the first two things I think he will do is cut military spending and increase welfare. This is a shame as it will make our country even more defenseless, and supporting people who can get jobs but don't want to doesn't help the country.
12/3/2008

George W
Trinity High School, Washington PA
I believe that Barack Obama is going to do great things but as it stands now there is a lot on his plate so to speak. If i where to advise this great man on what to do first in the next two months I would tell him to just have fun with it.
12/3/2008

Valdimir
Trinity High School, Washington Pa
I belive that although President-elect Obama campaiganed for many months promising bold changes in Washington, he will come to find that life on Pennsylvania Ave. isn't as simple as he may think, it is going to be very difficult to deliver on all of the promises that he made throughout his campaign, I believe if he is going to change Washington, he is going to have to first tackle cleaning up the mess that has been created over the past eight years by George Bush and company. So, rather than advising Obama I would advise the American people to not get excited for change, because it is not going to come until the second half of his first term or very possibly his second term, if there is one!
12/3/2008

Ariana B.
Trinity High School, Washington, PA
One of the main concerns right now, obviously, is the economy. Obama should find a way to increase more jobs for the middle class and figure out a way to obtain oil. Another concern is the war. He should try and figure out a way to stop the war and get the troops back home, because it is starting to tear families apart and it causes many problems financially for the U.S.
12/3/2008

Amanda S.
Trinity High School, PA
I think the issues Obama should tackle first include the war on terrorism, the economic struggle, and other things.
12/3/2008

Alda Q period-5
NEHS, philadelphia
In my opinion our soon to be president, Barack Obama will have a lot of obstacles to overcome. The way our country has falling with the economy and everything ales, it will be hard to get it back up and running like it used to. Though the first thing for Barack Obama to do would be to pick who will assist him in running the United States of America.I believe that the Bush administration has done a horrible job in running this country and this is why it it important who Obama will pick to assist him. If he has good people and smart people helping him run the country it will be a lot easier on him.Also i believe that Obama will make good change. But also he needs to address the Iraq war. Our economy is low and we are spending so much money in Iraq so he needs to take a stand and do something with that.I wish him good luck.
11/28/2008

Curtis L pd 5
Nehs, Philadelphia
I believe Barack Obama will overcome many obstacles and rebuild our economy. Obama should first handle who he wants to help assist him in running the country. This is a very important step because the Bush administration horribly turned this country upside down. When he gets the assistance he needs the country will slowly began to unify and the United States will be stronger than ever before. Another task Obama needs to address is the War in Iraq trillions of dollars has been spent there and I feel that the money spent there can go to better use, like for kid’s college education. We are the future and without any money many kids will see a struggle to further there education.
11/23/2008

Azharuddin A. PD.2
Northeast Phila high school, philadelphia, PA
I personally think that they will need help because he cannot do all of this alone but I think he will do a great job. The economy because it is very very bad and I would advise our new leader by telling him keep his head on and focus.
11/20/2008

Clinton, L PD 5
Northeast High School, Philadelphia/PA
I think President Obama will accomplish the goals and tasks at hand by having the people's support. Having a well put together cabinet will also help him accomplish these goals. Ending the war in Iraq is top priority right now. I believe that this should be handled first because we have been there way too long and haven't accomplished anything. Another reason this should be dealt with immediately is because it is costly and with our economic crisis we cannot afford to stay at war with Iraq and keep our soldiers over there. If we end the war first I think it will boost our economy greatly. If Obama deals with this first it will be like killing two birds with one stone.
11/20/2008

Jasmine C
University High School , philadelphia pa
I think he will accomplish the goals by taking everything one at a time. I think the president should tackle all the things that George Bush messed up. I would advise him to just take his time and don't rush.
11/20/2008

Enriqua W.
University City HS, Philadelphia,PA
I think since the election is over, Barack is now going to have to now show us what's he's made of. All the things he said he was going to do for our country he's going to have to put his words to action.
11/20/2008

Monica
University City High School, Philadelphia, Pa
I think that the new presidents top priority right now should be fixing the economy and getting that in order,that way the prices of many things will not be so expensive. I also think that the president should take each problem a step at a time therefor things can maybe be a little less complicating for him.
11/20/2008

Stephen W PD2
NEHS , Phila PA
At the end the start begins. Now that Obama has overcome the elections, he has to overcome the crisis that the economy is in; in order to do that, he first has to have a good team to give him the best knowledge of what choice to make. Because Obama is just one man, he has to rely on the best judgment of his advisers and staff to better improve the country. Each member has to be the best because he's only as good as the weakest link. The economy is the first priority, we need to be at the best to support those around us. America prides itself as the protectors of the world but in order to help others we have to help ourselves first. How can we help and protect others when the world depends on us to buy their products and boost the stock markets with that spending. Just as they say when America catches a cold, so does the world. In conclusion, Obama has to first choose the people in his staff very carefully to ensure that his choices will benefit us and the world in turn.
11/20/2008

Whitney V. Pd.2
Northeast HS, Philadelphia,PA
To start off Obama has a lot to handle in the first few months. When giving his victory speech Obama clearly set the bar low so that people would not have high expectations. He said that he will gladly take the position but it will be a long road with a lot of damage to fix. The President first of all has to hire a whole new staff in his office. That means over thousands of new members in office that he has to hire. With that he does get help to hire people in office. With the help, he will have more time to focus on the goals he set to accomplish. I believe that President- Elect Obama should tackle the issue on economy first. With the economic boom we've just recently had I think it's time for a damage control to occur. Otherwise he has a lot to do in which will take a large amount of time.
11/20/2008

Aristide,R PD5
Northeast High School, Philadelphia,Pa
Well, to begin I firmly believe that the journey upon which the newly elected president ,Barack Obama is full of trials and tribulations.The journey will definitely test him in many different ways. the people of the United States are expecting him to live up to his words and promises. I believe that it will be had to live up to most of the things that he's promised the american people but , I know he will try his hardest to do so, but also with a strong staff at his side to guide him he will definitely be a force to reckon with. I believe that Barack , will only grow and possibly flourish into one of the many legendary president of the United States of America.Two of the biggest issues that this country is currently facing are the war in Iraq, I think the Barack Obama needs to tackle that situation as soon as he gets settled into the white house. He needs to come up with a plan to help get the troops from Iraq and work and build on the economy with money that is being funded to Iraq. The people in the United States are in a great need of help in this current economy. Another Issue that is also in great need of resolving is the immigration issues , i believe he needs to establish policies helping immigrations who are in need of a future. Many come to the United States in search of opportunity, and in order to help the 13+ million illegal immigrants who currently reside int he U.S. , he needs to make some kind of amnesty, such as the one Hilary Clinton planned to do within 100 days of her presidency. Because , in all honestly his plan to help the immigration does not really have any substance to it, in my opinion. I would basically advise him to attempt to keep a firm ground on most of the things he swore by.And with his many supporters say loyal, it would definitely be to his benefit to have the people on his side.
11/19/2008

Kainoa
Stroudsburg JHS, Stroudsburg, PA
The problem that President-elect Obama should take care of, I think is that he should deal with helping us with this recession and help improve our economy.
11/19/2008

Dwonald
Warren Hills, NJ
I believe Obama should first focus on the economy and then on ending the war. Though there are so many other issues, these are the ones that should take priority.
11/19/2008

Gieselle
Dalton School, NYC
I think obama should work on our economy and immigration I think there two really big issues that seem to have an impact on our country right now.
11/19/2008

L. C.
Warren Hills High School, Washington, NJ
The first and most important thing that President Obama should focus on is the economy. The increase in unemployment and homelessness is a huge problem that we need to fix.
11/19/2008

Blair
Warren Hills High School, Washington, NJ
I believe President-Elect Barack Obama should focus on getting our country out of this economic crisis. As soon as the economy starts to be fixed then jobs can be reinstated allowing families to become financially comfortable once again and put money into the economic flow. I definitely am sure that giving middle class tax breaks and taxing the so-called "wealthy" will not help the economy at all. The only outcome of this plan is expanding the middle class by taking away from the wealthy class.
11/19/2008

Carlie
Warren Hills, Washington, NJ
When Obama starts his term, he has to start right away. He wont have the adjustment period other presidents did. For his first priority, I think he must adress the war and the troops. He should start taking them out over the corse of time, not all at once. He should also focus on the environment. Finally he definately needs to start strong on coming up with the best ways to fix our terribly terrible economy. I think that in the long run, if he follows through with what he promised, he could our nation...
11/19/2008

Miley
Warren Hills, Washington, NJ
I think Barack Obama's first priorities should be the Health care plan, The War in Iraq, and the Economy.
11/19/2008

Anne
Warren Hills Regional High School, Washington, New Jersey
The most important priority that President-elect Obama should take care of first is the economy. The economy affects everyone and it needs to be improved.
11/19/2008

Anne
Warren Hills Regional High School, Washington, New Jersey
The most important priority that President-elect Obama should take care of first is the economy. The economy affects everyone and it needs to be improved.
11/19/2008

Lindsay
Warren Hills High School, Washington, NJ
I think President-elect Barack Obama's first priority is to get the economy back on track. His plans seem like they will be beneficial to the economy, and hopefully they will work well enough to get the country back on track. Hopefully within Obama's first two years in office, the economy will gradually start to recover and eventually be better than it was before the current economic crisis.
11/19/2008

Myke
Warren Hills Regional High School, Washington New Jersey
I think that Barack Obama has numerous things that he needs to take care of during his presidency. These things include the economy(incresing it), the war in iraq (ending it / bringing troops home), and the healthcare system (it needs to be expanded because there are too many people suffering who deserve health care). I think that President Obama has a lot of great ideas that he could put into motion and if he does i think that America will only get better. I think that the poor needs more asistance, not so much that they are no longer indiiduals and only survive on the government but i think that there are way to many people suffering to the point of death. Also keeping focus on the middle class and making sure that the standard for Americans does not fall any further.
11/19/2008

Blair
Warren Hills High School, Washington, NJ
I believe President-Elect Barack Obama should focus on getting our country out of this economic crisis. As soon as the economy starts to be fixed then jobs can be reinstated allowing families to become financially comfortable once again and put money into the economic flow. I definitely am sure that giving middle class tax breaks and taxing the so-called "wealthy" will not help the economy at all. The only outcome of this plan is expanding the middle class by taking away from the wealthy class.
11/19/2008

Haley
Warren Hills High School, Washington, New Jersey
He needs to help rebuild the economy by changing taxes, for everyone not just people who makes less the $250,000. Then take care of Healthcare.
11/19/2008

L.C.
Warren Hills High School, Washington, NJ
The first and most important thing that President Obama should focus on is the economy. The increase in unemployment and homelessness is a huge problem that we need to fix.
11/19/2008

Matt A.
Warren Hills, Washington, NJ
Honestly as a citizen of this great country, I believe that we should solve the problems we have here before we move on to problems in other countries. Yes we do need to get the troops dont get me wrong, but home is where the heart is and without the heart the body cant function.
11/19/2008

L
Warren Hills Regional High School, Washington, New Jersey
The economy has been the biggest topic of discussion and seems to be the most important issue to the general public, and based on this, I'd say that Obama's first priority should be fixing the economy.
11/19/2008

Shannon
warren hills high school , washington new jersey
I think that Barack Obama should work on the economy. today many people are worried that the united states will go into a recession. of worse a depression. After he fixes the economy he should try to fix the war in Iraq. As he said he wants to remove the troops in about 16 months. I feel that many people will object to that, but there will be a lot of people will support him. I feel that the United States should have never entered the war in Iraq. we were having trouble with Afghanistan. Now we are in Iraq trying to help them fix their economy and their government. they should not be our main concern. the last thing that I think that Barack Obama should work on is providing health care problem in the United States. Also he should try to fix the poverty rate in the united states. many people have lost their homes due to the economy. This left them homeless which causes the poverty rate to rise. In his campaign Obama stated that he wanted to provide health care to everyone. This separated him from John McCain. I think that Barack Obama will do a great job. He will just have a lot to deal with.
11/19/2008

Miley
Warren Hills, Washington, NJ
I think Barack Obama's first priorities should be the Health care plan, The War in Iraq, and the Economy.
11/19/2008

Obaqua
Warren Hills High School, Washington, NJ
Obama definitely has his work cut out for him, with more than a handful of really tough topics. His main concern should be the descending economy, mostly because it is the most pressing issue right now. If he doesn't do something about it, it will affect not only the people, but also our morale, which will lower his chances for a 2nd term, as well as for his dream of change. But he shouldn't lose focus of the rest of the problems we face. Healthcare, social security, and security in general should also be at the top of the list. To get the change he wants, Obama needs to double or triple up on his first tasks.
11/19/2008

Joe
Warren Hills, oxford
I think Obama should help out our economy first.then he should help out the soldiers in Iraq because we shouldn't be there anymore. With the soldiers out of Iraq there will be less chaos in America and we would be able to settle other problems so much easier.
11/19/2008

Corissa S
Warren Hills High School, NJ
President elect, Barack Obama needs to address many problems, the one that I feel is most important is the war in Iraq.
11/19/2008

WHGS 41
Warren Hills High School, Washington NJ
I think Barack Obama's priorities right now should be the war, and economy and the immigration policies. The economy is one of the biggest issues American as a country has right now. If we don't get things back on track soon this could be just like the Great Depression. Our country is in dire need of a good leader who will get us out of this recession. He also needs to focus on what the next move will be for the War. We have been overseas for so many years now, and he as the President must decide whether to keep the troops in place or pull them out. My personal opinion is we should take the troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan. We need to give their government time to build themselves and work for themselves. Our country can also be a band aid for together countries. We gave them assistance now its tie too leave before more innocent people trying to help die. And Immigration, the president needs to figure out a good plan that will work in a good way for our country and people coming into our country. We obviously cant let everyone stay here in our country, because eventually there will be no room. in my opinion our policy should be that people with skills that will help our economy and our country can come in and have a 3 year visa, or people who are looking to reform themselves because of issues in there old countries. We should not take away the right for people to come live here. That would be hypocritical, since we are the country of the free and we accept everyone.
11/19/2008

Christine A
warren hills regional high school, nj
I think the economy should be addressed first, before it gets any worse than it already is.
11/19/2008

Shanene
Warren Hills Regional High School, Washington NJ
In order of importance: 1.Economy 2.HealthCare 3.The War
11/19/2008

assiram
warren hills, nj
i believe the economy comes first on his list
11/19/2008

Marie
warren hills , washington NJ
I think that President-Elect Obama should take care of the economy first when he gets into office.
11/19/2008

Fred
Warren Hills, NJ
The most important thing that Barack Obama can do is make the American markets more competitive in the world economy. Meaning that the government must set some standards for corporations such as GM and GE. Forcing them to create more competitive products, and maximizing their potential by aiding them in areas such as their health care plans. These companies are the basis of our economy, and we can't let them fail.
11/19/2008

Tyler
Warren Hills, Washington
Barack Obama's first issue to try and fix should be the economy. It won't be easy, and it will take time, but I feel that if he can fix the economy he can begin to put in place more efficient working programs which create more jobs. Overall, Obama has plenty of work to do during his Presidency...health care and the war in Iraq/Afghanistan should be next on his list of priority.
11/19/2008

mike
whhs, nj
the war needs to be taken care of but first things first. our economy needs to be taken care of in order to get the u.s. back on track
11/19/2008

MD
Warren Hills High School, Washington, NJ
When I saw Barack Obama at his first press conference after being voted as the next president, I thought he looked extremely out of his element. He looked awkward and a bit uncomfortable. It seemed as though he realized that he actually has to come up with a plan to keep the promises he made during his campaign, and I believe that he is going to have a hard time doing so.
11/19/2008

Tyler
warren hills, nj
I feel like the president elect has to do something about our failing economy but all of his plans to solve internal national issues involve a lot of spending and a democratic president and house will pass every bill that is pushed infront of either him or the house which could add even more to our national debt. He is also under much of the same situations as JFK who although very popular is regarded as one of the worst presidents in history.
11/19/2008

Zach S
Warren Hillsz, Washington NJ
I think that our economy really needs to improve. Im hoping that Obama does his job and improves the economy. We should just get out of Iraq immediately instead of letting our troops die.
11/19/2008

Cee-Cee
Warren Hills, NJ
Obama's first priority should be pulling US troops out of Iraq. Our economy would be in much better shape if all of our expenses were't going towards a pointless war!
11/19/2008

Jennifer
whrhs, washington,NJ
 President-elect Obama should focus on whats going on with the economy and help improve on the economy.
11/18/2008

Xavier
Widener Memorial, Philadelphia, PA
I think that Obama's first priority should be to get the troops out of Iraq. I also think that if he does that, America won't be in as much chaos as it has in the past eight years. Overall, he really should focus on the economy. I mean, people are losing jobs because of what president Bush has allowed.
11/18/2008

Brian R. pd.2
Northeast Highschool, Phila/PA
The first thing that I think Obama should do is try to fix the economy. There are alot of people lossing jobs and unable to feed their families because they were layed off because of the economy. For the people tring to go to college it will be harder to get loans and grants. The next thing I think he should do is bring the troops back home.
11/18/2008

Tatiana V.
NEHS pd 2, Phila, Pa
Barack Obama has a heavy load over his shoulders. On one he has all the issues that need to be resolved and on the other he has his promises to bring change to America. The people trust to see these changes when he takes the seat. The main issue right now is the economy, and he definitely has to focus on that at once. This country is supposedly the leading country, and with this economic crisis, it seeks much help. Although this is a main issue, there are plenty of others that need change, but to tackle those, the economic crisis has to be fixed. We can’t change the rest if the economy is bad. In conclusion, Obama has lots to do, and all these changes are going to take a good amount of time to be fixed.
11/17/2008

John
warren hills high school, washington, nj
Barack Obama better start working on this economy. I want to go to college next year and with the economy the way it is, I probably won't get a loan. No companies are giving loans. All of this money is frozen. No one is loaning anything. ..and that scares me. Please do what you promised and fix this problem!
11/17/2008

Rob
Warren Hills, NJ
Personally, I don't think he'll be able to deliver on some of his more glamorous promises, but he seems like a solid leader who could gradually guide us back to prosperity. However, overuse of the government could cause problems with the economy, so he's got to walk a fine line.
11/17/2008

Jack
Warren Hills, washington nj
The first thing Obama has to do is secure the nations defenses. There is a good chance the country may be attacked during the transitional period. The second thing he needs to do is pass as many things as he can to get the economy going. He should follow the footsteps of Reagan and FDR and take advantage of this mandate he seems to have been given. The final thing he needs to do is have a bi-partisan cabinet. In that area he should follow Lincoln!!
11/17/2008

Gina
Warren Hills, NJ
Barack has a lot to learn but has some fresh ideas to bring to the White House and I think he'll succeed politically and socially as long as he does all of the things he promised...or at least attempts to.
11/17/2008

Adetayo
Warren Hills Regional, Washington
With the presidency secured Obama now has to tackle the economy. This was the defining issue of the election and should be the first priority.
11/17/2008

X.P.
Warren Hills Regional High School, Washington NJ
The war in Iraq should absolutely be the most important issue on Obama's agenda. We've been there way too long as it is, and it's time we get things going in our own country instead of butting into other countries. Imperialism is bad. Do work!
11/17/2008

Jackie
Warren Hills Regional High School, Washington, NJ
Obama has a lot of things to take care of. First, he needs to get the economy back on track. That will appease many people since that was the number one issue people took into consideration. He needs to come through on his promises of tax cuts and help relieve the middle class Americans who are currently struggling. After the economy, he needs to focus on health care, education, and the war in Iraq. These issues effect the country the most after the economy.
11/17/2008

Katie
Warren Hills Regional High School, Washington, NJ
I think the economy should be a big priority when he begins his presidency. Though, I also feel all his long-term plans should be put into effect so change can happen. One thing's for sure, the soldiers need to come home.
11/17/2008

Kelley
Warren Hills, Washington, NJ
The issue that Obama should tackle first should be the economy. Right now, we are in a recession, we need our new president to bring the change that we need, and to help our economy. I believe he will do a good job.
11/17/2008

Christy
Warren Hills Regional High School, New Jersey
After the 2008 Presidential election and Barack Obama's strong victory against John McCain, the next big step needed to be made would be to actually deal with the issues in which he had been campaigning for about a year to get across to the public. I think that the Economy is definitely one of the most important issues to deal with, since the path it is following is similar to the one that lead to The Great Depression decades ago. Another important issue would be the land and sea around the area (not in any particular order). Health Care, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are other issues that need to be dealt with. This will definitely be a difficult thing for Barack Obama to get through, but I'm confident that he will be successful during this term.
11/17/2008

Ian
Warren Hills Regional High School, Washington, NJ
The most important thing that Barack Obama can do is make the American markets more competitive in the world economy. This means the government must set some standards for corporations such as GM and GE. Forcing them to create more competitive products, and maximizing their potential by aiding them in areas such as their healthcare plans. These companies are the basis of our economy, and we can't let them fail.
11/17/2008

Wyatt
WHRHS, NJ
Well, the economy is the obvious choice as the first priority for Obama, but while the economy is important, he needs work on repairing the United States international standing. This includes working on our relationship with Russia and what the United States should do with Georgia. I think Obama should support Georgia as a candidate for the UN, though they will not be eligible for a couple years. Another very important issue will be how to deal with Afghanistan in the up and coming months. The war in Afghanistan will require new tactics from Iraq for United States to be successful. I think Obama will rise to the challenge and deliver on his promise of change.
11/17/2008

Samantha S. pd 2
Northeast high School, Phila, PA
I don't think that Obama will be able to go through with all of his promises. I doubt that any president will has been able to keep every promise. I do believe that he should tackle the issues on the economy, health care, education, and energy. It seems that right now those issues are the most important things that people are worrying about so he should focus on those issues. I also agree with his views on the topics. I especially agree with his view on health care and education.
11/17/2008

Chonte H.
widener, philadelphia
Obama should work on health care issues
11/17/2008

Kwanesha
Widener, Philadelphia
Obama should work on the economy because outcome of that can effect the out come of anything else that he plans to work on.
11/17/2008

Jose
Prieto, Widener Memorial School
President-Elect Barack Obama really needs to work on our economy. Yes, it is important to put a termination on the war of Iraq, but our country is suffering economicaly. All of us are going broke. Students that are planning their studies might not recieve grants, and it is just crazy how our economy is just going "down hill". President Obama, please help our economy and do whatever you can to fix this situation. I want to go to college and get a degree, and I can't if economy goes bust!
11/17/2008

Christopher
Widener, Philadelphia
I believe that some of the major issues that President-Elect Obama needs to adress is ending the war in Iraq. Another thing that President-Elect Obama needs to focus on is fixing the economy.
11/17/2008

Ricky S. pd.2
Northeast High, Phila, PA
With the election over I believe that president-elect has a lot to do. He also has millions of people looking up to him because he said that he will bring change so he has to set the bar really high. But one of the first issues Obama should tackle is the economy crises. I think that he will be able to accomplish a lot by starting to get this country on the right track. But it will take this many years to get us out of the hole Bush dug us into.
11/16/2008

Tajana
Northeast HS, Philadelphia
Though all the issues at hand are important, I think Obama needs to resolve our economic issues first. This doesn't just affect the whole country, but also everyone around the world. Not only does our country not have enough money, but people aren't able to support their families and the country is going into a state of panic. With him being the first black President he has many obstacles to overcome, so the sooner he starts to fix our country, the better the outcome will be.
11/16/2008

Ulysses
Nimitz, Irving,TX
Our President-Elect Obama has the United States on his shoulders. We the people elected him because we believe that he has what it takes to take this country out of its downward spiral. Obama should first concentrate on developing a strong cabinet that will help him stabilize the economy and then whatever follows should be along the lines of picking it back up.
11/16/2008

Selene Saa.
Nimitz High, Irving, Tx
Obama should begin with the most important priority that we all have in mind: fixing the economy. Our economy is extremely unstable at this time and we want a solution. He needs to tackle that first before he can try to focus more on the withdrawal of the troops in Iraq and then hopefully after that is over with, Obama can focus on the education of the children. I think he can accomplish his goals with the help of the new people that he is going to appoint since most of them are democrats. Because the majority are democrats, the legislature the president wants to pass will most likely become law without much trouble or opposition. After his focus on education, he should also try to help out our environment and improve the situation with immigration. There is still a lot to be done, but I believe his goals are reasonable and probably achievable.
11/15/2008

bhaugpd5
NEHS, philadelphia
I think that Obama should address the economic issue first. Our economy is in a terrible state right now, people are getting laid off, lesser pay. Everyone now is trying to conserve their money at any costs which brings buisness sales down and then will eventually lead into bakruptcy. At a chaotic time like this, obama needs to prove to the people who voted for him that we matter most and he can fix it as soon as possible. The american people have high expectations for him and change, lets see it happen.
11/14/2008

Stephen
Nimitz, Irving, TX
Our president-elect has a huge advantage because Congress is Democratic-controlled by a pretty large majority. This means that he can push legislation much easier because odds are Congress is going to vote with him. I think the first issue Obama should tackle is universal healthcare. If he can effectively extend healthcare to everyone who needs it, a lot of debt will be erased and further debt will be prevented.
11/13/2008

patrick
Sjhs, Stroudsburg PA
I would advise the new president to do all of the things he said in his campaign. His top priority should be fixing the economy. Obama should select his cabinet based on who would be best for our country (experience). The cabinet should have lots of experience so that the government of our country will lead us on the path to success after the 8 years of mistakes that our last president lead us through. As long as Obama does what he said he was going to do this presidency will not only make history it will also help our country.
11/13/2008

Kim D.
Stroudsburg Junior High School, Pennsylvania
I think the one of the most important issues is the war in Iraq and I think that Obama should start getting the troops out as soon as possible. I also think that the economy is another really important issue and he should start his plan on that right away. I think Obama should select his cabinet by going with his best judgment and choosing people who he really trusts and knows well or get advice from some other government officials as to who he should choose for his cabinet. The cabinet members should obviously know what they’re talking about. They should also be trustworthy, reliable, responsible, and educated.
11/13/2008

James W
SJHS, Strousburg Pa
Obama should set his goals on completing the wars over seas, and getting this country out of its depression stage. Obama should select his cabinet on people who will respect him, and do a good job under his leadership. The cabinet members should have all kinds of experience like economy experience, and military experience.
11/13/2008

Dylan S.
Stroudsburg Jr. High School, Stroudsburg
I would advise president Obama to do two things first. The first of the two is to get rid of the patriot act which is a huge violation to the fourth amendment. This law is also a waste because there are no terrorists in the United States. Second he should end the war in Iraq and bring our troops back. We are fighting a pointless war in Iraq and it needs to be ended. Our troops die and we spend billions of dollars on a pointless and meaning less war. This is what I believe that these are the things that Obama should do to improve the United States of America.
11/13/2008

Sean Michael
Stroudsburg Junior High School, Stroudsburg
I would make sure the President-Elect Obama would do the proper steps to help the rich and the poor. I think he should worry about having the poor more suitable for life instead of struggling through it. Only the poor who have cases though, like for example, if a man and women get married and they put stuff in each others name and rise a debt they should pay interest in the fact that if they get divorced the debt should be separated equally instead of just giving it to one side of the marriage. Obama should select his cabinet carefully and to the best interest of the United States of America. They should have at least some kind of pressure experience instead of having someone new to the game. I have faith in President-Elect Obama and he will succeed greatly and pick the right cabinet.
11/13/2008

Chris
SJHS , Stroudsburg
He should work on ending the war over seas. Obama should by their experience in what they do. They should have experience in every this dealing with the government
11/13/2008

isaiah n.
stroudsburg jr. high school, stroudsburg P.A.
I would advise the president to pull our soldiers out of Iraq at a steady pace but keep funding the military just incase we need act fast on terrorist ore war issues so we don’t have another world war two when we weren’t prepared to face the Germans. Or I’d tell Mr.Obama to make sure to help those who need food and health care by funding many fundraisers or food drives. To help daily struggles in the lives of the poor or needy American and to build stronger bonds between countries to have more allies a national threat.
11/13/2008

Glenn
Nimitz High School, Irving, TX
Obama will obviously, try as hard as he can to push for his policies. More than likely he will be replacing a few judges along the way. He will also pick cabinet members that he believes will be in his best interest, obviously. Once he holds the office, he should have little trouble passing his policies, since there is a Democratic majority in the house and senate.
11/13/2008

Vicky
sjhs, stroudsburg, pa
I would advise the new president by telling him what his main priorities are and helping him how to run the country. I would tell him that he should focus on education and the wars in Iraq. He should select his cabinet wisely and responsibly. They should have a good amount of experience to be able to help him out.
11/13/2008

isaiah n.
stroudsburg jr. high school, stroudsburg P.A.
I would advise the president to pull our soldiers out of Iraq at a steady pace but keep funding the military just in case we need act fast on terrorist ore war issues so we don’t have another World War Two when we weren’t prepared to face the Germans. Or I’d tell Mr.Obama to make sure to help those who need food and health care by funding many fundraisers or food drives. To help daily struggles in the lives of the poor or needy American and to build stronger bonds between countries to have more allies a national threat.
11/13/2008

Kaylin H.
Stroudsburg Jr. High, Stroudsburg
First of all, President-elect Obama has a lot to tackle and come through on many plans. There are two issues that I believe should be his top priorities with the first being the war in Iraq and the second issues being the economy. I believe turning his head to the war first is the best plan because he is going to be thrown into the middle of a seven year war and he’ll need to be able to understand everything that has been going on. As with the economy, he has promised many things that should help the people, help small businesses and of course, tax breaks for the middle and lower classes which, is something I am against but more people will benefit from it than suffer. For President-elect Obama, I think he needs to choose his cabinet carefully and surround himself with people who have much experience to balance off his inexperience. The people whom he surrounds himself with should have the interests of the people in mind at all times, always thinking if whether or not something will benefit everyone, or a certain group of people, or, if they realize something will hurt the people as a whole. As far as credentials go, the most important would be past experience either working for the government or experience in politics itself. I would suggest that they have college degrees such as their masters or doctorates from a good college. Although not required it would probably be very beneficial if they some type of military experience so they can help aide the President-elect Obama make important choices in the war.
11/13/2008

Emily O.
sjhsd, pa
I would advise the president by asking him if he could help the economy a lot better. And ask him if he would be able to change the way the war in Iraq is by taking them out so not some many people die. I think his top priorities should be to get the army out of Iraq and help them get back to normal. He should select his cabinet by making sure that each person he picks is able to do the job they do. Also he should make sure they have kind of the same ideas. They should have been doing the job for a couple of years and no what they are doing.
11/13/2008

Ariel B.
Stroudsburg JHS, Pennsylvania
I would advise him to work the new president Barack Obama to adapt to the current American issues that are currently running in the U.S. today. For example, one of the current issues that is currently in America today is that of the banks closing down. Resulting to the bailout plan which as a result causing our national debt to rise even more. I would advise Barack Obama to “spend wisely”. When I say that I mean that if there is a really urgent crisis dealing with financial issues, spend some money on it to make the situation better. But if there is an issue with other countries, don’t spend the money. To remain neutral is the best way in order for the country to run. George Washington recommended this and I recommend this as well. “Neutral” is what he would have recommended.
11/13/2008

Shaun
Stroudsburg, East Stroudsburg
I would advise the president to fix the economy. The issues that should be his top priorities is fixing the economy, healthcare issues, enviorment. He should select his cabinet by looking at their background and political history and see if they play a good role in helping America. The cabinet should have experience with states or society.
11/13/2008

Nadia
Nimitz HS, Irving, TX
President-elect Obama has a tough road ahead of him: he has to deal with a weakened economy, a war in Iraq, and foreign affairs with other countries, among other things. The first thing he should focus on is the economy. His economic plan is one of the biggest reasons Americans chose him as our next president, and it's evident that the economy is our biggest problem. Obama should first get America back on a road to prosperity. It won't be the easiest thing to tackle, but it's definitely the issue that needs to be taken care of as soon as possible. To accomplish this task and his other goals, he should call on the best experts in fields like Education, Economy, and Foreign Affairs to help him with his plans. By involving experts and advisers, he can be more successful with his reforms and programs.
11/13/2008

Tyaisha
University City High School, philadelpha pa
I believe the president should be focusing on the war in Iraq. I think thats what increasing all he problems thats taking place today. It only proves that voilence equals to more voilence. I also believe that if war was over that would bring a new begging,a new begging to world peace....i believe it would bring hope.
11/13/2008

Mariana
Nimitz HIgh School, Irving, TX
The first thing on Obama's list of priorities should be relieving the economic problems the country is facing and could eventually face. This issue affects every person living in the United States, is Obama fails at this the American people who once had so much faith and saw so much promise in this man will , most likely, turn against Obama. The next two issues Obama should focus one should be Foreign relations and policies and the experiment and alternative energy resources. Obama faces more problems than the presidents before him faced due to his race. How Obama will follow through on all the the things he said he would do for the country during his campaign, I am not entirely sure. What I do know is that the entire world will be watching his every move with great expectations.
11/13/2008

Emmanuel
Nimitz, Irving, TX
Currently, the country is in an economic downturn. That must be the first issue addressed; however President Obama should address the main cause of this downturn, the War in Iraq, once that is resolved I believe the country will find it's way out of these economic hardships.
11/13/2008

Hyunwoo
Nimitz, Irving
Our new president has lots of work cut out for him. But the first issue that Obama should tackle is the problem with the economy. The main reason for the votes casted were mainly because of the economy and if Obama wants to be president for the second term in four years, he needs to bring up the economy and keep the American people happy. The media says that Obama is very literal and romantic with his words, but in order to keep the majority of the population he needs to be more action than words.
11/13/2008

Charles P. Pd 5
Northeast High School, Philadelphia, PA
I believe that the country has changed a lot over the past 40 years. About two weeks ago the people of the United States of America have chosen change. Now Barack Obama is the President-Elect of the United States and the three major topics he has to deal with as he’s sworn into office are “economy, War in Iraq and Environment”. In his first two months in office President-Elect Obama has to focus on the economy, because it’s a topic that doesn’t just deal with us as a country but every country in the world. As we see the stocks around the world have dropped tremendously in the past month or so. To tackle down the other three issues he has to mainly focus on the economy because if the economy is not stable than how can we afford to help better our environment and try to solve the War in Iraq.
11/13/2008

Jerril
Nimitz High School, Irving, TX
I think the president-elect should first focus on getting the economy out of its slump. The economic issue is very serious and it is negatively affecting the citizens. I think if this issue is resolved first, people will have more trust in Obama as the leader of our country. I would advise Obama to fulfill all the promises he made and also to think wisely before making any drastic decisions.
11/12/2008

Fil
Nimitz High School, Irving, Tx
The president-elect has a lot of work cut out for him. One of the main problems Obama should tackle first is stabilizing the economy. This is one of the important issues the American voters considered when casting their votes. It is on everybody's mind and Obama needs to act upon it if he wants to keep the American people happy. One piece of advise I would give Obama is to listen to the people. Let everyone know you have their best interest in mind when considering new legislation.
11/12/2008

Malik. C
University City High School, phila,pa
I think that Obama is going to show these so called politicians how to run for the president and how to run the white house. As the first black president of the USA, he will face many challanges but I also think that these problems that we are facing I think he will change then for us.
11/12/2008

Christina S
unversity city hs, phila
I think if he get in the seat he is going to fix the economy and everything.
11/12/2008

Channin H
University City HS, Philadelphia PA
Becoming the President-Elect means that he has alot of work cut out for him. I think he should work on fixing the economy. Obama need to worry about the people that need more help,and help some high school students in trying to get in to a good college. Also let the people know that he have their best interest in mind when considering new legislation.
11/12/2008

Tyaisha
coleman, philadelphia pa
Fixing the economy is very much important but how are you going to be able to do so if you don't feel good? Many people are suffering and dying because of the fact that people are not recieving healthcare. It should not matter weather you could pay for it or not everyone should be able to be nurture back to health when they're sick. Thank about it.
11/12/2008

Stephanie
Nimitz High School , Irving, TX
I think in the next two months Barack Obama should concentrate on developing his cabinet and taking care of the issues that directly hit the people in America at home the most. Many people that voted for McCain are very angry and fearful of the future and I think Obama should try and revive their fear and prove to them that he can fulfill his job.
11/12/2008

K.M. pd. 2
Northeast High , Philadelphia, Pa
Barack Obama has made a lot of promises during his campaign. I don't think he will be able to fulfill all of his promises during this term. I believe he should tend to the most imprtant issue first. In my opinion the economy should be his top priority. The decline of the economy affects every person all over the country. I would advise Obama to deal with the economy first because according to polls, the economy is the most important topic to the public. If he bulids the economy he will be helipng himself get reelected and sove a major problem at the same time.
11/12/2008

Rydesha H.2pd
northeast high school, philadelphia pa
Well seeing that there is alot going on in the world i do not feel like he will be able to accomplish everything that he promised but somethings he should be able to do. I believe that President-elect Obama should deal with the econmice crisis going on in the world. so that our world will not have another great depression. I would advise the new leader to one help come up with a bill or somthing to change the way are econmcy is looking. I would advise him to put most of his fouces on the health care plan and the econmic crisis. I beleive that these are the two most important things going on in the world because if effects americans each day.
11/12/2008

Samantha S.
Northeast HS, Phila, PA
I believe that Obama will not be able to tackle all of his promises. Most presidents (if not all of them) can't keep all their promises. However, I do think that he should focus more on education and economy. It seems like right now that's what everyone is worried about the most. He should worry about how he can improve the economy. I like his views on education and health care and i think that he should deffinately follow through with those ideas and promises.
11/12/2008

Selene Saa.
Nimitz High, Irving, Tx
Obama should begin with the most important priority that we all have in mind: fixing the economy. Our economy is extremely unstable at this time and we want a solution. He needs to tackle that first before he can try to focus more on the withdrawal of the troops in Iraq and then hopefully after that is over with, Obama can focus on the education of the children. I think he can accomplish his goals with the help of the new people that he is going to appoint since most of them are democrats. Because the majority are democrats, the legislature the president wants to pass will most likely become law without much trouble or opposition. After his focus on education, he should also try to help out our environment and improve the situation with immigration. There is still a lot to be done, but I believe his goals are reasonable and probably achievable.
11/12/2008

Blesson
Nimitz, Irving,TX
It is now time to fix America. The time has been there and it is long overdue. This country need to be fixed as soon as possible because of everything that is going on in our country now. If we wish to remain the top country in the world we must fix everything in our country before some other country takes our spot. We must also figure out what to do with the war. The economy is a big thing that is on everyones mind and it must be taken care of as fast as possible.
11/11/2008

Tamara
Nimitz, Irving
Becoming the new president during a time of war and having many problems to take care of can be very stressing for Mr. Obama. He should definately plan out everything he has to do, starting with building up his staff. The next big problem that is affecting the nation as a whole is the economy. Next, he should probably focus on our troops. We want them back home safe with us and we also want to have that feeling of security that once we do bring them home, we won't be attacked again. Basically, he should just create a plan and stick to his word.
11/10/2008

Sairah
Nimitz HS, Irving, TX
The very first thing President-Elect Obama should do is stabilize the economy at home, before he even thinks about tackling the issues abroad. After repairs are in motion, then- and only then- he should concentrate on getting our troops back peacefully.
11/10/2008

Yessi
NHS, Irving, Tx
President-elect Barack Obama should most importantly focus on the economy and start a way in which united states can get rid of dept and stop depending so much in other supplies from foreign countries. Then he should focus on the war in iraq because a lot of money that could be in our economy is spent to keep them in iraq. Then after that he can focus on the issue with the immigration and see what he wants to do with it. I would recommend him to have a certain number of qualifications for the immigrants that want to live in the United States. And final but not least i believe he should pay attention to green house effects and try to have everyone be aware of the thr phrase "going green" and taking care of our planet more.
11/10/2008

Vishal
Nimitz, Irving, TX
It's obvious the new president should first tackle the policies which were of most importance during the campaining period. To keep well with the public's eye, the president must do his best to give the people what he promised he would give. Ending the war efficiently should be first on the mind of the president-elect, due to the fact that its upholding is the use of a large fraction of the tax payers money. Tax-policy would be the next priority during the inception of his leadership of America. The amount each person will be held to pay each paycheck will have a huge effect on our economy.
11/10/2008

Matt
Nimitz, Irving, TX
Being that I am only a senior in high school, I cant possibly try to advise the president. I do believe that Obama should deal with the economic problems we are having before things get out of hand. The issues with foreign affairs and alternative fuels should probably be handled next.
11/10/2008

Lexy C.
Nimitz, Irving, TX
I believe he should build a very strong cabinet beside him. Since doesn't have many close friends in Congress that we know of, he has a clean slate that he can build a masterpiece on. Right after that Mr. Obama should start dissecting different policies, especially the ones he spoke of to the American people during his candidacy. He has many goals that'd he'd like to reach in a fairly small amount of time and the weight of America and its people is on his shoulders.
11/10/2008

Ivette
Nimitz, Irving
The first issue president Obama should tackle is the economy. It is an issue that is affecting everyone.
11/10/2008

Juan A.
Nimitz High School, Irving TX
I don’t think I am personally qualified to advise the president, and it seems to me like he is not wasting time and planning to act fast. I think his top priority should be to deal with the economy first. The economy problems are what are affecting the entire nation- so I think they should be first and foremost on the top of his To-Do list. I think that Obama should select his cabinet by those whose interest relies solely in the people. I don’t think he should elect people who are only democrats or on “his side” only. I think that he should pick people who have a lot of experience since he doesn’t have any in running the nation.
11/9/2008

Vy
Nimitz, Irving
Most likely, Obama will first tackle the issue of the plunging economy, which played a major role in the downfall of McCain's campaign. The American people are expecting a lot from this man, because they're weary of rising costs and afraid of heading with eyes wide open into a second great depression. Foreign relations, alternative fuel sources, and education should be second, third, and fourth on his list of priorities. Stem cell research can wait...indefinitely. Once he enters office, I hope Obama can organize, to an extent, a politically diverse, but cohesive cabinet to assist him from collapsing under mounting domestic and international pressures. It seems as though the eyes of the world are gazing at him.
11/9/2008

Ashley R. Pd. 2
Northeast High School, Philadelphia, PA
With the election over the President-Elect has a lot to do. One of the first issues Obama should embark upon is the economy. Our economy is so essential because our economy affects the nation’s economy as well. If our economy is not one of the first things tackled not only the United States but the rest of the world can feel the effects as well. I think that a lot of people have high expectations for Obama and I think that he will be able to meet most of them. I think if he fulfills his promises, this country will be on the right track and recovering from the mess Bush got us into.
11/9/2008

Hamilton M. Pd.2
Northeast High School, Philadelphia
With all of these new responsibilities, president Barack Obama can accomplish his goals by forming and create policy and put together staff of secretaries that are really willing to change America just like he promised during his campaign. It will surely be a hard choice, but we all know that he had a plan in mind to whom and how he was gonna select to govern with him and make the country different than the one Bush left. Some issues that President-Elect Obama should tackle first mabe the gas price, the economy, and the war on terror. I say this because these are some of the things that are affecting many American life today, things that Bush left behind unsolved. I would advise the new leader of the United States of America to make sure that everyone in the office is doing the best for the success of the country. I would show him how the country would look like if things were as it were when Clinton was the president.
11/8/2008

Alan
Nimitz, Irving, TX
Obama should tackle the economy first because the economy is not looking good currently. The issue of economy is not just in the United States but also around the world. Then Obama should tackle the Iraq war because it has lasted for a long time that Obama needs a plan to finally end the war. Also Obama needs to improve the health care program. I would advise Obama to select a good cabinet that has experience and knowledge about specific topics to improve the United States. Obama should not let the critics bring him down.
11/8/2008

Maria O
Nimitz HS, Irving, Tx
President-elect Barack Obama has a daunting task in front of him: he must find a way to make good on all the campaign promises he has made. The easiest way to do this is to give responsibilities to his cabinet. If his cabinet is going to be making choices for him, it should reflect his opinions on matters. There is a multitude of qualified, experienced people out there who would be beneficial to Obama's presidency, even those who are more experienced than himself. It would be wise of Obama to find out which people he would work best with and appoint them as his cabinet members. The cabinet members should at least already hold some type of government office. On the issue of the issues, Barack Obama should focus on those he put deadlines on, such as taking the troops out of Iraq within 16 months, especially if he wants to get re-elected in 4 years. If he fails to meet these deadlines, he will meet criticism and lose support. He won by a slim margin this year, so he's not “safe” for 2008. He will be under high scrutiny during this term. He also needs to focus on issues that are more drastically affecting our country in the immediate future, such as the economic situation. Which type is more important, I can't say. I guess it all depends on his priorities.
11/8/2008

Alejandra D.V.
Nimitz H.S., Irving, TX
The President will pass laws that are about the issues he talked about during the primaries. President Obama should tackle the Iraq war first which will make the economy get a little better. Then he should tackle the debt or environment crisis. I would advise to him to listen to the people and not just the news. For him to go out and actually talk to the people about what kinds of things are on their minds. If not, then he can listen to the student's comments and see their point of view. The president can get online and come to student voices to see our opinions.
11/7/2008

Sarah P.
Springfield High School, Springfield, PA
I think our new president will accomplish the goals he talked about during the campaign by working quickly to create new policies and intiatives for Congress to pass. By working with private and government coporations as well as different organizations he will be able to reach the goals he discussed through out the campaign. Also, by continued input and facts he will be able to find the correct solutions to Foreign Policy issues like the War in Iraq. I think President-Elect Obama should tackle the economic crisis first and the War in Iraq. We need to stabalize are economy and make life in the United States better for the citizens living here. Obama needs to create more jobs, stop outsourcing and bring the economy out of recesesion to convey his true experience and ability to lead. This will help him gain supportors and move forward. I think he should focus on the War in Iraq next because it is a growing problem and we need to bring the troops home. The War is getting out of control, and innocent men are dying, Obama needs to find a way to end this war and begin to bring troops home. I would advise the new leader of the United States of America to work quickly, and effectively. By finding the best solutions and implementing them he will gain more support and start the change we need. Obama needs to focus on what is best for the country and what will help us rebuild. I would advise him with many facts, figures, statistics, as well as numerous different plans of actions. These various options will allow him to find the best solution to the issues and be a great leader.
11/7/2008

Edith
NImitz, Irving, TX
As new president of the United States, I don't think Obama needs my help whatsoever to make great desisons but to what I believe he should tackle first is the the problem in Iraq. I think this war has gone long enough and soldiers are dying leaving families mourning.
11/7/2008

Riniah K
Nimitz High School, Irving, TX
I think President-Elect Obama will accomplish his goals by organizing them and working with his staff. I think the first issue addressed should be the economy, because he talked on that most, and because it is the issue the American people are most concerned with. I would advise by telling him that he should pace himself, and to not worry about the scrutiny he will certainly face. I would also tell him that he should continue to try to work with Republicans and those who opposed him in the past because, I think that the American people need to see that things really are going to change.
11/7/2008

Marcus
Nimitz, Irving, TX
I think the first issue President-Elect Obama should tackle is relations with foreign countries. It's well known that most of the world hates the U.S. and doesn't want to cooperate with us. In reality, the U.S. could tackle so many issues with the help of other superpowers, such as foreign dependency on oil, new medical breakthroughs, help stimulate the world economy, and even combat the climate crisis we are currently facing. I would advise Obama to get together his best team of foreign relations experts, such as Joe Biden, to help get back in good terms with other countries. Not only will we receive the benefits these countries have to offer, but we will no longer have to deal with the threat of conflict between us and them.
11/7/2008

Ethan
Nimitz, Irving, TX
Obama seems to be tackling things in a logical order. Starting on election night, he and McCain have been working to unite our country under a common goal, the goal of revitalization. Obama is now scheduled to hold an economic conference in order to fix the economy. After all, his policies will cost money. After he has dealt with these issues have been dealt with and we are back on a path to national stability, I believe Obama should tackle national security. I do not believe he should end the war in Iraq, Afghanistan, or pull troops from anywhere in the world until we are assured that those places will pose no threat to us or our children. After he shapes his approach to foreign affairs, with the economy stable, Obama could then get to work on the reforms near and dear to many Americans such as healthcare and education. But whatever order he tackles these issues in, as long as we cooperate with him, he could certainly address them all.
11/7/2008

Lavonne
Nimitz, Irving,TX
I think that President-Elect Obama should put the economy and the War in Iraq as his main priorities at this point. I believe that with our economy in such bad shape, the war is definetly contributing to some of the problems because all of the millions of dollars that are being spent in Iraq is money that could have been used right here in America to help our situation.
11/7/2008

Taylor E
Nimitz High, Irving,TX
The first issue that Obama needs to address is the floundering economy because that is the most pressing matter. After that he can go ahead and focus on pulling out of Iraq and going after the real threat Afganistan. He also needs to focus on passing a lot of the items on his agenda because most presidents are judged by thier first 100 days in office.
11/7/2008

Drew G
Warren Area High School, Warren, Pa
Barack Obama has to deliver on his promises of a “Changed” America because we simply can not afford more of the same. The same old partisan and broken politics of the past will not work anymore. Both parties got us into the mess we are in and both parties have to get us out of it. He needs to keep true to his promises of rolling back the Bush Tax Cuts, rebuilding the middle class and stabilizing the economy. Healthcare coverage for all has to be the second top priority and the third has to be ending the War in Iraq. His promises inspired a nation but his failure to deliver on them could spell a one term presidency for President Elect Obama.
11/6/2008

Jasmine P.
Nimitz High School, Irving, TX
I think President- Elect Obama will accomplish his goals by appointing members to his Cabinet, who are more knowledgeable in that specific field (for example: he chose Joseph Biden as his Vice-President because of his experience in the Foreign Relations Committee in the Senate and with him just being more knowledgeable about Foreign Policy/Relations than Obama). I think that Obama should tackle the issue of the economy first because it is not just our economy that is being affected: the world is going through a tough time too. I would advise him to just prioritize his goals in terms of how much time it will take to actually start (with the bailout plan already in process, the economy should be first).
11/5/2008

Adam
Bodine, Philadelphia PA
We are in an economic downturn, internationally, and we need to deal with that first.
11/5/2008

Katherine
Nimitz, Irving, TX
I would tell Barack Obama to create a cabinet based on knowledge, experience, and credentials and not on party affiliation. I would tell him to unite both parties and bring together to best people possible for his cabinet. The first thing I would advise him to start with is the economy by addressing the money we spend on energy. The second thing would be the war in Iraq and wrapping that up as soon as possible. Somehow Obama needs to create an atmosphere where the president and congress can work together. This is very important for him to accomplish his goals.
11/5/2008

Jasmine C.
University City High School, Philadelphia/Pa
When Obama enters the White House on January 20, 2009, I think he will tackle the problems that George Bush messed up. I think that Obama should just take everything one step at a time. I also think that he would be able to get the country out of debt and become friends with everybody that don't like the United States of America. He would be also able to tackle any problems with his wife on his side.
11/5/2008

Darryl
Hardaway, Philadelphia,PA
Barack Obama will accomplish the goal by maintaining his and staying focus on the stuff he told us he would do. He will not be alone because he have his wife and his vice president Joseph Biden.the first issue that he should tackle first is the gun violence and the drug dealing.
11/5/2008

Ekeem T
University city High School, Philadelphia PA
I would like to see Barack Obama start off bye raising minimum wage and stop taxes.
11/5/2008

Enriqa
University City High School, Philadelphia, PA
I am very glad that the election is over. I think Obama now has to show what's he's made of. I think that he has to now back up all his speeches with action. Obama needs to show that it doesn't matter what race you are, an African American man is also capable of running the United States of America.
11/5/2008

Milu T.
Nimitz High School, Irving, Texas
I would tell Barack Obama to make wise decisions in everything he does. He should chose people that he can depend on to guide him and to help him make the right decisions. I would tell him to chose people who have knowledge and experience over what ever position they are appointed to. The issues Obama should tackle first is the war in Iraq and the Economy crisis. Both are important issues that are affecting United States, and the quicker they are fixed, the quicker our Nation will get better. Also I will tell Obama to try his best to accomplish everything he promised he would do, so he will always have the support of his voters.
11/5/2008

An
Nimitz High School, Irving, Texas
He should tackle the economy first and foremost. He needs to fix the debt our country is in. Obama should start connecting with other countries to have a better foreign relationship. Both parties need to work together to solve the problems of our economy. He needs to pick knowledgeable experience cabinet members to help guild him to make the right choices. Each cabinet member must have a specific knowledge on certain policies or issues that can be tackle easily.
11/5/2008

David
Bodine, philadephia
Mr. Obama will try to accomplish these goals by putting the largest of the issues first. I think that Mr. Obama should tackle the economic crisis and the alternative fuel research first.I would advise him to put a vast amount of focus into our economic crisis this way we don't enter another great depression.
11/5/2008

Melanie O.
Bodine, Philadelphia
Well the way I will advise Obama is by just letting him know that we the people are behind him a 100% and even though he may not fulfill all his promises we have faith that he's going to make a difference. I will tell him to just don make the same mistakes Bush made.
11/5/2008

Diavah
Bodine High, Philadelphia, Pa
I believe that it was a great victory. I actually agree with the final decision this year. The right man definitely won. I believe that its a great beginning to the new and improved future. It a wake up call for those of the minority, saying that they can be apart of something great.
11/5/2008

Andrea C.
Nimitz HS, Irving,Tx
I would advise the president to follow what it is that he agreed to in running for this election. He should focus on the economy, education, health care, immigration then Iraq. I hope that he would select his cabinet members based off of what he believes but as well as making sure that there is an equal opportunity for both republicans and democrats. The cabinets should have more than what Obama has himself, since he is younger and without a lot of experience, he needs to have elders that he can look up too.
11/5/2008

Trang
Bodine, Phila./PA
He definitely tackle the economy first and then work his way around because without a currency to spend then America can be deemed useless.
11/5/2008

Merhawi
Nimitz, Irving TX
I think having Democrat majorities in both the House and the Senate will help him pass the legislation that he has proposed and talked about during his campaign. I think the most important issue he should tackle is our economy and the War in Iraq. An effort to help put the country back on track concerning the economy should be reinforced with long term legislation concerning the energy crisis and other issues affecting our economy long term. I would advise Obama to surround himself with the best and brightest statesmen regardless of party affiliation.
11/5/2008

Talisha
Bodine, Philadelphia, PA
Now that Barack Obama is one step closer to becoming president, I think that people expect things to change as soon as he is in office. He can't make change immediately but he can make his way towards making things better. I think that he should tackle the economy first because we are in a downfall and many people are affected by it. If I could give him any advise it would be to take his time because if he rushes into things and quickly tries to change things then his results won't be as he expected.
11/5/2008

Kaycee
Nimitz H.S., Irving Tx
The first thing I think that Obama needs to do is make sure his cabinet is made up not only of those who are experience, wise, and good leaders but also people he can trust. I don’t mean like. You can trust someone to do their job, and do it well, without being their best friend. Although it would help it he liked them. He needs to make sure he has both Republicans and Democrats are in his cabinet as well. To appease those who are not Democrats and to see their opinions on future issues. The first issue Obama needs to see to is the economic struggle we face right now. Then move on to affair in foreign nations, mainly the war. I hope he understands that many soldiers are very proud of what they are doing, proud to serve their country. That they are out their fighting for a reason. I hope he takes care not to offend them. But basically he needs to fix things at home first. It is the control center of our nation. If we are not strong at home that leaves us open for trouble.
11/5/2008

Ana A
Nimitz, Irving
My advice to Obama would be to focus in the war and economy first. I think that with economy problems he is not going to be able to do what he promised. The entire nation was struggling with the past high prices of gasoline and everything was just going up. The only thing that we are gaining with the war at Iraq is deaths. Our soldiers have been fighting for more than a year, and although they might feel pride for their country, I do not agree with all this deaths. But Obama is going to need support to help him do his job, and that’s why he has to get together with people that he trusts, that have experience, knowledge, and are responsible.

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