In 2008, Barack Obama was elected president with an impressive 66% of the vote amongst 18-29-year-olds. Boasting endorsements and support from stars like Oprah Winfrey, Usher, and Scarlett Johansson, Obama was highly popular with young people–in November of 2009, a Harvard University Institute of Politics survey found that 58% of adults ages 18-29 approved of his performance as president.
And now?
“I think indifferently of him,” junior Mateo Cocito said. “He’s not that bad of a president, but he’s not the greatest president, either.”
For many, the idealism and optimism of the Obama campaign, embodied by slogans like “Change we can believe in” and “Yes we can,” created unusually high expectations.
“There was a lot of hype when he became president,” Cocito said. “He was going to be the first black president, and he had so many things he was going to fix.”
Of course, making striking promises is not a new political tactic, nor is it unique to Barack Obama. Nevertheless, the perception remained that Obama would bring a distinct sensibility and leadership style to a White House worn out by the continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the 2007 recession, among other issues.
“He built a political campaign on hope, which is kind of a naïve thing to build a campaign on,” English teacher James MacIndoe said. “But because everybody was so tired and distraught before that, I think a lot of people, including me, bought into that.”
One of the most controversial parts of Obama’s presidency thus far has been 2010’s Affordable Care Act. Dubbed “Obamacare,” the law aims to provide health insurance to all Americans, but it has met a great deal of opposition. While some consider it a costly overreach of governmental power, others feel it doesn’t go far enough to help the poor afford coverage.
“[Obama] promised to have better health care for people who can’t afford it, and he did part of that, but not everything that he promised,” senior Kris Aziz said. “I think [Obamacare] is effective, but not to the extent that he said it would be.”
The legislation is a notable example of an area in which many people hoped for dramatic results, largely due to what Obama said he could accomplish.
“I feel that he hyped it too much, and it turned out to be just a regular plan; it wasn’t anything too great. So that was a big disappointment,” Cocito said.
In addition, the ACA was plagued by a troubled rollout last year. On Oct. 1, the online insurance exchange went live, then promptly began to crash and malfunction, leading many people to become disillusioned with the Obama administration’s ability to implement a law as vast and far-reaching as the ACA. And even many who support the law feel that Obama has failed to promote it well.
“I think Obamacare is a good idea…but I think that he doesn’t really present it as well as he should,” freshman Ian McDonald said. “He can’t get his point across as well as he wants to.”
Oddly, even as a December 2013 Harvard Institute of Politics poll found Obama’s approval rating among 18- to 29-year olds has dropped dramatically to only 41%, he has still done remarkably well connecting to young people on a personal level.
“He’s the freshest president we’ve had,” junior Zayan Ahmed said. “You see him and you shake his hand. He bro-hugs everybody.” But, he added, “Politically, I feel like he’s been kind of wimpy, especially with his first term.”