By Ruth Manuel-Logan on Aug 4th 2010 10:37AM
Our beloved President Barack Obama turns 49 on today, and he's homebound, headed back to Chicago to celebrate.
Obama will be breaking bread with cherished friends and kicking up his feet at his own home in the city's Hyde Park section. Unfortunately, Michelle and the girls won't be helping him to blow out the candles on his cake. The first lady and the youngest Obama, Sasha, are away on a mother-daughter trip in Spain, while oldest child Malia is away at camp. Obama is not singing the blues about his family's absence on his big day, though, according to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, "They'll all be back together soon."
A year shy of the whopping 5-0, Obama's birthday is being used this election year as a prime fundraising opportunity for Democratic candidates and party organizations through mailings, e-mails, parties and other birthday-themed outreach.
Meanwhile, since taking office nearly two years ago, Obama has noticed that the aging process has sped up a bit. He has mentioned publicly that his hair has gotten grayer, but this just comes with the job. Bill Clinton still had about half a head of brown hair when he took office, but was a silver fox two years later, and George W. Bush went from salt and pepper to just salt in no time.
Obama also says that his metabolism has slowed down a tad since he was elected. There is no doubt that the presidential post is a daunting one, thanks to a struggling economy, raging wars and a host of other pressures. Obama is sure to see and feel telltale signs of wear and tear every day:
''Presidents age two years for every year that they're in office,'' said Dr. Michael F. Roizen, co-founder of RealAge, a Website that tells you how much older your body really is because of all that smoking and drinking you have been doing.
With all this talk about the cruel tricks that aging plays on a person, one thing rings true, Obama, gray hairs and all, you are still our finest president. Happy birthday!
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Comments: (9)
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By: Judy on 8/04/2010 11:28AM
Beloved president?? Not hardly. Obama has the worst approval rating in the history of our great nation. No doubt he will remain very low until he can be voted out of office.
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By: Elena on 8/04/2010 11:36AM
... and Judy it looks like you will remain very low too in life - with such an attitude.
Best Wishes,
Elena
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By: SHINEEK on 8/04/2010 11:51AM
Happy Birthday to me and my president...go Leos!
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By: Little Dickie Dydoe on 8/04/2010 12:43PM
Instead of spending his birthday with his family,he will be spending it with his Chicago Mob friends plotting new schemes to destroy America.
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By: gerald on 8/04/2010 3:28PM
Not my beloved President.He is such a liar.
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By: Sweet Vick on 8/04/2010 4:48PM
ALL HAIL AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE CHIEF!
I listened intently over the last few months as media reported on problems and issues confronting the nation and how President Obama responded as a leader. From their remarks, reportedly on behalf of the people, I summize many persons are unhappy that President Obama hasn't come out swinging. This is somewhat contradictory seeing that sociology reports show violence begets even more violence. Secondly, as a nation of supposedly civilized people, we reportedly abhor criminal acts of any kind.
Another concern some have is that President Obama’s behavior has not appeared 'black enough.' I wonder what that means. Seeing that in response to anger and disappointment, blacks have historically engaged in either crimes of passion, civil disobedience or riots. Most have been black on black crimes. With the exception of civil rights violations, few have been in response to politics. And with the exception of DC sniper John Muhammed, few have resulted in violent actions against the masses.
I believe when faced with such contradictory information, we should all refer to the truth of God's word. In His word, we find many examples of how leadership has and should respond in times of great trouble. One man in particular who illustrates this was Moses. Moses was a soft-spoken leader who was beloved by his people until he literally took matters into his own hands. After a misdeed fueled by anger, Moses was exiled by God for 40 years. When he emerged, God instructed Moses what to do and how to do it. God placed limits on what Moses could do and how far he could go. What's more, while God told Moses what to do, He gave his brother Aaron charge of what to say. Long before John the Baptist, this made Aaron one of the first pr people. Later, after Moses led the slaves out of Egypt, Moses’ father-in-law told him to seek even more help in judging ‘these many peoples.’ How humbling.
President Obama may be facing such a situation. If so, perhaps he, too, should step back and reflect on who is giving him counsel and if it is wise. Proverbs 24:6 says, "For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety." President Obama may benefit from consulting with other wise and effective leaders. If black is what people want -- the blacker the better. Regular meetings with men and women of faith like Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton, General Colin Powell, Julian Bond, Vernon Jordan, Tony Brown, Minister Louis Farrakhan, Pastor Shirley Caesar, Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey, Bishop Wilton Gregory, Pastor Tony Evans, Pastor R.L. White, and Father George Clements, among others, would help our president, not hinder him. On August 4, President Obama’s 49th birthday, let’s pray that he becomes wiser than his years and celebrates with cake, ice cream and a meeting of the minds.
Victoria Ryan-Bailey
St. Louis, Mo.
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By: Toi on 8/04/2010 10:57PM
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRESIDENT OBAMA. Thank you for your hard work for this country, millions of us are so proud of you. You got so many things done that so many President didn't get to it. God Bless you.
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By: Eleanor C on 5/13/2011 1:21PM
Happy Birthday Mr. President. I did not vote for you nor will I vote for you next time unless your policies change; however, you won the election, you are my President and I do wish you the best.
So, Happy Birthday and Jesus name I pray for you as you lead our country.
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