The First and Forty-Fourth

The first President of the United States George Washington was unanimously elected to serve for two terms with John Adams serving as the Vice President.  Before the ratification of the Twelfth Amendment in 1804, the Vice President was elected by receiving the second most number of votes; today, the President of the United States has the ability to name his running mate.  Our forty-fourth President, Barack Obama, is another two-termer, with Joe Biden serving as the Vice President.  While President Obama is in office more than two hundred years after President Washington’s death, there are many similarities and comparisons between the two men and the situations faced while serving as the Commander-in-Chief of our country.  

            George Washington was the first, but Barack Obama is the first Hawaiian native and African-American President of the United States. Washington was a decorated war hero from Virginia who was the obvious choice when trying to decide who would run the newly formed United States of America.  Washington helped his troops survive through freezing temperatures, a gross lack of essential resources, and an outbreak of smallpox, but he was not thrilled about the idea of leading the United States.  He was reluctant to take office, but he would become the namesake of our nation’s capital. Unlike Washington who had no real formal education, Barack Obama was a law professor who also previously served as a Senator from Illinois.  His election in 2008 could be considered a “first” because Obama’s team did something that not many had done before him, using social media to reach out to the young voter population.  While these two men were brought up in completely different circumstances and times, their presidencies have many similarities reaching farther than just being the “firsts”.

            Both presidents used imagery in their campaign trails or political agendas.  Washington, who was an avid planters and gardener, frequently used plant or tree imagery when addressing the struggles of a growing United States.  Just like a small tree that needed special attention to grow up and strong, the United States also needed to be pruned and fertilized in order to become a strong country.  A tree located in Boston, Massachusetts, known as the Liberty Tree, became the symbol of the American Revolution.  It was a meeting place for our founding fathers and was location of the first acts of defiance against the British government.  Today, many cities have their own version of a Liberty Tree, which serves as a town’s center meeting place.  Washington also ordered his soldiers to wear green branches on their heads in August of 1777, as a symbol of hope. (Wulf)  Barack Obama’s campaign in 2008 can be summed up with a couple of words: hope and change, as well as his campaign motto “Yes we can”.  Shepard Fairly created the iconic Hope Poster, which was widely distributed throughout the United States.  Today, when many people think of Obama, that poster immediately comes to mind.  Obama’s use of “hope” and “change” in his campaign for presidential office came a great time when our country was slowing trying to rebuild after President Bush’s terms in office. 

              President Washington and President Obama both entered office at the heels of war and poor economic situations.  Washington led his country to victory in the Revolutionary War, but the aftermath of it would prove to be difficult to handle.  Around twenty five thousand people lost their lives in the battle for freedom and the country was left in a mass of debt.  Washington actually waived his pay during the war in order to fight for more supplies for his troops who were suffering from starvation and disease.  The United States’ debt would prove to be a huge issue within Congress and would hinder our new nation’s ability to build a noteworthy capital. When President Obama entered office, Operation Iraqi Freedom (The Iraq War) was a huge concern to the American public and the United States was victim to one of the worst recessions since the Great Depression.  As a result, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 into law, which called for $787 billion to be reinvested back into the economy.  He has frequently stated that American forces will be removed from Afghanistan and Iraq, but many soldiers are still fighting in those countries today.   During President Washington’s time, each individual state had debt instead of one national debt until the passage of the Hamilton Assumption Plan; today the United States has also accumulated a tremendous national debt under President Obama, which has reached over $17 billion dollars.           

            Every President of the United States has had something that they focused on while in office and Washington and Obama are no different.  Washington pushed for the United States to become agrarian republic, which means that he believed the future of the country rested in its ability to grow and harvest crops.  He also created the first American garden with only native species because he believed so much that the future of our country relied in its plant species and ability to cultivate them.  While President Obama has had many difficulties with his terms, he has worked to provide healthcare to Americans with the passage of the Affordable Care Act.  The ACA has been riddled with conflict, but it will provide many Americans with the ability to obtain health insurance at an affordable cost and help those with pre-existing medical conditions get coverage. The Farm Bill has also gained some special attention in recent times.  According to Frank D. Lucas, the Chairman of the Agriculture Committee has said, "The work of the Agriculture Committee, including reauthorizing the Farm Bill, affects every American; ensuring that our farmers and ranchers have the tools they need to produce an abundant and affordable food and fiber supply is as important to our country as national defense."  The Farm Bill is legislation that George Washington would fully support due to his background in farming and gardening. 

            Another important comparison between the two presidents involves Congress and political parties.  When Washington was in office, Congress was struggling to figure out how to run our newly formed country.  During his Farewell Address, Washington warned our country about the emergence of political parties that began to form during his first term.  Washington believed that the formation of the Federalist and Anti-Federalist parties would tear our country apart.  (The Presidential election of Thomas Jefferson as is a great example of how the formation of these political parties would prove to be bitter and harmful.)  In more recent times, our country has felt the burden of a polarized Congress.  As a result, our current Congress has been one of the least productive in history and has lead to events such as the government shutdown.  The struggle for power between Democrats and Republicans has proved to be damaging to the American public, and it seems as though Washington’s words during his Farewell Address are relevant today more than ever.  One step that members of Congress have taken to help address some of these issues has been the formation of a group called No Labels.  This group aims to put their political parties aside to try to find practical problem solving solutions to issues that are facing Americans today.  George Washington would absolutely support a group like this with his anti-political party stance. 

            George Washington loved everything about his home Mt. Vernon; he found solace in his garden and would’ve rather spent his days among his plants than in office.  Our First Lady, Michelle Obama created a vegetable garden at the White House that would’ve gained Washington’s stamp of approval.  The creation of any vegetable garden provides a home with fresh fruits and vegetables, and Mrs. Obama created hers as a way to bring attention to childhood obesity and the need for healthy eating habits.  Despite the fact Washington was never able to live in the White House, or even see the completion of our nation’s capital, he would have fully supported the idea.  While Mrs. Obama is not the President, it’s important to acknowledge her work that falls along the same category as Washington's passion. 

            President George Washington and President Barack Obama are just two of the many men who have served as the President of the United States.  Even though they lived in completely different times, I find the similarities between their situations very interesting.  While George Washington will forever be a favorite among American citizens, Barack Obama’s popularity has steadily declined through out his terms and many people are counting down until the day he leaves office.