Difference between Barack Obama and George W. Bush
Barack Hussein Obama is the current President of the United States. As the first African-American to hold the office of President, he is considered a great role model for young African Americans.
George Walker Bush was the previous President of the United States, serving just before Barack Obama was elected. George is often remembered as the President who was in office during the 9/11 attacks of 2001. National security changes seemed to define his presidency.
Obama and Bush Family Background
Barack Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to his mother, Stanley Dunham, from Wichita, Kansas, and his father, Barack Obama, Sr., from Kenya. His parents met in college in 1960 and divorced after Barack's father went to Harvard in 1964. His father remarried, moved back to his homeland and only visited Barack once before he died in 1982.
Raised in a very diverse household, Barack traveled to Jakarta with his mother and her new husband. Barack also lived with his mother's parents in Honolulu where he continued his education, graduating high school in 1979.
George W. Bush was born in New Haven, Connecticut to George H. W. Bush and Barbara Bush. His privileged upbringing in a family of politicians and oilmen, assured George W. a carefree childhood. Educated publicly until 7th grade, young George was sent to prep school for a couple of years before finishing high school in a boarding school.
Education of Barack and George
After high school, Barack went to Occidental College in Los Angeles, California and then transferred to Columbia University in New York City. He majored in political science and then after a few years of working with various businesses, he went back to school at Harvard Law. Barack graduated with a Juris Doctor Magna cum laude in 1991 and then went to the University of Chicago Law School as a professor.
George W. studied history at Yale University and was elected president of his fraternity, Delta Kappa Epsilon. He was a member of the Skull and Bones society as well. George was an average student who played rugby and was even a cheerleader. George went on to study business at Harvard Business School. He is the only President of the United States to earn his M.B.A. degree.
Political Success of George W. Bush and Barack Obama
George W. Bush won the gubernatorial election in 1994 for the state of Texas and again in 1998. In 1999, George W. announced his candidacy to become the next Republican U.S. President. He won in 2000 and again in 2004.
Barack Obama became a senator for the state of Illinois in 1997 and became a U.S. Senator in 2004. He resigned his Senate seat when he became the 44th President of the United States.
Similarities and Differences
- George W. Bush and Barack Obama are both American born men with a rich and varied political history.
- Although George is a republican and Barack is a democrat, each man has worked diligently to sponsor and introduce legislation that will improve the economy of the United States.
- Aside from economic stability, both Barack and George W. have worked to improve the face of the United States in the global theatre.
- George W. Bush will always be known as the president who got us into the Iraq War and hopefully, Barack Obama will be the one who gets us out.
- President Obama has the distinction of sponsoring 121 bills and co-sponsoring 506 bills so far in his Presidency. While this is a record for any President, almost all (save 3) have been held up by Congress.
