With the weight of the world on his shoulders, the question remains whether Barack Obama?s journey to the White House was fate or misfortune. A crippling global market, the rise of unemployment to eight percent in the United States alone, and Africa?s expectations, the world waits to see what this modern legend has in store.

The multimillion-dollar presidential campaigns, the global euphoria and the celebrations will be immortalised in the history books. Now starts the real work! Not since the Nelson Mandela era has the world come together in support of a man who symbolises change and is the personification of hope.

Barack Obama has been compared to many great leaders, but one comment made in Time magazine by Alex Slovik a reader from the US, who summed up the way many perceive this remarkable man.

Obama will be Obama

?I?m glad you chose Barack Obama, but stop comparing him to JFK, Lincoln and others. Obama will be Obama and no one else?.

The one thing that should be asked is who is President Barack Obama and what change can he potentially bring?

I have always believed that there is more to a man than the colour of his skin. Yes, many have longed to see the day when the United States has its first black president.

Obama made millions experience the once far-fetched dream that countless African Americas fought for over hundreds of years when he was inaugurated as the 44th president of one of the world?s greatest nations.

The fact that this funky 48-year-old loves pumping Jay-Z while shooting hoops scored him even greater points when it came to how the American youth perceived him. It was even better that this very black president is Africa?s prodigal son. Throughout the continent, cows were slaughtered and African beer was oozing through calabashes, giving praise to the ancestors for finally answering Africa?s plea for a leader who would be able to relate and hear its cries.

Modern day Atlas

But if you think about it, the things I have just mentioned are good enough to put Obama on top of the log in the race to find our modern-day Atlas. In reality, the needs and expectations of those waiting in line for the ?miracles? expected from this mere mortal are not uniform and could sometimes be seen as being conflicting. For instance, while the US is catapulting towards an economic downturn similar to that of the Great Depression in the late 1920s, industries throughout the nation are lining up for bailouts from the government.

Even Larry Flynt, one of the most successful figures in the American sex industry, has asked for aid from the American government.

When asked in an interview why he thinks his industry should be eligible for financial relief, Flynt flamboyantly said, ?People are too depressed to be sexually active... This is very unhealthy as a nation. Americans can do without cars and such, but they cannot do without sex?.

During his pre-inauguration phase, Obama openly declared that he would need a total of one trillion dollars to kick-start the US economy. Currently sitting on a GDP deficit of 8.3 percent, by the looks of things, even the smallest decision Obama makes will contribute greatly to the fate of his presidency.

On the other hand, the rest of the world has both its hands clasped together and arms stretched out, waiting for solutions from this generation?s new political saviour. Having always been on the back burner of global politics, Africa finally sees itself in a position where its voice can be heard. This is mainly because of what analysts have branded as Obama?s ?patchwork? heritage.

Is it therefore fair to believe and put so much pressure on one man because of his kaleidoscopic ancestry?

The Obama administration?s Africa policy is well rooted in security, politics, economics and continuing the global fight against HIV/Aids. The question that remains is: will Obama?s policy 
be enough?

Obama is at a preliminary phase in his presidential career where he has to prove to a nation disenchanted with their former president that there is a ray of light at the end of this dark tunnel filled with economic recessions and joblessness.

A journey strategically travelled

Africa first savoured their grandson while Obama was running for president against former First Lady and now Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. However, Obama?s political career started well over a decade ago in 1996 when he was elected to the Illinois Senate.

The American people started to feel the first ripples of Obamamania in July 2004 when he delivered his keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Boston.

This could be seen as one of the defining moments of Obama?s journey to the presidency because he openly declared his vision of changing the government?s economic and social priorities, while questioning the management of the Iraq War by the Bush administration.

During this speech, one of Obama?s most powerful quotes was: ?There is not a liberal America or a conservative America; there?s a United States of America?. Watched by a combined 9.1 million viewers, Obama had officially given the American people a taste of his views, belief and passion for America.

Another monumental moment in Obama?s journey to the White House came on 4 January 2004 when he was sworn in as US senator. Not only was Obama the fifth African American senator in US history, but he was also the only Senate member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Through his role and achievements as senator, Obama was ranked as the most liberal senator 
by voters.

Over the next couple of years, Obama?s approachability and popularity would come to prove beneficial to the scale of influence and power this man could have on the entire globe.

On 10 February 2007 he chose the historic venue of the old State Capitol building in Springfield Illinois to officially announce his race to the presidency.

Obama?s choice of venue was highly symbolic because it was the very place where Abraham Lincoln delivered his historic 1858 ?House Divided? speech.

Obama then became the first presidential candidate from a major-party to turn down the public financing system that had been cast in stone for general elections since 1976.

The road to Obama?s success in the polls was a recurring event that had every family sitting on the edge of its seats and monitoring the progress. The world came to see how united the United States of America really was. People from all walks of life, different ages and races saw Obama?s hope 
for change.

This aura went far beyond the American borders. It had been a while since the fate of the world was in the hands of the American people, and the rest of the world restlessly waited for the outcome.

A New Birth of Freedom

On 29 January 2009, the stage was set to welcome the man who has personified hope for the American people and the world into the seat he was seemingly destined for. The inauguration theme, ?A New Birth of Freedom? was a perfect match to this historic event.

One of the most captivating extracts from his speech was, ?A man whose father, less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant, can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath?.

With this oath taken, Obama was well on his way towards materialising people?s faith in him.

A few days after the celebrations, Obama was on track to deliver on his promises. One of the first tasks he undertook was issuing executive orders and presidential memoranda reversing former President George W. Bush?s ban on federal funding to foreign establishments that permit abortions.

He then directed the US military to develop plans to withdraw troops from Iraq. He went further on 27 February by declaring that all combat operations in Iraq will end within 18 months. ?Let me say this as plainly as I can: By August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end,? he said.

In addition, he issued orders to close Guantanamo Bay no later than January 2010. Although it is too early to measure the success of Obama?s plan to whip the US and the world back into shape, it is undeniable that he is going to be making history in one way or another.

"...we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted... Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things ? some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labour, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

?For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

?For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and ploughed the hard earth.

?For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

?Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life.?

? From President Obama?s inaugural speech