Talk:Barack Obama
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Frequently asked questions To view the response to a question, click the [show] link to the right of the question. Family and religious background Q1: Why isn't Barack Obama's Muslim heritage or education included in this article?
A1: Barack Obama was never a practitioner of Islam. His biological father having been "raised as a Muslim" but being a "confirmed atheist" by the time Obama was born is mentioned in the article. Please see this article on Snopes.com for a fairly in-depth debunking of the myth that Obama is Muslim. Barack Obama did not attend an Islamic or Muslim school while living in Indonesia age 6–10, but Roman Catholic and secular public schools. See [1], [2], [3] The sub-articles Public image of Barack Obama and Barack Obama religion conspiracy theories address this issue. Q2: The article refers to him as African American, but his mother is white and his black father was not an American. Should he be called African American, or something else ("biracial", "mixed", "Kenyan-American", "mulatto", "quadroon", etc.)?
A2: Obama himself and the media identify him, the vast majority of the time, as African American or black. African American is primarily defined as "citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa", a statement that accurately describes Obama and does not preclude or negate origins in the white populations of America as well. Thus we use the term African American in the introduction, and address the specifics of his parentage in the first headed section of the article. Many individuals who identify as black have varieties of ancestors from many countries who may identify with other racial or ethnic groups. See our article on race for more information on this concept. We could call him the first "biracial" candidate or the first "half black half white" candidate or the first candidate with a parent born in Africa, but Wikipedia is a tertiary source which reports what other reliable sources say, and most of those other sources say "first African American". Readers will learn more detail about his ethnic background in the article body. Q3: Why can't we use his full name outside of the lead? It's his name, isn't it?
A3: The relevant part of the Manual of Style says that outside the lead of an article on a person, that person's conventional name is the only one that's appropriate. (Thus one use of "Richard Milhous Nixon" in the lead of Richard Nixon, "Richard Nixon" thereafter.) Talk page consensus has also established this. Q4: Why is Obama referred to as "Barack Hussein Obama II" in the lead sentence rather than "Barack Hussein Obama, Jr."? Isn't "Jr." more common?
A4: Although "Jr." is typically used when a child shares the name of his or her parent, "II" is considered acceptable, as well. And in Obama's case, the usage on his birth certificate is indeed "II", and is thus the form used at the beginning of this article, per manual of style guidelines on names. Q5: Why don't we cover the claims that Obama is not a United States citizen, his birth certificate was forged, he was not born in Hawaii, he is ineligible to be President, etc?
A5: The Barack Obama article consists of an overview of major issues in the life and times of the subject. The controversy over his eligibility, citizenship, birth certificate etc is currently a fairly minor issue in overall terms, and has had no significant legal or mainstream political impact. It is therefore not currently appropriate for inclusion in an overview article. These claims are covered separately in Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories. Controversies, praise, and criticism Q6: Why isn't there a criticisms/controversies section?
A6: Because a section dedicated to criticisms and controversies is no more appropriate than a section dedicated solely to praise and is an indication of a poorly written article. Criticisms/controversies/praises should be worked into the existing prose of the article, per the Criticism essay. Q7: Why isn't a certain controversy/criticism/praise included in this article?
A7: Wikipedia's Biography of living persons policy says that "[c]riticism and praise of the subject should be represented if it is relevant to the subject's notability and can be sourced to reliable secondary sources, and so long as the material is written in a manner that does not overwhelm the article or appear to take sides; it needs to be presented responsibly, conservatively, and in a neutral, encyclopedic tone." Criticism or praise that cannot be reliably sourced cannot be placed in a biography. Also, including everything about Obama in a single article would exceed Wikipedia's article size restrictions. A number of sub-articles have been created and some controversies/criticisms/praises have been summarized here or been left out of this article altogether, but are covered in some detail in the sub-articles. Q8: But this controversy/criticism/praise is all over the news right now! It should be covered in detail in the main article, not buried in a sub-article!
A8: Wikipedia articles should avoid giving undue weight to something just because it is in the news right now. If you feel that the criticism/controversy/praise is not being given enough weight in this article, you can try to start a discussion on the talk page about giving it more. See WP:BRD. Q9: This article needs much more (or much less) criticism/controversy.
A9: Please try to assume good faith. Like all articles on Wikipedia, this article is a work in progress so it is possible for biases to exist at any point in time. If you see a bias that you wish to address, you are more than welcome to start a new discussion, or join in an existing discussion, but please be ready to provide sources to support your viewpoint and try to keep your comments civil. Starting off your discussion by accusing the editors of this article of having a bias is the quickest way to get your comment ignored. Talk and article mechanics Q10: This article is over 275kb long, and the article size guideline says that it should be broken up into sub-articles. Why hasn't this happened?
A10: The restriction mentioned in WP:SIZE is 60kB of readable prose, not the byte count you see when you open the page for editing. As of May 11, 2016, this article had about 10,570 words of readable prose (65 kB according to prosesize tool), only slightly above the guideline. The rest is mainly citations and invisible comments, which do not count towards the limit. Q11: I notice this FAQ mentions starting discussions or joining in on existing discussions a lot. If Wikipedia is supposed to be the encyclopedia anyone can edit, shouldn't I just be bold and fix any biases that I see in the article?
A11: It is true that Wikipedia is the encyclopedia that anyone can edit and no one needs the permission of other editors of this article to make changes to it. But Wikipedia policy is that, "While the consensus process does not require posting to the discussion page, it can be useful and is encouraged." This article attracts editors that have very strong opinions about Obama (positive and negative) and these editors have different opinions about what should and should not be in the article, including differences as to appropriate level of detail. As a result of this it may be helpful, as a way to avoid content disputes, to seek consensus before adding contentious material to or removing it from the article. Q12: The article/talk page has been vandalized! Why hasn't anyone fixed this?
A12: Many editors watch this article, and it is unlikely that vandalism would remain unnoticed for long. It is possible that you are viewing a cached result of the article; If so, try bypassing your cache. Q13: Why are so many discussions closed so quickly?
A13: Swift closure is common for topics that have already been discussed repeatedly, topics pushing fringe theories, and topics that would lead to violations of Wikipedia's policy concerning biographies of living persons, because of their disruptive nature and the unlikelihood that consensus to include the material will arise from the new discussion. In those cases, editors are encouraged to read this FAQ for examples of such common topics. Q14: I added new content to the article, but it was removed!
A14: Double-check that your content addition is not sourced to an opinion blog, editorial, or non-mainstream news source. Wikipedia's policy on biographies of living persons states, in part, "Material about living persons must be sourced very carefully. Without reliable third-party sources, it may include original research and unverifiable statements, and could lead to libel claims." Sources of information must be of a very high quality for biographies. While this does not result in an outright ban of all blogs and opinion pieces, most of them are regarded as questionable. Inflammatory or potentially libelous content cited to a questionable source will be removed immediately without discussion. Q15: I disagree with the policies and content guidelines that prevent my proposed content from being added to the article.
A15: That's understandable. Wikipedia is a work in progress. If you do not approve of a policy cited in the removal of content, it's possible to change it. Making cogent, logical arguments on the policy's talk page is likely to result in a positive alteration. This is highly encouraged. However, this talk page is not the appropriate place to dispute the wording used in policies and guidelines. If you disagree with the interpretation of a policy or guideline, there is also recourse: Dispute resolution. Using the dispute resolution process prevents edit wars, and is encouraged. Q16: I saw someone start a discussion on a topic raised by a blog/opinion piece, and it was reverted!
A16: Unfortunately, due to its high profile, this talk page sees a lot of attempts to argue for policy- and guideline-violating content – sometimes the same violations many times a day. These are regarded as disruptive, as outlined above. Consensus can change; material previously determined to be unacceptable may become acceptable. But it becomes disruptive and exhausting when single-purpose accounts raise the same subject(s) repeatedly in the apparent hopes of overcoming significant objections by other editors. Editors have reached a consensus for dealing with this behavior:
Other Q17: Why aren't the 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns covered in more detail?
A17: They are, in sub-articles called Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign and Barack Obama 2012 presidential campaign. Things that are notable in the context of the presidential campaigns, but are of minimal notability to Barack Obama's overall biography, belong in the sub-articles. Campaign stops, the presidential debates, and the back-and-forth accusations and claims of the campaigns can all be found there. |
This article must adhere to the biographies of living persons (BLP) policy, even if it is not a biography, because it contains material about living persons. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libellous. If such material is repeatedly inserted, or if you have other concerns, please report the issue to this noticeboard.If you are a subject of this article, or acting on behalf of one, and you need help, please see this help page. |
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There is a request, submitted by Catfurball, for an audio version of this article to be created. For further information, see WikiProject Spoken Wikipedia. The rationale behind the request is: "Important". |
Semi-protected edit request on 30 November 2023
This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= or |ans= parameter to no to reactivate your request. |
Please add Category:American agnostics. 98.47.36.255 (talk) 23:19, 30 November 2023 (UTC)
- Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. EvergreenFir (talk) 23:58, 30 November 2023 (UTC)
More Protection
I Find it Weird that his Page is Only Semi-Protected. It should Probably be Extended-Confirmed Protection. This is Because Some Troll User might Change his Birthplace to Kenya or something. 216.87.237.81 (talk) 22:00, 6 January 2024 (UTC)
- In short, WP don't protect articles because of what may happen. More at WP:PROTECTION. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 22:33, 6 January 2024 (UTC)
- Page protection is not done as prevention, only in response to disruption. EvergreenFir (talk) 22:33, 6 January 2024 (UTC)
Semi-protected edit request on 8 January 2024
This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= or |ans= parameter to no to reactivate your request. |
38.81.150.88 (talk) 02:25, 8 January 2024 (UTC)
At the beginning of the page, the page reads: "Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961), commonly known as Barack Obama is an American politician..." I think that the part saying "commonly known as Barack Obama" should be removed because the page previously said at the start that his name is Barack Obama, but referred to him by his full name of "Barack Hussein Obama II."
- Done – Muboshgu (talk) 02:33, 8 January 2024 (UTC)
IPA pronounciation audio quiet
Is it just me, or is the IPA audio very quiet. If anyone else says so I'll increase the volume. Coulomb1 (talk) 02:00, 29 January 2024 (UTC)
- It is actually quieter than I think appropriate; I had to turn the volume up a bit to hear it properly. I support turning up the volume on it. OverzealousAutocorrect (talk) 00:01, 2 February 2024 (UTC)
Spelling suggestion
The beginning of the article says: "A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African-American president in U.S. history." I think instead it should read: "As a member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African-American president in U.S. history." 91.136.184.190 (talk) 20:45, 7 February 2024 (UTC)
- The current sentence is better, IMO. O3000, Ret. (talk) 20:50, 7 February 2024 (UTC)
- Agreed, these are distinct clauses that are not related to each other in the way "as a" would imply. VQuakr (talk) 20:36, 8 February 2024 (UTC)
- Agreed. The current sentence is grammatically correct. No need to change it. A. Randomdude0000 (talk) 00:45, 11 February 2024 (UTC)
- Agreed, these are distinct clauses that are not related to each other in the way "as a" would imply. VQuakr (talk) 20:36, 8 February 2024 (UTC)
Historical Rankings of Barack Obama
Currently the article says that he has been placed in the middle to upper tier of presidents. Having looked at the rankings, it seems more accurate to simply say he has been generally ranked in the upper tier. Only two of the ten rankings place him outside the top third of American presidents and the word "generally" leaves room for exceptions of that degree. Alternatively, the article could be changed to say he has been placed in the first or second quartile of US presidents but this phrasing would be a bit less conventional. c.f. Lyndon B. Johnson who has received similar rankings and whose article simply states "historians and scholars rank Johnson in the upper tier".IRN-Dumas (talk) 18:07, 19 February 2024 (UTC)
Birth Place
As per what I think would be consensus NO I'm not saying this is fact but for birth place their should be a note on something because some "not all" think that Obama is not born in usa for more info Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories Watttyt (talk) 16:23, 23 February 2024 (UTC)
- See Talk:Barack Obama/FAQ#Q5, as well as WP:FALSEBALANCE and WP:FRINGE. A. Randomdude0000 (talk) 16:40, 23 February 2024 (UTC)
Page preview shows wrong information
The page preview of this article does not show the article details, but displays a slang term repeated multiple times. I am new to Wikipedia, so I don't know how to edit this. Also, this is a semi-protected page. Anoop.rvn (talk) 01:37, 11 April 2024 (UTC)
- It was vandalism, since fixed. Acroterion (talk) 01:47, 11 April 2024 (UTC)
- I can still see it. Tried in different browsers after clearing cache. Am I trying anything wrong? Anoop.rvn (talk) 02:00, 11 April 2024 (UTC)
- No, the cache should have cleared, but I can verify that it's corrected on Wikipedia's end. Maybe your ISP has it cached in the vandalized version? Acroterion (talk) 02:09, 11 April 2024 (UTC)
- I can still see it. Tried in different browsers after clearing cache. Am I trying anything wrong? Anoop.rvn (talk) 02:00, 11 April 2024 (UTC)
Semi-protected edit request on 21 April 2024
It is requested that an edit be made to the semi-protected article at Barack Obama. (edit · history · last · links · protection log)
This template must be followed by a complete and specific description of the request, that is, specify what text should be removed and a verbatim copy of the text that should replace it. "Please change X" is not acceptable and will be rejected; the request must be of the form "please change X to Y".
The edit may be made by any autoconfirmed user. Remember to change the |
Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States—becoming the first African American to serve in that office—on January 20, 2009.
The son of a white American mother and a black Kenyan father, Obama grew up in Hawaii. Leaving the state to attend college, he earned degrees from Columbia University and Harvard Law School. Obama worked as a community organizer in Chicago, where he met and married Michelle LaVaughn Robinson in 1992. Their two daughters, Malia Ann and Natasha (Sasha), were born in 1998 and 2001, respectively. Obama was elected to the Illinois state senate in 1996 and served there for eight years. In 2004, he was elected by a record majority to the US Senate from Illinois and, in February 2007, announced his candidacy for president. After winning a closely fought contest against New York Senator and former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic nomination, Obama handily defeated Senator John McCain of Arizona, the Republican nominee for president, in the general election.
When President Obama took office, he faced very significant challenges. The economy was officially in a recession, and the outgoing administration of George W. Bush had begun to implement a controversial "bail-out" package to try to help struggling financial institutions. In foreign affairs, the United States still had troops deployed in difficult conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
During the first two years of his first term, President Obama was able to work with the Democratic-controlled Congress to improve the economy, pass health-care reform legislation, and withdraw most US troops from Iraq. After the Republicans won control of the House of Representatives in 2010, the president spent significant time and political effort negotiating, for the most part unsuccessfully, with congressional Republicans about taxes, budgets, and the deficit. After winning reelection in 2012, Obama began his second term focused on securing legislation on immigration reform and gun control, neither of which he was able to achieve. When the Republicans won the Senate in 2014, Obama refocused on actions that he could take unilaterally, invoking his executive authority as president. In foreign policy, Obama concentrated during the second term on the Middle East and climate change.
Obama left the presidency, at age fifty-five, after his constitutionally limited two terms ended on January 20, 2017. He announced plans to remain in Washington, DC, until his younger daughter finished high school and, as a former president, to play a restrained but active role in public affairs. He also devoted energy to raising money and planning for the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, Illinois. 64.190.226.43 (talk) 22:54, 21 April 2024 (UTC)
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