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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 85.23.23.65 (talk) at 06:48, 28 June 2014. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.


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Featured articleBarack Obama is a featured article; it (or a previous version of it) has been identified as one of the best articles produced by the Wikipedia community. Even so, if you can update or improve it, please do so.
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Obama as a six (6) year principal member of the international G7 not included on his Page

The G7 is currently meeting in Europe and Obama has issued his strongest foreign policy statement against Putin to date. Obama was asked to voice an international consensus opinion of the seven participating nations which was reported in the NY Times on this date as shown below. Is there any merit or explanation as to why the current page does not having a G7/G8 subsection since Obama has been and continues to be a de facto center of these meetings and a central international voice for expressing their consensus views. Could someone take a look at the quote included below (abridged) to make a comment on a possible G7/G8 subsection on this Page possibly under "Foreign Policy".

Obama Gives Russia One-Month Ukraine Deadline at G7 Meeting; By PETER BAKER, NY TIMES, JUNE 5, 2014
President Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain said Russia will face tougher sanctions from group members if President Vladimir V. Putin refuses to work with Ukraine’s new government.
BRUSSELS — With the backing of other world leaders, President Obama effectively set a one-month deadline for Moscow to reverse its intervention in Ukraine and help quash a pro-Russian separatist uprising or else he said it would face international sanctions far more severe than anything it had endured so far. Mr. Obama and other leaders of seven major democracies meeting here demanded that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia recognize and negotiate directly with the newly elected leader of Ukraine, stop the flow of fighters and arms across the border and press separatists to disarm, relinquish seized public buildings and join talks with the central authorities in Kiev.
“Russia continues to have a responsibility to convince them to end their violence, lay down their weapons and enter into a dialogue with the Ukrainian government,” Mr. Obama said at a news conference alongside Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain after a meeting of leaders of the Group of 7 industrial powers. “On the other hand, if Russia’s provocations continue, it’s clear from our discussions here that the G-7 nations are ready to impose additional costs on Russia.”
“We will have a chance to see what Mr. Putin does over the next two, three, four weeks,” Mr. Obama said, “and if he remains on the current course, then we’ve already indicated what kinds of actions that we’re prepared to take.”

This summarizes Obama's position from over the last six months on Putin as well. However, it is the G7/G8 section which appears missing on this wikipedia Page as a recurrent event for Obama during his entire presidency. Is anything of this G7/G8 history for Obama something to consider for the Obama Page. FelixRosch (talk) 21:40, 6 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Articles are not intended to reflect every day-to-day event. Usually that observation is made when people suggest adding the current attack-piece against Obama, but it is just as valid here. In six months, a secondary source may write how Obama's work at this G7 meeting marked a turning point which led to certain outcomes—that is when it would be appropriate to add something to this bio. Johnuniq (talk) 23:50, 6 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, not the day-to-day events. Its Obama's six-years relationship to the G7 that seems worthwhile for inclusion on the Obama page and the above quote is given as an example of only the most recent G7 meeting of the past six meetings (over the last six years) of the G7 of which Obama has been a central part. FelixRosch (talk) 15:24, 7 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Chewing Gum at D-Day-ceremony and Mandela-funeral

[4] It is said that he wanted to quit smoking, but it is still an impertinent behavior. --Ich bin nicht dein Kollegah (talk) 04:57, 7 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Are you suggesting that the article should be amended in some way, and if so, how? -- Hoary (talk) 05:00, 7 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Sacrebleu! Dave Dial (talk) 05:13, 7 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
L'Amérique, te baise! -- Scjessey (talk) 11:55, 7 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Please strike that through Scjessy. But anyways, not notable. Just the latest in trying to smear obama, and people being offended too much. NathanWubs (talk) 13:04, 7 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
I'll wager it will be listed on the bills of impeachment with the other Bs: Benghazi, Bergdahl, birth certificate - and bubblegum. Ok, it's nicorette, but you get the point. Newcomers please note that this is not a place to discuss what you don't like about Barack Obama. This is where we are supposed to be talking about how to improve the article. There are plenty of blogs and forums where you can vent your hatred. Tvoz/talk 22:13, 7 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Meanwhile, I've found a source outside the Moonie press: Dok Zoom, "INPEACH! Obama Chewed Gum At D-Day Ceremony, Wingnuts Outraged", Wonkette, 7 June 2014. -- Hoary (talk) 05:49, 8 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Correction of Daughter's name

Her name is Sasha and not Natasha.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/president-obama

Prissy1213 (talk) 16:12, 7 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

@Prissy1213: Sasha is her nickname. --NeilN talk to me 17:50, 7 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Natasha is one of the charges being leveled against Obama by the right wing, it shows he loves Russia because he named his daughter with a Russian name. ~ — Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.93.234.239 (talk) 23:15, 8 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Obviously we need the birth certificate! HiLo48 (talk) 23:22, 8 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
IP216, we don't aim to answer "charges" being leveled against Obama, and certainly not idiotic, lunatic fringe ones. Tvoz/talk 15:52, 9 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Not entirely sure if IP216 was endorsing this latest idiotic smear against Obama.--Somchai Sun (talk) 16:05, 9 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Never heard this one. So is Malia's real name Boris? Birth certificates can be found in the Pottsylvania records office? Something is going on here. Someone inform Drudge. Dave Dial (talk) 16:10, 9 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Somchai, doesn't matter if s/he endorses it. Bringing it here is a distraction that gives air to pure nonsense. Trolling at best, idiotic lunatic fringe for sure, and yet another waste of time and space. (Must admit this one, new to me, is amusing.) Tvoz/talk 16:18, 9 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Move to Barack Hussein Obama

In line with Hillary Rodham Clinton--117.207.123.162 (talk) 10:34, 10 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

No idea why Hilary's article has that long name, but this one is consistent with Bill Clinton. HiLo48 (talk) 10:58, 10 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
I thought these kind of pov pushes had died out. Also yeah probably the Hillary Clinton thing will probably change once she becomes president or something NathanWubs (talk) 11:11, 10 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
HRC is far more well-known by her maiden+married name, and also frequently uses such on campaign literature and the like; that is why that article is what it is. IP users have been disrupting both the Clinton and the Sarah Jane Brown article with misogynist-tinged move requests for several years now. Now that they/he has failed in both, they/he appear to be branching out into other venues. Tarc (talk) 12:21, 10 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
I agree that it is not necessary here. I don't know about Sarah Jane Brown but I have heard Hillary Rodham Clinton used a lot more than Barack Hussein Obama. In fact outside of right wing smears I can only recall his middle name being used during his inauguration and even then it was shortened to H. The two cases came be compared.--69.157.253.74 (talk) 03:04, 11 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
If I recall correctly he used his full name when sworn in in 2009 (I don't remember about 2013). He's also joked about his middle names at times, especially considering Romney goes by his middle name. That being said, the page should remain where it is. Calidum Talk To Me 03:49, 11 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Tendentious sources such as Conservapedia use his full name in order to insinuate that he is a Muslim, not born in the U.S., not really president. "Common name" suggests that we keep the current name. TFD (talk) 03:39, 11 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 11 June 2014

Rushmore Plus One; FDR joins Mountainside Figures Washington, Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Lincoln as Top Presidents, Siena Research Institute, July 1, 2010

should be changed to

Rushmore Plus One; FDR joins Mountainside Figures Washington, Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Lincoln as Top Presidents, Siena Research Institute, July 1, 2010

to fix the link. Tarc (talk) 19:46, 11 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Ahh I see it now, the ref tags are braking the links, I took those out so the msg would be visible here. Will do. Tarc (talk) 19:46, 11 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

First sentence of lead

The first sentence of the lead describes Obama as both ‘the 44th and current President of the United States’ and ‘the first African American to hold the office’. Should this latter description be moved elsewhere in the lead so that the first sentence focuses solely on Obama’s political position? As a quick comparison, the Nelson Mandela and Margaret Thatcher articles mention their subjects’ social notability (being the first black and first woman leader respectively) in the second sentence, but leave aside the first one to focus on what they achieved, irrespective of race or sex. 86.133.243.146 (talk) 01:12, 24 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Response

Given the contentious history of race relations in the United States...particularly African-American history from the slave trade through the Civil Rights era...IMO being the first African-American president is a critical aspect of Obama's biography, and deserves first-sentence prominence. Tarc (talk) 12:23, 24 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
But Obama is technically only half African-American, because his mother is white. So a better description would be Mulatto, since he's half white, half black. Look at his parents. Supersaiyen312 (talk) 19:06, 27 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
This talk page is a flat circle... —Designate (talk) 19:42, 27 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
"Half African-American" isn't even a thing, reads up on what the term actually means sometime. As for mulatto, that is a slur on par with the n-word. Tarc (talk) 20:12, 27 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Then how about "mixed" or "biracial"? He is literally half of both, literally. The president's African look is simply more dominant, in which case the judging is based on his skin color only. But does race even matter in the 1st place? How about saying "descent" and acknowledging Obama's white side too? Supersaiyen312 (talk) 20:27, 27 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
He's African-American. He's also biracial, of mixed race, multiracial, son of a Black African and a White American, etc. Please see the FAQ at the top of this page. That's not the question here, but rather whether it's worth mentioning in the first sentence that he's America's first black President or whether to save that for later in the lede. As for what he's first at, he's first of a lot of things, first President from Hawaii, etc. With only 44 presidencies before, every one is going to be first at a lot of stuff. Not a big sample size. Personally, although at the time and in foresight having a non-white President is a huge step for America, in hindsight, as race becomes less of a hinderance to achievement one would expect, it becomes less and less of a defining characteristic. - Wikidemon (talk) 22:33, 27 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
So you're saying Obama is not white, but black. I still think we should acknowledge his other half. Not necessarily in the first sentence but later in the lead. Keep in mind that there are also European Americans and White Americans, which Obama is literally half of. Supersaiyen312 (talk) 02:51, 28 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Since you're too lazy to read the FAQ, Supersaiyen312, it says that Wikipedia defines the whole issue of Barack Obama's race by self-identification: Obama says he is African-American. End of story.

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