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Barack Obama has announced that his presidential center will be opened in the coming year, and it will be the global headquarters of the foundation for his leadership programs. The former president divulged this by terming the center as a place where the mankind would be ‘inspired’ and then take the change back to their localities. The project which has been long awaited is located in Chicago and it represents a big queen-sized new chapter which is going to be written in the history of the Obama estate.
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The 44th president’s announcement of the Obama Presidential Center was not just the announcement of a new library; he immediately created a buzz among his followers. Obama sees the center not only as a library but as an already active ‘hub for change’, the place where leaders from his foundation will be in contact with people coming from all parts of the world. Actually, the center will be these public venues and marketplace of the foundation’s plan to nurture the next generation of leaders which is possibly the main goal of the Foundation.
The announcement was met with quick reactions, and many people immediately connected the project with strong emotions. One person commenting on the situation said that even just by looking at the center’s logo one could still feel the very strong emotions that are back from almost two decades ago when Obama’s first national campaign started. This impact was characterized by the user as ‘so amazing’, thus emphasizing that the symbolism of Obama continues to be an extremely powerful factor globally.
Another user shared about how they happened to drive past the construction site and the moment they saw it, they knew exactly what was going on. The user could be seen as implying that even at this point of being under construction, the unique design of the building is such that it could be accurately guessed or recognized. It also points to the architectural relevance of the project in the overall Chicago city plan.
The center indeed seems to be drawing a great deal of attention from overseas as one Canadian user mentioned how much they miss the Obamas as a couple in the presidential spot. The user was kind of pleasantly surprised with the choice of the builders in the design segment of the building. One of the questions they raised was: ‘There is NO gilding? At the entrance or in the largest room – to exhibit the wealth of your Presidency???’ This surely suggests that the center’s size is still quite humble when compared to the traditional presidential libraries.
Opening the center has been the event that many have said they would visit especially for. One follower: ‘I am so looking forward to this and making a trip to Chicago just to see,’ said enthusiastically. Another one indicated that they have never visited a presidential library before but this would be their first one and they would compare it with a ‘masterpiece’ worthy of distinction from the others.
The feedback was not all commendations and positive vibes, however. Someone who did not approve of the center called it ‘a futuristic prison’ and another felt it to be ‘a very cold building’. These opposing opinions show that the modern design may be acceptable to some but not to others. A commentator doubting the project warned that the center might become ‘a place for laundered US taxpayers’ money,’ although this was quickly opposed by other users calling it ‘nonsense.’
Political comparisons were made nevertheless; someone joked that ‘TRUMPS will be golden and there will be a jet parked outside it… to compensate for….’ The humorous side of the comment illustrates the contrast in style between the two presidents’ approaches to their legacy. Among the comments there was also a call for Michelle Obama to run for presidency which suggests that many still look to the Obamas for political direction.
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The Obama Presidential Center is a new construction but rather it will serve as a beacon of hope and good interaction with the public for the supporters of the former president. This message came out very nicely indeed in one of the comments that read, ‘Your leadership keeps us expectant of better days!!!’ Almost all the comments reflect this sentiment, asserting that the center is the embodiment of Obama’s persistent and strong influence in the public arena. The center’s inauguration is highly awaited and one of the reasons the project becomes not only of the present but also of the future, regardless of whether its location is Chicago or elsewhere, is the conversations it can incite. The center will be a key marker not only in the city but also in the history of the Obama legacy. This project also reminds many of the Obama era and its global impact. The former president recently reflected on America’s enduring battle between equality and division. He has also issued stark warnings on democracy and extremism in government. Some commentators, like Jesse Watters, have made claims about the intelligence community being weaponized against Donald Trump.
