Barack Obama changed my life

[Mr. Illini]

Although I am not sure I would say he changed my life, I am not sure I will feel the personal connection to any future President that I have felt to Obama.

I remember watching him when he was an IL General Assembly member. He was wildly popular in the year or two that led to 2004. This propelled him to the US Senate and, of course, to a prime time speaking slot at the convention.

He was the underdog every step of the way. A young kid with a weird name, he beat an establishment Democrat to go to the IL legislature. In a state with a rock-solid Democratic establishment, he emerged to take a coveted Senate seat. As a one-term African-American senator with a different name and from a state with a bad political reputation, he took down a national political powerhouse to become one of our youngest Presidents. The economy was the worst it had been in 80 years on his inauguration and it has climbed back. Democrats had been trying for decades to pass health care reform with no success - he got it done. He was extremely unpopular during his first term and in 2016 has emerged with one of the highest outgoing approval ratings of all-time.

It means even more that he is from Chicago. I think Chicago is oftentimes viewed as the underdog city. A city that has had more problems than most since its establishment but persevered through each difficulty.

I am grateful that we had him even though I wasn't always grateful during the course of his Presidency.