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"Barack" and "Obama" redirect here. For other uses, see Barack (disambiguation) and Obama (disambiguation).
Barack Obama
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
44th President of the United States
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 20, 2009
Vice President Joe Biden
Preceded by George W. Bush
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
United States Senator
from Illinois
In office
January 3, 2005 – November 16, 2008
Preceded by Peter Fitzgerald
Succeeded by Roland Burris
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Member of the Illinois Senate
from the 13th district
In office
January 8, 1997 – November 4, 2004
Preceded by Alice Palmer
Succeeded by Kwame Raoul
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Born August 4, 1961 (1961-08-04) (age 47)[1]
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States[2]
Birth name Barack Hussein Obama II[2]
Nationality American
Political party Democratic
Spouse Michelle Obama (m. 1992)
Children Malia Ann (b. 1998)
Natasha (a.k.a. Sasha) (b. 2001)
Residence Chicago, Illinois (private)
White House, Washington, D.C. (official)
Alma mater Occidental College
Columbia University (B.A.)
Harvard Law School (J.D.)
Profession Community organizer
Attorney
Author
Professor
Politician
Religion Protestant Christian[3]
Signature
Website WhiteHouse.gov
This article is part of a series about
Barack Obama
Background · Illinois Senate · U.S. Senate
Political positions · Public image · Family
2008 primaries · Obama–Biden campaign
Transition · Inauguration · US Presidency
Barack Hussein Obama II (pronounced /bəˈrÉ‘Ëk hʊˈseɪn oʊˈbÉ‘ËmÉ™/; born August 4, 1961) is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama was the junior United States Senator from Illinois from 2005 until he resigned following his 2008 election to the presidency. He was inaugurated as President on January 20, 2009.
Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review. He worked as a community organizer, and practiced as a civil rights attorney in Chicago before serving three terms in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004. He also taught Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. Following an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000, Obama was elected to the Senate in November 2004. Obama delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July 2004.
As a member of the Democratic minority in the 109th Congress, Obama helped create legislation to control conventional weapons and to promote greater public accountability in the use of federal funds. He also made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. During the 110th Congress, he helped create legislation regarding lobbying and electoral fraud, climate change, nuclear terrorism, and care for U.S. military personnel returning from combat assignments in Iraq and Afghanistan
Early life and career
Main article: Early life and career of Barack Obama
Barack Obama was born at the Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children in Honolulu, Hawaii,[4][5] to Stanley Ann Dunham,[6] a White American from Wichita, Kansas,[7][8][9] and Barack Obama, Sr., a Luo from Nyang’oma Kogelo, Nyanza Province, Kenya. Obama's parents met in 1960 in a Russian language class at the University of Hawaii at MÄnoa, where his father was a foreign student on scholarship.[10][11] The couple married on February 2, 1961.[12] Obama's parents separated when Obama was two years old, and they divorced in 1964.[11] Obama's father returned to Kenya and saw his son only once more before dying in an automobile accident in 1982.[13]
After her divorce, Dunham married Indonesian student Lolo Soetoro, who was attending college in Hawaii. When Soeharto, a military leader in Soetoro's home country, came to power in 1967, all students studying abroad were recalled and the family moved to Indonesia.[14] There Obama attended local schools in Jakarta, such as Besuki Public School and St. Francis of Assisi School, until he was ten years old.
He then returned to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Armour Dunham, while attending Punahou School from the fifth grade in 1971 until his graduation from high school in 1979.[15] Obama's mother returned to Hawaii in 1972 for five years, and then in 1977 went back to Indonesia, where she worked as an anthropological field worker. She stayed there most of the rest of her life, returning to Hawaii in 1994. She died of ovarian cancer in 1995.[16]
Right-to-left: Barack Obama and half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng, with their mother Ann Dunham and grandfather Stanley Dunham, in Hawaii (early 1970s).Of his early childhood, Obama has recalled, "That my father looked nothing like the people around me — that he was black as pitch, my mother white as milk — barely registered in my mind."[17] In his 1995 memoir, he described his struggles as a young adult to reconcile social perceptions of his multiracial heritage.[18] He wrote that he used alcohol, marijuana and cocaine during his teenage years to "push questions of who I was out of my mind."[19] At the 2008 Civil Forum on the Presidency, Obama identified his high-school drug use as his "greatest moral failure."[20]
Some of his fellow students at Punahou School later told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin that Obama was mature for his age, and that he sometimes attended college parties and other events in order to associate with African American students and military service people. Reflecting later on his formative years in Honolulu, Obama wrote: "The opportunity that Hawaii offered — to experience a variety of cultures in a climate of mutual respect — became an integral part of my world view, and a basis for the values that I hold most dear."[21]
Following high school, Obama moved to Los Angeles, where he studied at Occidental College for two years.[22] He then transferred to Columbia University in New York City, where he majored in political science with a specialization in international relations.[23] Obama graduated with a B.A. from Columbia in 1983. He worked for a year at the Business International Corporation[24][25] and then at the New York Public Interest Research Group.[26][27]
After four years in New York City, Obama moved to Chicago, where he was hired as director of the Developing Communities Project (DCP), a church-based community organization originally comprising eight Catholic parishes in Greater Roseland (Roseland, West Pullman and Riverdale) on Chicago's far South Side. He worked there for three years from June 1985 to May 1988.[26][28] During his three years as the DCP's director, its staff grew from one to thirteen and its annual budget grew from $70,000 to $400,000. His achievements included helping set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants' rights organization in Altgeld Gardens.[29] Obama also worked as a consultant and instructor for the Gamaliel Foundation, a community organizing institute.[30] In mid-1988, he traveled for the first time to Europe for three weeks and then for five weeks in Kenya, where he met many of his paternal relatives for the first time.[31]
Obama entered Harvard Law School in late 1988. He was selected as an editor of the Harvard Law Review at the end of his first year,[32] and president of the journal in his second year.[33] During his summers, he returned to Chicago where he worked as a summer associate at the law firms of Sidley & Austin in 1989 and Hopkins & Sutter in 1990.[34] After graduating with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) magna cum laude[35][36] from Harvard in 1991, he returned to Chicago.[32]
Obama's election as the first black president of the Harvard Law Review gained national media attention[33] and led to a publishing contract and advance for a book about race relations.[37] In an effort to recruit him to their faculty, the University of Chicago Law School provided Obama with a fellowship and an office to work on his book.[37] He originally planned to finish the book in one year, but it took much longer as the book evolved into a personal memoir. In order to work without interruptions, Obama and his wife, Michelle, traveled to Bali where he wrote for several months. The manuscript was finally published in mid-1995 as Dreams from My Father.[37]
From April to October 1992, Obama directed Illinois's Project Vote, a voter registration drive with a staff of ten and seven hundred volunteers; it achieved its goal of registering 150,000 of 400,000 unregistered African Americans in the state, and led to Crain's Chicago Business naming Obama to its 1993 list of "40 under Forty" powers to be.[38][39]
For twelve years, Obama served as a professor at the University of Chicago Law School teaching Constitutional Law. He was first classified as a Lecturer from 1992 to 1996 and then as a Senior Lecturer from 1996 to 2004.[40] He also joined Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland, a twelve-attorney law firm specializing in civil rights litigation and neighborhood economic development, where he was an associate for three years from 1993 to 1996, then of counsel from 1996 to 2004, with his law license becoming inactive in 2002.[26][41][42]
Obama was a founding member of the board of directors of Public Allies in 1992, resigning before his wife, Michelle, became the founding executive director of Public Allies Chicago in early 1993.[26][43] He served from 1994 to 2002 on the board of directors of the Woods Fund of Chicago, which in 1985 had been the first foundation to fund the Developing Communities Project, and also from 1994 to 2002 on the board of directors of the Joyce Foundation.[26] Obama served on the board of directors of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge from 1995 to 2002, as founding president and chairman of the board of directors from 1995 to 1999.[26] He also served on the board of directors of the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Center for Neighborhood Technology, and the Lugenia Burns Hope Center.[26]
Political career
State legislator: 1997–2004
Main article: Illinois Senate career of Barack Obama
Obama was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996, succeeding State Senator Alice Palmer as Senator from Illinois's 13th District, which then spanned Chicago South Side neighborhoods from Hyde Park-Kenwood south to South Shore and west to Chicago Lawn.[44] Once elected, Obama gained bipartisan support for legislation reforming ethics and health care laws.[45] He sponsored a law increasing tax credits for low-income workers, negotiated welfare reform, and promoted increased subsidies for childcare.[46] In 2001, as co-chairman of the bipartisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, Obama supported Republican Governor Ryan's payday loan regulations and predatory mortgage lending regulations aimed at averting home foreclosures.[47]
Obama was reelected to the Illinois Senate in 1998, defeating Republican Yesse Yehudah in the General Election, and reelected again in 2002.[48] In 2000, he lost a Democratic primary run for the U.S. House of Representatives to four-term incumbent Bobby Rush by a margin of two to one.[49][50]
In January 2003, Obama became chairman of the Illinois Senate's Health and Human Services Committee when Democrats, after a decade in the minority, regained a majority.[51] He sponsored and led unanimous, bipartisan passage of legislation to monitor racial profiling by requiring police to record the race of drivers they detained and legislation making Illinois the first state to mandate videotaping of homicide interrogations.[46][52] During his 2004 general election campaign for U.S. Senate, police representatives credited Obama for his active engagement with police organizations in enacting death penalty reforms.[53] Obama resigned from the Illinois Senate in November 2004 following his election to the U.S. Senate.[54]
2004 U.S. Senate campaign
See also: United States Senate election in Illinois, 2004
In mid-2002, Obama began considering a run for the U.S. Senate; he enlisted political strategist David Axelrod that fall and formally announced his candidacy in January 2003.[55] Decisions by Republican incumbent Peter Fitzgerald and his Democratic predecessor Carol Moseley Braun not to contest the race launched wide-open Democratic and Republican primary contests involving fifteen candidates.[56] Obama's candidacy was boosted by Axelrod's advertising campaign featuring images of the late Chicago Mayor Harold Washington and an endorsement by the daughter of the late Paul Simon, former U.S. Senator for Illinois.[57] He received over 52% of the vote in the March 2004 primary, emerging 29% ahead of his nearest Democratic rival.[58]
In July 2004, Obama wrote and delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts.[59] After describing his maternal grandfather's experiences as a World War II veteran and a beneficiary of the New Deal's FHA and G.I. Bill programs, Obama spoke about changing the U.S. government's economic and social priorities. He questioned the Bush administration's management of the Iraq War and highlighted America's obligations to its soldiers. Drawing examples from U.S. history, he criticized heavily partisan views of the electorate and asked Americans to find unity in diversity, saying, "There is not a liberal America and a conservative America; there's the United States of America."[60] Though it was not televised by the three major broadcast news networks, a combined 9.1 million viewers watching on PBS, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and C-SPAN saw Obama's speech, which was a highlight of the convention and confirmed his status as the Democratic Party's brightest new star.[61]
Obama's expected opponent in the general election, Republican primary winner Jack Ryan, withdrew from the race in June 2004.[62] Two months later and less than three months before Election Day, Alan Keyes accepted the Illinois Republican Party's nomination to replace Ryan.[63] A long-time resident of Maryland, Keyes established legal residency in Illinois with the nomination.[64] In the November 2004 general election, Obama received 70% of the vote to Keyes's 27%, the largest victory margin for a statewide race in Illinois history.[65]
U.S. Senator: 2005–2008
Main article: United States Senate career of Barack Obama
Obama was sworn in as a senator on January 4, 2005.[66] Obama was the fifth African-American Senator in U.S. history, and the third to have been popularly elected.[67] He was the only Senate member of the Congressional Black Caucus.[68] CQ Weekly, a nonpartisan publication, characterized him as a "loyal Democrat" based on analysis of all Senate votes in 2005–2007. The National Journal ranked him as the "most liberal" senator based on an assessment of selected votes during 2007; in 2005 he was ranked sixteenth most liberal, and in 2006 he was ranked tenth.[69][70] In 2008, Congress.org ranked him as the eleventh most powerful Senator.[71] Obama announced on November 13, 2008 that he would resign his senate seat on November 16, 2008, before the start of the lame-duck session, to focus on his transition period for the presidency.[72][73] This enabled him to avoid the conflict of dual roles as President-elect and Senator in the lame duck session of Congress, which no sitting member of Congress had faced since Warren Harding.[74]
Legislation
See also: List of bills sponsored by Barack Obama in the United States Senate
Senate bill sponsors Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Obama discussing the Coburn–Obama Transparency Act.[75]Obama voted in favor of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and cosponsored the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act.[76] In September 2006, Obama supported a related bill, the Secure Fence Act.[77] Obama introduced two initiatives bearing his name: Lugar–Obama, which expanded the Nunn–Lugar cooperative threat reduction concept to conventional weapons,[78] and the Coburn–Obama Transparency Act, which authorized the establishment of USAspending.gov, a web search engine on federal spending.[79] On June 3, 2008, Senator Obama, along with Senators Thomas R. Carper, Tom Coburn, and John McCain, introduced follow-up legislation: Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008.[80]
Obama sponsored legislation that would have required nuclear plant owners to notify state and local authorities of radioactive leaks, but the bill failed to pass in the full Senate after being heavily modified in committee.[81] Obama is not hostile to Tort reform and voted for the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 and the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 which grants immunity from civil liability to telecommunications companies complicit with NSA warrantless wiretapping operations.[82]
In December 2006, President Bush signed into law the Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act, marking the first federal legislation to be enacted with Obama as its primary sponsor.[83] In January 2007, Obama and Senator Feingold introduced a corporate jet provision to the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, which was signed into law in September 2007.[84] Obama also introduced Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act, a bill to criminalize deceptive practices in federal elections[85] and the Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007,[86] neither of which have been signed into law.
Obama and U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) visit a Russian mobile launch missile dismantling facility in August 2005.[87]Later in 2007, Obama sponsored an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act adding safeguards for personality disorder military discharges.[88] This amendment passed the full Senate in the spring of 2008.[89] He sponsored the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act supporting divestment of state pension funds from Iran's oil and gas industry, which has not passed committee, and co-sponsored legislation to reduce risks of nuclear terrorism.[90][91] Obama also sponsored a Senate amendment to the State Children's Health Insurance Program providing one year of job protection for family members caring for soldiers with combat-related injuries.[92]
Committees
Obama held assignments on the Senate Committees for Foreign Relations, Environment and Public Works and Veterans' Affairs through December 2006.[93] In January 2007, he left the Environment and Public Works committee and took additional assignments with Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.[94] He also became Chairman of the Senate's subcommittee on European Affairs.[95] As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. He met with Mahmoud Abbas before he became President of the Palestinian Authority, and gave a speech at the University of Nairobi condemning corruption in the Kenyan government.[96][97][98][99]
2008 Presidential campaign
Main articles: Barack Obama presidential primary campaign, 2008 and Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008
Wikinews has related news: Barack Obama elected 44th President of the United States
On February 10, 2007, Obama announced his candidacy for President of the United States in front of the Old State Capitol building in Springfield, Illinois.[100][101] The choice of the announcement site was symbolic because it was also where Abraham Lincoln delivered his historic "House Divided" speech in 1858.[102] Throughout the campaign, Obama emphasized the issues of rapidly ending the Iraq War, increasing energy independence, and providing universal health care.[103]
Obama stands on stage with his wife and two daughters just before announcing his presidential candidacy in Springfield, Illinois, Feb. 10, 2007.During both the primary process and the general election, Obama's campaign set numerous fundraising records, particularly in the quantity of small donations.[104][105][106] On June 19, Obama became the first major-party presidential candidate to turn down public financing in the general election since the system was created in 1976.[107]
A large number of candidates initially entered the Democratic Party presidential primaries. After a few initial contests, the field narrowed to a contest between Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton, with each winning some states and the race remaining close throughout the primary process.[108][109][110][111] On May 31, the Democratic National Committee agreed to seat all of the disputed Michigan and Florida delegates at the national convention, each with a half-vote, narrowing Obama's delegate lead.[112] On June 3, with all states counted, Obama passed the threshold to become the presumptive nominee.[113][114] On that day, he gave a victory speech in St. Paul, Minnesota. Clinton suspended her campaign and endorsed him on June 7.[115] From that point on, he campaigned for the general election race against Senator John McCain, the Republican nominee.
On August 23, 2008, Obama announced that he had selected Delaware Senator Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate.[116]
Obama delivers his presidential election victory speech.At the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, Obama's former rival Hillary Clinton gave a speech in support of Obama's candidacy and later called for Obama to be nominated by acclamation as the Democratic presidential candidate.[117][118] On August 28, Obama delivered a speech to 84,000 supporters in Denver. During the speech, which was viewed by over 38 million people worldwide, he accepted his party's nomination and presented his policy goals.[119][120]
After McCain was nominated as the Republican presidential candidate, there were three presidential debates between Obama and McCain in September and October 2008.[121][122] In November, Obama won the presidency with 53% of the popular vote and a wide electoral college margin. His election sparked street celebrations in numerous cities in the United States[123] and abroad.
Election victory
Main article: Presidential transition of Barack Obama
President-elect Obama meets with President George W. Bush in the Oval Office, November 10, 2008.On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama defeated John McCain in the general election with 365 electoral votes to McCain's 173[124] and became the first African American to be elected President of the United States.[125][126][127][128] In his victory speech, delivered before a crowd of hundreds of thousands of his supporters in Chicago's Grant Park, Obama proclaimed that "change has come to America".[129]
On January 8, 2009, the joint session of the U.S. Congress met to certify the votes of the Electoral College for the 2008 presidential election. Based on the results of the electoral vote count, Barack Obama was declared to have been elected President of the United States and Joseph Biden was declared to have been elected Vice President of the United States.[130]
Presidency
Main article: Presidency of Barack Obama
The inauguration of Barack Obama as the forty-fourth President, and Joe Biden as Vice President, took place on January 20, 2009. The theme of the inauguration was "A New Birth of Freedom," commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln.[131]
In his first few days in office, Obama issued executive orders and presidential memoranda reversing President Bush's ban on federal funding to foreign establishments that allow abortions (known as the Global Gag Rule),[132] and changed procedures to promote disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act,[133] directing the U.S. military to develop plans to withdraw troops from Iraq,[134] and reducing the secrecy given to presidential records,[135] and closing Guantanamo Bay detention camp "as soon as practicable and no later than" January 2010, and "Immediate Review of All Guantánamo Detentions".
Political positions
Main article: Political positions of Barack Obama
A method that some political scientists use for gauging ideology is to compare the annual ratings by the Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) with the ratings by the American Conservative Union (ACU).[136] Based on his years in Congress, Obama has a lifetime average conservative rating of 7.67% from the ACU,[137] and a lifetime average liberal rating of 90% from the ADA.[138]
Obama campaigning in Abington, Pennsylvania, October 2008.Obama was an early opponent of the Bush administration's policies on Iraq.[139] On October 2, 2002, the day President George W. Bush and Congress agreed on the joint resolution authorizing the Iraq War,[140] Obama addressed the first high-profile Chicago anti-Iraq War rally in Federal Plaza,[141] speaking out against the war.[142][143] On March 16, 2003, the day Bush issued his 48-hour ultimatum to Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq before the U.S. invasion of Iraq,[144] Obama addressed the largest Chicago anti-Iraq War rally to date in Daley Plaza and told the crowd that "it's not too late" to stop the war.[145] Although Obama had previously said he wanted all the U.S. troops out of Iraq within 16 months of becoming President, after he won the primary, he said he might "refine" that promise.[146]
Obama stated that if elected he would enact budget cuts in the range of tens of billions of dollars, stop investing in "unproven" missile defense systems, not "weaponize" space, "slow development of Future Combat Systems," and work towards eliminating all nuclear weapons. Obama favors ending development of new nuclear weapons, reducing the current U.S. nuclear stockpile, enacting a global ban on production of fissile material, and seeking negotiations with Russia in order to take ICBMs off high alert status.[147]
In November 2006, Obama called for a "phased redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq" and an opening of diplomatic dialogue with Syria and Iran.[148] In a March 2007 speech to AIPAC, a pro-Israel lobby, he said that the primary way to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons is through talks and diplomacy, although he did not rule out military action.[149] Obama has indicated that he would engage in "direct presidential diplomacy" with Iran without preconditions.[150][151][152] Detailing his strategy for fighting global terrorism in August 2007, Obama said "it was a terrible mistake to fail to act" against a 2005 meeting of al-Qaeda leaders that U.S. intelligence had confirmed to be taking place in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas. He said that as president he would not miss a similar opportunity, even without the support of the Pakistani government.[153]
In a December 2005, Washington Post opinion column, and at the Save Darfur rally in April 2006, Obama called for more assertive action to oppose genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan.[154] He has divested $180,000 in personal holdings of Sudan-related stock, and has urged divestment from companies doing business in Iran.[155] In the July–August 2007 issue of Foreign Affairs, Obama called for an outward looking post-Iraq War foreign policy and the renewal of American military, diplomatic, and moral leadership in the world. Saying that "we can neither retreat from the world nor try to bully it into submission," he called on Americans to "lead the world, by deed and by example."[156]
Obama speaking at a rally at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri.In economic affairs, in April 2005, he defended the New Deal social welfare policies of Franklin D. Roosevelt and opposed Republican proposals to establish private accounts for Social Security.[157] In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Obama spoke out against government indifference to growing economic class divisions, calling on both political parties to take action to restore the social safety net for the poor.[158] Shortly before announcing his presidential campaign, Obama said he supports universal health care in the United States.[159] Obama proposes to reward teachers for performance from traditional merit pay systems, assuring unions that changes would be pursued through the collective bargaining process.[160]
In September 2007, he blamed special interests for distorting the U.S. tax code.[161] His plan would eliminate taxes for senior citizens with incomes of less than $50,000 a year, repeal income tax cuts for those making over $250,000 as well as the capital gains and dividends tax cut,[162] close corporate tax loopholes, lift the income cap on Social Security taxes, restrict offshore tax havens, and simplify filing of income tax returns by pre-filling wage and bank information already collected by the IRS.[163] Announcing his presidential campaign's energy plan in October 2007, Obama proposed a cap and trade auction system to restrict carbon emissions and a ten year program of investments in new energy sources to reduce U.S. dependence on imported oil.[164] Obama proposed that all pollution credits must be auctioned, with no grandfathering of credits for oil and gas companies, and the spending of the revenue obtained on energy development and economic transition costs.[165]
Obama has encouraged Democrats to reach out to evangelicals and other religious groups.[166] In December 2006, he joined Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) at the "Global Summit on AIDS and the Church" organized by church leaders Kay and Rick Warren.[167] Together with Warren and Brownback, Obama took an HIV test, as he had done in Kenya less than four months earlier.[168] He encouraged "others in public life to do the same" and not be ashamed of it.[169] Addressing over 8,000 United Church of Christ members in June 2007, Obama challenged "so-called leaders of the Christian Right" for being "all too eager to exploit what divides us."[170]
Family and personal life
Main articles: Early life and career of Barack Obama and Family of Barack Obama
Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama.In June 1989, Obama met Michelle Robinson, who later became his wife, when he was employed as a summer associate at the Chicago law firm of Sidley Austin.[171] Assigned for three months as Obama's adviser at the firm, Robinson joined him at group social functions, but declined his initial requests to date.[172] They began dating later that summer, became engaged in 1991, and were married on October 3, 1992.[173] The couple's first daughter, Malia Ann, was born in 1998,[174] followed by a second daughter, Natasha ("Sasha"), in 2001.[175] Because of Michelle Obama's employment with the University of Chicago, the Obama daughters attended the private University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. When they moved to Washington, D.C., in January 2009, the girls started at the private Sidwell Friends School.[176]
Obama was known as "Barry" in his youth, but asked to be addressed with his given name during his college years.[177]
Applying the proceeds of a book deal, in 2005 the family moved from a Hyde Park, Chicago condominium to their current $1.6 million house in neighboring Kenwood.[178] The purchase of an adjacent lot and sale of part of it to Obama by the wife of developer and friend Tony Rezko attracted media attention because of Rezko's indictment and subsequent conviction on political corruption charges that were unrelated to Obama.[179][180]
In December 2007, Money magazine estimated the Obama family's net worth at $1.3 million.[181] Their 2007 tax return showed a household income of $4.2 million—up from about $1 million in 2006 and $1.6 million in 2005—mostly from sales of his books.[182]
Obama playing basketball with U.S. military at Camp Lemonier, Djibouti in 2006.[183]In a 2006 interview, Obama highlighted the diversity of his extended family. "Michelle will tell you that when we get together for Christmas or Thanksgiving, it's like a little mini-United Nations." he said. "I've got relatives who look like Bernie Mac, and I've got relatives who look like Margaret Thatcher."[184] Obama has seven half-siblings from his Kenyan father's family, six of them living, and a half-sister with whom he was raised, Maya Soetoro-Ng, the daughter of his mother and her Indonesian second husband.[185] Obama's mother was survived by her Kansas-born mother, Madelyn Dunham[186] until her death on November 2, 2008, just before the presidential election.[187] In Dreams from My Father, Obama ties his mother's family history to possible Native American ancestors and distant relatives of Jefferson Davis, president of the southern Confederacy during the American Civil War.[188] Obama's maternal and paternal grandfathers fought in World War II. Obama's great-uncle served in the 89th Division that overran Ohrdruf,[189] the first Nazi camp liberated by U.S. troops.[190]
Obama plays basketball, a sport he participated in as a member of his high school's varsity team.[191] He is an avid sports fan. Obama follows the Chicago Bears, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Bulls and West Ham United F.C.[192][193][194][195] While he has never been a heavy smoker, Obama has tried to quit smoking several times, including a well-publicized and ongoing effort which he began before launching his presidential campaign.[196] Obama has said he will not smoke in the White House.[197]
Obama is a Protestant Christian whose religious views have evolved in his adult life. In The Audacity of Hope, Obama writes that he "was not raised in a religious household." He describes his mother, raised by non-religious parents (whom Obama has specified elsewhere as "non-practicing Methodists and Baptists") to be detached from religion, yet "in many ways the most spiritually awakened person that I have ever known." He describes his father as "raised a Muslim," but a "confirmed atheist" by the time his parents met, and his stepfather as "a man who saw religion as not particularly useful." In the book, Obama explains how, through working with black churches as a community organizer while in his twenties, he came to understand "the power of the African-American religious tradition to spur social change."[198][199] He was baptized at the Trinity United Church of Christ in 1988 and was an active member there for two decades.[200][201]
Besides his native English, Obama speaks Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia), at least on a colloquial level, which he learned during his four childhood years in Jakarta.[202] After the APEC summit in November 2008, Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono related a telephone conversation with Obama in Indonesian to Indonesian media. Obama had told Yudhoyono that he missed Indonesian food like Nasi Goreng, Bakso or Rambutan.[203]
Cultural and political image
Main article: Public image of Barack Obama
With his black Kenyan father and white American mother, his upbringing in Honolulu and Jakarta, and his Ivy League education, Obama's early life experiences differ markedly from those of African-American politicians who launched their careers in the 1960s through participation in the civil rights movement.[204] Expressing puzzlement over questions about whether he is "black enough", Obama told an August 2007 meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists that the debate is not about his physical appearance or his record on issues of concern to black voters. Obama said that "we're still locked in this notion that if you appeal to white folks then there must be something wrong."[205]
Echoing the inaugural address of John F. Kennedy, Obama acknowledged his youthful image in an October 2007 campaign speech, saying: "I wouldn't be here if, time and again, the torch had not been passed to a new generation."[206] A popular catch phrase distilled the concept: "Rosa sat so Martin could walk; Martin walked so Obama could run; Obama is running so our children can fly."[207]
From left: Presidents George H. W. Bush, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter meet in the Oval Office on January 7, 2009.Obama has been praised as a master of oratory on par with other renowned speakers in the past such as Martin Luther King, Jr.[208][209] His "Yes We Can" speech, which artists independently set to music in a video produced by Will.i.am, was viewed by 10 million people on YouTube in the first month,[210] and received an Emmy Award.[211] University of Virginia professor Jonathan Haidt researched the effectiveness of Obama's public speaking and concluded that part of his excellence is because the politician is adept at inspiring the emotion of elevation, the desire to act morally and do good for others.[212] Obama used these communication skills in a series of weekly internet video addresses during his pre-inauguration transition period;[213] he has suggested he will make a series of broadcast and internet addresses similar to Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous fireside chats throughout his term as president to explain his policies and actions.[214]
Many commentators mentioned Obama's international appeal as a defining factor for his public image.[215] Not only did several polls show strong support for him in other countries,[216] but Obama also established close relationships with prominent foreign politicians and elected officials even before his presidential candidacy, notably with then incumbent British Prime Minister Tony Blair, whom he met in London in 2005,[217] with Italy's Democratic Party leader and then Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni, who visited Obama's Senate office in 2005,[218] and with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who also visited him in Washington in 2006.[219]
Obama won Best Spoken Word Album Grammy Awards for abridged audiobook versions of both of his books; for Dreams from My Father in February 2006 and for The Audacity of Hope in February 2008.[220]
In December 2008, Time magazine named Barack Obama as its Person of the Year for his historic candidacy and election, which it described as "the steady march of seemingly impossible accomplishments."[221]
Notes
^ "President Barack Obama". <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov">www.whitehouse.gov</a>.
^ a b "Birth Certificate of Barack Obama". Department of Health, Hawaii. PolitiFact.com (August 8, 1961). Retrieved on 2008-12-12.
^ "Obama's church choice likely to be scrutinized". Associated Press. msnbc.com (November 17, 2008). Retrieved on 2009-1-20.
^ Maraniss, David (August 24, 2008). "Though Obama Had to Leave to Find Himself, It Is Hawaii That Made His Rise Possible", Politics, Washington Post. Retrieved on 27 October 2008.
^ Serafin, Peter (March 21, 2004). "Punahou grad stirs up Illinois politics" (Article), Special to the Star-Bulletin, Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved on November 30 2008.
^ For Stanley Ann's first name, see Obama (1995, 2004), p. 19
^ "Born in the U.S.A.". FactCheck (August 21, 2008). Retrieved on October 24, 2008.
^ Hutton, Brian (May 3, 2007). "For sure, Obama's South Side Irish", Politics, The Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved on 23 November 2008.
^ "Tiny Irish Village Is Latest Place to Claim Obama as Its Own - washingtonpost.com". Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved on 2008-11-08.
^ Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 9–10. For book excerpts, see "Barack Obama: Creation of Tales", East African (2004-11-01). Retrieved on 13 April 2008. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
^ a b Jones, Tim (2007-03-27). "Obama's mom: Not just a girl from Kansas: Strong personalities shaped a future senator", Chicago Tribune, reprinted in The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved on 27 October 2008.
^ Ripley, Amanda (2008-04-09). "The Story of Barack Obama's Mother", Time. Retrieved on 9 April 2007.
^ Merida, Kevin (2007-12-14). "The Ghost of a Father", Washington Post. Retrieved on 24 June 2008. See also: Ochieng, Philip (2004-11-01). "From Home Squared to the US Senate: How Barack Obama Was Lost and Found", East African. Retrieved on 24 June 2008. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. In August 2006, Obama flew his wife and two daughters from Chicago to join him in a visit to his father's birthplace, a village near Kisumu in rural western Kenya. Gnecchi, Nico (2006-02-27). "Obama Receives Hero's Welcome at His Family's Ancestral Village in Kenya", Voice of America. Retrieved on 24 June 2008.
^ Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 44–45.
^ Serafin, Peter (2004-03-21). "Punahou Grad Stirs Up Illinois Politics", Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved on 13 April 2008. See also: Obama (1995, 2004), Chapters 3 and 4.
^ Ripley, Amanda (2008-04-09). "The Story of Barack Obama's Mother", Time. Retrieved on 24 June 2008. See also: Suryakusuma, Julia (2006-11-29). "Obama for President... of Indonesia", Jakarta Post. Retrieved on 24 June 2008.
^ Obama (1995), pp. 9–10.
^ Obama (1995), Chapters 4 and 5. See also: Serrano, Richard A (March 11, 2007). "Obama's Peers Didn't See His Angst" (paid archive), Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 4 January 2008.
^ "Obama Gets Blunt with N.H. Students", Associated Press, Boston Globe (November 21, 2007). Retrieved on 4 January 2008. In Dreams from My Father, Obama writes: "Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it." Obama (1995), pp. 93–94. For analysis of the political impact of the quote and Obama's more recent admission that he smoked marijuana as a teenager ("When I was a kid, I inhaled."), see: Romano, Lois (January 3, 2007). "Effect of Obama's Candor Remains to Be Seen", Washington Post. Retrieved on 4 January 2008. Seelye, Katharine Q (October 24, 2006). "Obama Offers More Variations From the Norm", New York Times. Retrieved on 4 January 2008.
^ Hornick, Ed (August 17, 2008). "Obama, McCain talk issues at pastor's forum", CNN.com. Retrieved on 4 January 2009.
^ Reyes, B. J (February 8, 2007). "Punahou Left Lasting Impression on Obama", Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved on 4 January 2008. "As a teenager, Obama went to parties and sometimes sought out gatherings on military bases or at the University of Hawaii that were mostly attended by blacks."
^ "Oxy Remembers "Barry" Obama '83". Occidental College (2007-01-29). Retrieved on 2008-04-13.
^ Boss-Bicak, Shira (January 2005). "Barack Obama '83", Columbia College Today. Retrieved on 9 June 2008.
^ "Curriculum Vitae". The University of Chicago Law School. Archived from the original on 2001-05-09. Retrieved on 2008-11-03.
^ Issenberg, Sasha (2008-08-06). "Obama shows hints of his year in global finance: Tied markets to social aid", Boston Globe. Retrieved on 13 April 2008.
^ a b c d e f g Chassie, Karen (ed.) (2007). Who's Who in America, 2008. New Providence, NJ: Marquis Who's Who. p. 3468. ISBN 9780837970110. <a href="http://www.marquiswhoswho.com/products/WAprodinfo.asp">www.marquiswhoswho.com/products/WAprodinfo.asp</a>. Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
^ Scott, Janny (2007-10-30). "Obama's Account of New York Years Often Differs from What Others Say", The New York Times. Retrieved on 13 April 2008. Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 133–140; Mendell (2007), pp. 62–63.
^ Secter, Bob; McCormick, John (2007-03-30). "Portrait of a pragmatist", Chicago Tribune, p. 1. Retrieved on 6 June 2008. Archived from the original on 9 February 2008. Lizza, Ryan (2007-03-19). "The Agitator: Barack Obama's Unlikely Political Education" (alternate link), New Republic. Retrieved on 13 April 2008. Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 140–295; Mendell (2007), pp. 63–83.
^ Matchan, Linda (1990-02-15). "A Law Review breakthrough" (paid archive), The Boston Globe, p. 29. Retrieved on 6 June 2008. Corr, John (1990-02-27). "From mean streets to hallowed halls" (paid archive), The Philadelphia Inquirer, p. C01. Retrieved on 6 June 2008.
^ Obama, Barack (August–September 1988). "Why organize? Problems and promise in the inner city". Illinois Issues 14 (8–9): 40–42. reprinted in: Knoepfle, Peg (ed.) (1990). After Alinsky: community organizing in Illinois. Springfield, IL: Sangamon State University. pp. 35–40. ISBN 0962087335. Tayler, Letta; Herbert, Keith (2008-03-02). "Obama forged path as Chicago community organizer", Newsday, p. A06. Retrieved on 6 June 2008.
^ Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 299–437.
^ a b Levenson, Michael; Saltzman, Jonathan (2007-01-28). "At Harvard Law, a unifying voice", The Boston Globe. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Kantor, Jodi (2007-01-28). "In law school, Obama found political voice", The New York Times, p. 1. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Kodama, Marie C (2007-01-19). "Obama left mark on HLS", The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Mundy, Liza (2007-08-12). "A series of fortunate events", The Washington Post, p. W10. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Heilemann, John (2007-10-22). "When they were young". New York 40 (37): 32–7, 132–3. <a href="http://www.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=When+They+Were+Young&expire=&urlID=24417790&fb=Y&url=http://nymag.com/news/features/39321/&partnerID=73272">www.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&titl...</a>. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Mendell (2007), pp. 80–92.
^ a b Butterfield, Fox (1990-02-06). "First black elected to head Harvard's Law Review", The New York Times, p. A20. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Ybarra, Michael J (1990-02-07). "Activist in Chicago now heads Harvard Law Review" (paid archive), Chicago Tribune, p. 3. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Matchan, Linda (1990-02-15). "A Law Review breakthrough" (paid archive), The Boston Globe, p. 29. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Corr, John (1990-02-27). "From mean streets to hallowed halls" (paid archive), The Philadelphia Inquirer, p. C01. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Drummond, Tammerlin (1990-03-12). "Barack Obama's Law; Harvard Law Review's first black president plans a life of public service" (paid archive), Los Angeles Times, p. E1. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Evans, Gaynelle (1990-03-15). "Opening another door: The saga of Harvard's Barack H. Obama", Black Issues in Higher Education, p. 5. Retrieved on 15 November 2008. Pugh, Allison J. (Associated Press) (1990-04-18). "Law Review's first black president aims to help poor" (paid archive), The Miami Herald, p. C01. Retrieved on 15 June 2008.
^ Aguilar, Louis (1990-07-11). "Survey: Law firms slow to add minority partners" (paid archive), Chicago Tribune, p. 1 (Business). Retrieved on 15 June 2008. "Barack Obama, a summer associate at Hopkins & Sutter in Chicago"
^ Adams, Richard (2007-05-09). "Barack Obama", The Guardian. Retrieved on 26 October 2008.
^ Mendell, David. "Barack Obama (American politician)". Retrieved on 2008-10-26.
^ a b c Scott, Janny (2008-05-18). "The story of Obama, written by Obama", The New York Times, p. 1. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Obama (1995, 2004), pp. xiii–xvii.
^ White, Jesse (ed.) (2000). Illinois Blue Book, 2000, Millennium ed.. Springfield, IL: Illinois Secretary of State. p. 83. OCLC 43923973. <a href="http://www.sos.state.il.us/bb/toc.html">www.sos.state.il.us/bb/toc.html</a>. Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
^ Jarrett, Vernon (1992-08-11). "'Project Vote' brings power to the people" (paid archive), Chicago Sun-Times, p. 23. Retrieved on 6 June 2008. Reynolds, Gretchen (January 1993). "Vote of Confidence". Chicago 42 (1): 53–54. <a href="http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/January-1993/Vote-of-Confidence/">www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/January-1993/Vote-of-...</a>. Retrieved on 6 June 2008. Anderson, Veronica (September 27–October 3 1993). "40 under Forty: Barack Obama, Director, Illinois Project Vote". Crain's Chicago Business 16 (39): 43.
^ University of Chicago Law School (2008-03-27). "Statement regarding Barack Obama". University of Chicago Law School. Retrieved on 2008-06-10. Miller, Joe (2008-03-28). "Was Barack Obama really a constitutional law professor?". FactCheck.org. Retrieved on 2008-06-10. Holan, Angie Drobnic (2008-03-07). "Obama's 20 years of experience". PolitiFact.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-10.<
^ Robinson, Mike (Associated Press) (2007-02-10). "Obama got start in civil rights practice", The Boston Globe. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Pallasch, Abdon M (2007-12-17). "As lawyer, Obama was strong, silent type; He was 'smart, innovative, relentless,' and he mostly let other lawyers do the talking", Chicago Sun-Times, p. 4. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. "People" (paid archive), Chicago Tribune (1993-06-27), p. 9 (Business). Retrieved on 15 June 2008. "Business appointments" (paid archive), Chicago-Sun-Times (1993-07-05), p. 40. Retrieved on 15 June 2008. Miner, Barnhill & Galland (2008). "About Us". Miner, Barnhill & Galland – Chicago, Illinois. Retrieved on 2008-06-15. Obama (1995, 2004), pp. 438–439, Mendell (2007), pp. 104–106.
^ "ARDC Individual Attorney Record of Public Registration and Public Disciplinary and Disability Information as of October 17, 2008 at 12:52:13 PM". Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois. Retrieved on 2008-10-19.
^ Public Allies (2008). "Fact Sheet on Public Allies' History with Senator Barack and Michelle Obama". Public Allies. Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
^ Jackson, David; Ray Long (2007-04-03). "Obama Knows His Way Around a Ballot", Chicago Tribune. Retrieved on 14 January 2008. [dead link] White, Jesse (2001). "Legislative Districts of Cook County, 1991 Reapportionment". Illinois Blue Book 2001–2002. Springfield: Illinois Secretary of State. p. 65. State Sen. District 13 = State Rep. Districts 25 & 26.
^ Slevin, Peter (2007-02-09). "Obama Forged Political Mettle in Illinois Capitol", Washington Post. Retrieved on 20 April 2008. Helman, Scott (2007-09-23). "In Illinois, Obama dealt with Lobbyists", Boston Globe. Retrieved on 20 April 2008. See also: "Obama Record May Be Gold Mine for Critics", Associated Press, CBS News (2007-01-17). Retrieved on 20 April 2008. "In-Depth Look at Obama's Political Career" (video), CLTV, Chicago Tribune (2007-02-09). Retrieved on 20 April 2008.
^ a b Scott, Janny (2007-07-30). "In Illinois, Obama Proved Pragmatic and Shrewd", The New York Times. Retrieved on 20 April 2008. See also: Pearson, Rick; Ray Long (2007-05-03). "Careful Steps, Looking Ahead", Chicago Tribune. Retrieved on 20 April 2008. Archived from the original on 16 February 2008.
^ Allison, Melissa (2000-12-15). "State takes on predatory lending; Rules would halt single-premium life insurance financing", Chicago Tribune, p. 1 (Business). Retrieved on 1 June 2008. Long, Ray; Allison, Melissa (2001-04-18). "Illinois OKs predatory loan curbs; State aims to avert home foreclosures.", Chicago Tribune, p. 1. Retrieved on 1 June 2008.
^ "13th District: Barack Obama" (archive). Illinois State Senate Democrats (2000-08-24). Archived from the original on 2000-04-12. Retrieved on 2008-04-20. "13th District: Barack Obama" (archive). Illinois State Senate Democrats (2004-10-09). Archived from the original on 2004-08-02. Retrieved on 2008-04-20.
^ "Federal Elections 2000: U.S. House Results - Illinois". Federal Election Commission. Retrieved on 2008-04-24.. See also: "Obama's Loss May Have Aided White House Bid". and Scott, Janny (2007-09-09). "A Streetwise Veteran Schooled Young Obama", The New York Times. Retrieved on 20 April 2008.
^ McClelland, Edward (2007-02-12). "How Obama Learned to Be a Natural", Salon. Retrieved on 20 April 2008. See also: Wolffe, Richard; Daren Briscoe (2007-07-16). "Across the Divide", Newsweek, MSNBC. Retrieved on 20 April 2008. Helman, Scott (2007-10-12). "Early Defeat Launched a Rapid Political Climb", Boston Globe. Retrieved on 20 April 2008. and Wills, Christopher (2007-10-24). "Obama learned from failed Congress run", USA Today. Retrieved on 20 September 2008.
^ Calmes, Jackie (2007-02-23). "Statehouse Yields Clues to Obama", Wall Street Journal. Retrieved on 20 April 2008.
^ Tavella, Anne Marie (2003-04-14). "Profiling, taping plans pass Senate", Daily Herald, p. 17. Retrieved on 1 June 2008. Haynes, V. Dion (2003-06-29). "Fight racial profiling at local level, lawmaker says; U.S. guidelines get mixed review", Chicago Tribune, p. 8. Retrieved on 1 June 2008. Pearson, Rick (2003-07-17). "Taped confessions to be law; State will be 1st to pass legislation", Chicago Tribune, p. 1 (Metro). Retrieved on 1 June 2008.
^ Youngman, Sam; Aaron Blake (2007-03-14). "Obama's Crime Votes Are Fodder for Rivals", The Hill. Retrieved on 20 April 2008. See also: "US Presidential Candidate Obama Cites Work on State Death Penalty Reforms", Associated Press, International Herald Tribune (2007-11-12). Retrieved on 20 April 2008.
^ Coffee, Melanie (2004-11-06). "Attorney Chosen to Fill Obama's State Senate Seat", Associated Press, HPKCC. Retrieved on 20 April 2008.
^ Helman, Scott (2007-10-12). "Early Defeat Launched a Rapid Political Climb", Boston Globe. Retrieved on 13 April 2008.
^ Davey, Monica (2004-03-07). "Closely Watched Illinois Senate Race Attracts 7 Candidates in Millionaire Range", The New York Times. Retrieved on 13 April 2008.
^ Wallace-Wells, Ben (2007-04-01). "Obama's Narrator", The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved on 13 April 2008.
^ Davey, Monica (2004-03-17). "From Crowded Field, Democrats Choose State Legislator to Seek Senate Seat", New York Times. Retrieved on 13 April 2008. See also: Jackson, John S (August 2006). "The Making of a Senator: Barack Obama and the 2004 Illinois Senate Race" (PDF), Occasional Paper of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, Southern Illinois University. Retrieved on 13 April 2008.
^ Bernstein, David (June 2007). "The Speech", Chicago Magazine. Retrieved on 13 April 2008.
^ Obama, Barack (2004-07-27). "Keynote Address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention" (text or video). BarackObama.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-13.
^ . (2004-08-02). "Star Power. Showtime: Some are on the rise; others have long been fixtures in the firmament. A galaxy of bright Democratic lights", Newsweek, pp. 48–51. Retrieved on 15 November 2008. Samuel, Terence (2004-08-02). "A shining star named Obama. How a most unlikely politician became a darling of the Democrats", U.S. News & World Report, p. 25. Retrieved on 15 November 2008. Lizza, Ryan. "The Natural. Why is Barack Obama generating more excitement among Democrats than John Kerry?", The Atlantic Monthly, pp. 30, 33. Retrieved on 15 November 2008. Davey, Monica (2004-07-26). "A surprise Senate contender reaches his biggest stage yet", The New York Times, p. A1. Retrieved on 15 November 2008. Leibovich, Mark (2004-07-27). "The other man of the hour", The Washington Post, p. C1. Retrieved on 15 November 2008. Milligan, Susan (2004-07-27). "In Obama, Democrats see their future", The Boston Globe, p. B8. Retrieved on 15 November 2008. Seelye, Katharine Q. (2004-07-28). "Senate nominee speaks of encompassing unity", The New York Times, p. A1. Retrieved on 15 November 2008. Broder, David S. (2004-07-28). "Democrats focus on healing divisions; Addressing convention, newcomers set themes", The Washington Post, p. A1. Retrieved on 15 November 2008. Bing, Jonathan; McClintock, Pamela (2004-07-29). "Auds resist charms of Dem stars", Daily Variety, p. 1. Retrieved on 15 November 2008. Mendell (2007), pp. 272–285.
^ "Ryan Drops Out of Senate Race in Illinois", CNN (2004-06-25). Retrieved on 13 April 2008.
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![Guenievre's IC History
Pre-F-List:
The Hoenn Chronicles -
"Every journey begins with a single step"
Guenievre was originally a male ralts who lived on Route 102 near Petalburg City in the region of Hoen. At a young age, Guenievre as a ralts was very interested in travelling. With an interesting unnamed trainer seeking to become inducted into the Hoenn Hall of Fame by defeating all the gym leaders and the elite four; Guen decided to follow this trainer and grow with him/her. She would watch the human from the shadows, learn from him/her and the pokemon partners (s)he carried. By level 5, Guen had reached petalburg woods where it met a shroomish named 'Mishi'. The two continued following the trainer, learning as (s)he learned. This trainer defeated the first gym leader of the Hoenn Region, Roxanne in a pokemon battle using only one pokemon, an amazing feat (to Guen at least). By level 12, Guen had reached a small island with the town of Dewford on it. Here, she encountered the trainer again this time going against Brawly. Once more, the trainer defeated Brawly using only a single pokemon.
By level 15, the trainer had made it through cycling road and reached Mawvile city where a friendly Voltorb named 'Volt' joined the shroomish and ralts in peering over the trainer. This is when Guenievre learned the move 'thief'. Another trainer managed to spot her and sent a ralts to face off against her. Guenievre conjured the dark-type energy and managed to defeat this trainer's ralts, growing another level in the process. This battle caused Guen to miss the battle between this powerful trainer and the leader of the Mauville City gym, however - she believed that the same powerful pokemon that defeated Roxanne greatly contributed to the trainer's victory.
North of mount chimney, going through the ash-covered wild-lands, Guenievre encountered a spinda who mistook her for one of the trainer's pokemon and attacked. She defeated the wild spinda and in the process grew to level 20 causing her to evolve into Kirlia. Not knowing where to go, Guenievre the Kirlia went to Lavaridge town at the base of mount chimney. She got there in time to see a confident looking trainer emerging with two powerful pokemon on either side. Behind the human trainer, Guenievre could barely make out in the steam-filled haze a defeated red-head on her knees.
Not wanting to fall behind, Guenievre began to actively train herself in the psychic ways quickly gaining the most powerful psychic attack - Psychic at level 26. While she continued her personal training, the pokemon trainer she followed at a distance seemed to be continuing his onslaught on the pokemon gyms. Norman, leader of petalburg gym had fallen to an evolved Mishi (now a Breloom) and an Aron from Dewford Isle known simply as "Aeris".
On the way to Fortree City, Guenievre achieved level 30, evolving once more into the form she currently still holds... the embrace pokemon Gardevoir. At the same time, a powerful electrical attack 'Shockwave' which can never miss with its ever-shifting bolts of lightning came to the Gardevoir. She learned this attack by watching 'Volt', now an electrode single-handedly decimate Winoa's entire team of bird-pokemon using a similar elemental attack.
Between the journey from Fortree City and Mossdeep city, the trainer whom Guen was following around the Hoenn region seemed to be flying around the world on the back of a powerful flying-type pokemon. Where (s)he went was unknown to the gardevoir but while she waited for the trainer's return, she honed her skills mastering the powerful psychic power of 'imprison'. This move sealed away any techniques shared by Guenievre and those around her. Unbeknownst to her, she accidentally sealed away the ability of Tate and Liza's pokemon to use their powerful psychic attacks during the battle between the trainer Guenievre was following and the twin psychic gym leaders.
The journey to Sootopolis City was much more engaging to the gardevoir as she read the mind of her travel companion allowing her to teleport to an undersea cavern where a large-scale battle was transpiring between the trainer and the forces of team Aqua. During this onslaught, Guenievre managed to catch sight of a legendary beast of the sea who she named '[i]the Leviathan[/i]'. Following his release from the deep-sea cavern, torrential rain and blistering heat followed as it seemed that [i]the behemoth[/i] of the land was also released from his slumber. The two were locked in a fierce battle which wreaked havoc on the landscape around them until the legendary 'high-sky' pokemon descended through a break in the clouds.
After this incident, Guenievre decided to temporarily join the trainer on his/her journey as she knew that if she did, she would eventually come into contact with these three legendary pokemon of the weather and be able to test her mettle against them. For this reason, the trainer used her against the gym leader of Sootopolis City's strongest pokemon, kingdra. The two had a fierce battle both maxing out their 'double team' abilities so it seemed as though two powerful armies were clashing against one another on the battle-field. Eventually, Guenievre's 'calm mind' which brought her latent psychic power to its maximum capacity was the deciding factor in the war between the illusions and the water-dragon pokemon was felled!
Guenievre and the mysterious trainer stood against the first of the elite four. Mishi, the fighting-grass mushroom pokemon decimated the entirety of the dark-type pokemon master's team leaving nothing in its wake but bitter tears. This match was over before anyone knew what had transpired.
The second trainer of the tropical elite fit the bill of an island girl but was surprising with her powerful ghost pokemon. Unfortunately, the ghosts were entirely ineffective against the fully evolved aggron that stood between them and the trainer they were supposed to defeat. This lead to a long battle of attrition which culminated in Guenievre's ability to use double-team and calm mind to raise her survivability, knocking out the second member of the Hoenn's pokemon league pokemon in a late vicious counter attack.
The combination of Mishi the breloom and Aeris the aggron proved fatal for the ice-type third member of the Hoenn elite four. Not many ice-pokemon live in the tropical region of Hoenn and so, the fight consisted in part of the two-some obliterating the same opposing pokemon until none stood before them.
Finally, the dragon-master of Hoenn stood before Guen and her mysterious partner, this powerful pokemon trainer. The dragon master had the fierce beasts under his command but a single pokemon stood against them. A mud-fish pokemon wielding the devastating power of 'ice beam'. This same pokemon had defeated Roxanne and Flannery but had mostly been kept away from the fighting for its powerful 'torrent' ability.
Once the entire elite four had been defeated, the mysterious trainer approached the champion, Wallace for a battle. The two went head to head though Volto, the electrode decimated most of the water-type expert's team early on in the match. When Whishcash came in hoping to be the end of the rampant electric pokemon's relentless assault, the mystery trainer switched into Mishi and the water/ground type only served as a tasty meal for the fungus pokemon's powerful 'giga-drain'. Finally, the match came down to Guenievre versus Milotic... Once more, Guenievre's powerful psychic defences shielded it from the damage of the beautiful water pokemon's attacks until an army of 'Guenievres' ended the match with a max-power psycho-kinetic assault.
Thus, the trainer was inducted into the Hoenn hall of fame. This wasn't to be the end of the journey however. There were still six pokemon to find as a promise to the psychic pokemon Guenievre.
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Blue Silver Forge: A journey through Johto and Kanto
A journey from the traditional to the dynamic -
Guenievre began her journey through Johto at the intersection of its neighbouring region of Kanto at Tohjo falls. From here, she travelled west to the traditional region of Johto were legend and lore were interwoven with the landscape. The first town she came across was New Bark where she met a very familiar individual with whom she would take her journey through the lands of Johto. Wandering together, the two walked through Cherrygrove city deciding it would be better to come back to it after a trip to Azela town to pick up a certain 'item' that would assist them on their journey. Instead, they headed to 'Dark Cave' where an Onix by the name of 'Rocky' made its appearance. Stopping at the famous Violet city, Guenievre decided it would be best if she took up meditation with the fabled 'sages of the bellsprout' that made their residence on the outskirts of the city while her familiar acquaintance challenged the gym leader of Violet City, Falkner. With Guenievre's power, the psychic pokemon blasted through the worthy 'sages of the bellsprout way', decimating their bellsprouts and in the process learning abilities she never knew she could master before. It was here, Guenievre gained what could be called 'enlightenment' as her body's dazzling light could not light up the bleakest of darkness. The cost of 'enlightenment' was taxing on her body however and it reduced her abilities to next to naught. She was told by the sage that she would have to regain her former power, one ability at a time. Through patience and understanding, she would gain even more abilities she didn't have before.
After travelling through a dank cavern where Rocky felt most at home, the trio (Rocky, Guen and the trainer) came upon the nestled town of Azalea where the legendary pokeball craftsman 'Kurt' made his residence. While the trainer and Rocky visited Kurt and inquired about the origins of pokeball manufacture, Guenievre paid a visit to Slowpoke well. Here, she came across a psychic pokemon who resonated with her if only for its simple mind and easy life. She stayed with the slowpoke for a night and was awakened the next morn by the trainer who caught the slowpoke, nicknaming it 'HokeyPokey' after some dance from a foreign region Guenievre had never visited. After these events it was off to the Azalea gym to challenge the gym leader. For the first time, Guenievre lay witness to the awesome might of 'Rocky' the onix as it lay waste to every bug pokemon of the Azalea gym including the leader of the gym's prized Scyther.
Through the Ilex forest, Guenievre met an exegcute by the name of Koko who would later join the trainer she was following on the journey through Johto. However, before the trainer captured the pokemon, Guenievre battled against it to weaken the egg pokemon for capture. Through this, she managed to learn one of the secrets the egg pokemon carried, namely how to erect psychic barriers against physical attacks.
The next step of the journey was to go through the bustling Golden Rod City. It was here, at the Golden Rod City Gym that Guenievre saw the power of teamwork. Rocky, the Onix obliterated Whitney's first pokemon, Cleffairy with a series of piercing screeches to lower its defence to an abysmal state and a quick follow-up with a powerful 'headbutt'. The second pokemon was much more tricky to go against and the battle seemed like a showcase of two metapods fighting against one another only using harden. Koko the exegcute leech-seeded Whitney's Miltank before Rocky was once again sent out. Thanks to Rocky's beastly defences, it was incapable of being damaged by Whitney's final pokemon. However, Miltank managed to attract Rocky who refused to attack its would-be lover. And so the battle continued, Miltank would damage Rocky who would be healed in turn by Koko's leech-seed. Then, when Miltank grew weaker, it would use milk drink to heal itself. The cycle continued until finally, Miltank was unable to continue using milk drink having drained its udders dry. Only then did it fall to the sapping away of leech-seed. Guenievre estimated the entire match to have taken thirty minutes, far longer than any match she had seen with this trainer to date....
Guenievre continued following the trainer from Golden Rod City north to the very quaint town of Ekruteak. It was a town steeped in tradition and lore. The trainer almost immediately went to the Gym to challenge the gym leader there, Morty and his Ghost type pokemon. Guenievre on the other hand floated around the town until she heard a commotion at the dance theater in the middle of the town. Sailors visiting from the Unova region who had been in the port of Olivine to the west came to see the sensual dance of the kimono girls. However they were vastly disappointed by the 'lack of skin' shown throughout the affair and grew agitated by this. Their drunken ruckus drew the attention of other trainers who made Johto their home and a large battle ensued. Eventually, the fray was quelled by five powerful pokemon. A flareon, vaporeon, jolteon, umbreon and espeon entered the fray and managed to counter both sides without harming either side. It was unknown to all who wielded the power of these eeveelutions but it brought peace back to the dance theater. When the trainer emerged from the gym, there was nothing but an awestruck look upon Morty's face. A lone rattata strutted proudly. Did this lowly mouse really demolish Morty's entire team of ghosts by itself? Guen was truly curious about the battle she had missed between this trainer and the 'ghost master, Morty'.
The next stop on the journey was Olivine City where the sailors had come from. There, the trainer re-united with a powerful ally, the Electrode Volt who had accompanied them on their journey through Hoenn earlier. While in Olivine, the angry sailors from Ekruteak stormed the gym in Olivine City seeking Jasmine to aide in their retribution against the mysterious eevee trainers of the dance theater. Not wanting to get involved in the fray, the trainer opted to instead continue further west passed the Whirl Islands to a small island where a master of fighting pokemon made his home. The trainer fought against the gym leader Chuck and his powerful Poliwrath. It was a one on one battle and the trainer used a now evolved Koko the Exeggutor against the water/fighting pokemon. Early on, Koko managed to land a leech seed upon its adversary and then the fighter countered by beginning to continuously raise its evasion with the infamously frustrating 'Double Team' strategy. Unfortunately, Koko resisted all of Chuck's Poliwrath's attacks and its added screen defense, reflect proved to be too much of a hurdle to overcome. Koko remained strong, sapping Poliwrath's energy while conserving its own strength until finally, the fighting toad pokemon collapsed from exhaustion. The battle was once again long and Guenievre began to wonder if the trainer changed their strategy from 'raw power' to dwindling away an opponent's will to fight with drawn out battles from the last time they traveled together.
Sailing back to Olivine City, it seemed that the sailors had left for another port and the trainer was free to challenge Jasmine for the next badge of the Johto league. During the battle, Guen opted to instead head north to a Miltank farm where her psychic power and empathy told her of an ill miltank. She secretly visited the cow pokemon in the dead of night when the humans were asleep. The miltank seemed to need help and Guenievre had a plan. Using her teleport, she flashed herself back to her home in Hoenn where Oran berries were plentiful. Plucking several berries from the tropical trees, she teleported back to the farm in Johto and fed the ill miltank the berries she had gathered. Once the cow pokemon was well enough to produce milk again, Guenievre left again to go in search of the trainer she had left behind.
By the time Guenievre met the trainer again, the trainer was facing off against Pryce, the gym leader of Mahogany Town east of Ekruteak. The battle was significantly one sided with Rocky, now a Steelix (supposedly having received a metal coat from Jasmine) decimating all of Pryce's ice-type pokemon. The combination of 'rock polish' and iron tail was too much for the elderly baron of winter and he was forced to concede against the steel serpent pokemon that stood menacingly against him. The next stop on the journey was through the freezing 'Ice Path' and on to Black Thorn City, home of the Blackthorn family, the oldest lineage of dragon-masters this side of Unova. Guenievre did not know of the lore behind Black Thorn city but upon seeing the dragons around, the gardevoir was suddenly filled with a zeal to battle against them. Guenievre appeared to her long time companion and using telepathy communicated her intentions to battle against Claire's powerful dragon pokemon.
The battle came down to a near mirroring of what transpired in Sootopolis City. Guenievre stood her ground against the powerful Kingdra and the two continued using 'double team' to amass illusion armies with which to face one another down. Kingdra's powerful attacks, even in the rain could not pierce through the walls of clones that surrounded the real psychic pokemon. However, Guenievre's less powerful but homing 'magical leaf' managed to always hit its mark. The Kingdra took punishing blow after punishing blow, each time unable to land even a single attack on the powerful psychic pokemon. Finally, after its trainer ran out of hyper potions, the kingdra finally fell to Guenievre's onslaught leaving the trainer victorious and Claire utterly defeated.
With all eight badges, it left nothing between Guenievre, the mysterious trainer and Johto's "Four Heavenly Kings"....
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F-List History:
[The First Date]
Guenievre arrived in the unnamed forest in the cold month of December. She knew not how she arrived in this world but found it stranger than any of the places she had been to. Unlike Hoenn, Johto, Kanto, Sinnoh and Unova this place had no name. More disturbing than this was how many of the pokemon here were akin to humans. They walked on hind limbs and wore clothes as the humans did. This disturbed the gardevoir however, with cautious curiosity she began to explore this new, unnamed region in search of answers. The first friend she made in this strange place was an umbreon by the name of Gaelstrom. He taught her that there was nothing to fear from these strange pokemon she met. Some called themselves 'anthro-pokemon' while others who were much more human-like in appearance and mannerisms referred to themselves as Gijinka. Whilst Guenievre understood neither of these terms, soon both became part of her vernacular. She could identify what was 'feral', what was 'anthro', what was 'gijinka' and what was 'human'. Of course, Guenievre herself didn't really fall into these broad categories. She may have been a 'feral' gardevoir but what was the difference between a humanoid 'feral' gardevoir and an 'anthro' gardevoir?
As time went on, Guenievre's interactions with Gael continued and eventually he became 'a good friend' however it seemed that he was fairly unhappy with this term. He wanted Guenievre's affections, but Guenievre's affections seemed to lay elsewhere. The first 'romantic interest' the psychic pokemon had was with a gijinka luxray. The two shared a camp fire in the cold December night and as they say 'one thing led to another'. It was a casual relationship at best and allowed both of them to 'see other people' as they saw fit. Something that a relationship with Gael may not have allowed Guenievre to partake in. This is what led Guenievre to have numerous 'casual interactions' with several other pokemon and humans. The psychic pokemon continued to meet many individuals through a group who would play a bizarre game involving an empty bottle. It was all good fun and for a time, Guenievre enjoyed herself.
Guenievre was still a 'fighting pokemon' at heart though, these peaceful days while pleasant would eventually need to come to an end. As all pokemon are drawn to face off against powerful opponents in contests of strength, will and ferocious combat, Guenievre was eventually being drawn into a world of blood-shed and death. If this was the time of Eden, then Guenievre was about to take a bite of the forbidden fruit and plunge into a 'fall' from which she would never recover in mind, soul or body.
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Fight or Flight
Guenievre's first encounter with 'The Pokemon Fight Club' came after witnessing a battle transpire in the unnamed forest. A certain ghost type pokemon fought against a certain dragon type pokemon and many were caught in the cross fire. Such a thing caused the psychic pokemon to reflect upon her own 'mortality' and drove her to 'need' to become stronger. This 'need', this nagging reminder of her own mortality would eventually corrode Guenievre to her very soul. Guenievre's first encounter with 'The Pokemon Fight Club' was against a certain human male. She was warned by this man where this path to power would lead her but Guenievre did not care. The psychic human male demonstrated Guenievre's own weakness to her and warned her against walking the 'line of power'. There would come a time when 'the power to protect' would not be enough for her and she would [i]take[/i] power for the sole reason of [i]taking power[/i]. It could be said that Guenievre's own psychic premonitions knew of her 'fall' before it began - yet she could do nothing to change her own future and neither could those who blissfully continued on the journey with her.
The Pokemon Fight Club began to swell in popularity. Pokemon from all over the world felt the same drive that Guenievre did, the craving to fight against those with power for the sole purpose of fighting against those with power. The psychic pokemon proved her worth through toil, blood and battle. She felled many an opponent and became known as one of the 'elite' ranks of the pokemon fight club. When time came to choose amongst the warriors of the fight club who would be the representative gym leaders, Guenievre became part of the 'Lucky Seven' gym, one of three gym leaders who dominated any opponent who stood against them. Eventually, Guenievre would become the eighth gym leader and was even offered to become a part of the 'Elite Four' of the Fight Club. She graciously declined as she was much more comfortable as a gym leader than as some 'lofty' member of 'the four heavenly kings'. Such a blissful fighting experience would not last forever. Guenievre's 'corruption' continued with every fight she participated in, her drive to fight was turning into a blood lust, a drive to kill, maim, murder.
All this blood lust culminated in Guenievre's manufacture of 'the DNA splicer', a heinous device that allowed her to forcibly draw the power of others from their blood. Guenievre wanted to create 'the perfect type', a 'new type' that could devastate the dragon kind that dominated the battle field at the fight club. She didn't know how well she would succeed or the cost that would befall her for such a power. Her days of being a 'pure psychic' pokemon were long gone. She became 'psychic/ice', 'psychic/steel', 'psychic/fighting' and many other things by stealing away the power of other pokemon she came into contact with. With each power she gained, Guenievre took a step closer to losing her mind, to losing her 'self'.
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[Psychosis]
The first type to fall into her grasp was the 'Ice' type. Known for their fragile strength but the power to lay waste to the dragon kin, Guenievre absorbed the essence of a Cryogonal and achieved a 'hollow-like mask' to use in combat with the properties of 'the ice type' locked within it. Soon after this, the ground type came from a fallen friend who 'loved her'. The flying type came from a Tornados, the only 'pure flying type' in existence after she did battle against the legendary genie pokemon. The 'normal' type fell into her hands after this, extracting 'data' from a Porygon Z in the most painful of ways. Soon enough, these types and the memories from whom they came began to manifest into an ethereal being who continued to lurk within Guenievre's mind. The more she lusted for power, the more 'types' she gained, the more powerful this ghostly being became.
Eventually, the dragon type fell to her, drawing blood from a haxorous, the water type from a Feralligator, the fire type from a rapidash, the grass type from a sceptile and so it continued. The ghost lurking within her mind gained a name, 'Natasha of the Grave'. On more than one occasion, Natasha 'wholly consumed' Guenievre's persona and puppeteer-ed her body about, attacking anything that stood in her way. Ever gaining more and more 'types', eventually Natasha was 'born' from the DNA Splicer as her own entity. In the process she changed the 'splicer' into the 'Odd Keystone' with which she could draw in the souls of others and consume them for her own nefarious purposes.
This process completely eroded the psychic pokemon's control over her vast power and rather than controlling her prowess with her mind, her psychic capabilities controlled her mind with its incredible power. She wanted little more than to destroy the 'dark' type and the 'dragon' type at this point. She attacked them whenever they drew near and relished in their destruction. Eventually, a group of unknown individuals came to take Guenievre away. They took her to a relaxing place on a mountain where she could be alone. A place where her power would dwindle back down to a manageable state. The serenity and calm state around her would hopefully quell the raging power of her emotionally-charged psychic powers.
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[The Glass House]
(Coming Eventually)
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[Fiore and the Fae]
Guenievre Fiore was born in the tropical Hoenn region but Fiore is not a Hoenn name. Fiore is a Kalos name. Fiore translates to 'flower' and is a name given to a noble lineage who served under the king of Kalos several millennia ago. The name reflected the king's fabled pokemon which he brought back using the power of many other pokemon and the name 'Fiore' was given to the 'Knights' of Kalos to protect the precious flower before it ultimately disappeared along with the king himself. The pokemon used by these nobles were known then as 'Sir Knight' but today we call them 'Gardevoir'. These pokemon, despite being psychic pokemon did not fear dark type pokemon as they brandished the light of justice to smite the darkness. These pokemon did not fear the mythical dragon pokemon of lore who gained fame in Unova and Johto with the latter having the infamous 'Blackthorn' lineage of dragon tamers. For they wielded the power of the fae, the power of the fairy-type that allowed them to battle against these 'dark' type pokemon and 'dragon' type pokemon on even ground.
After Guenievre had locked herself away from the world having separated into Natasha Bellegrave and Guenievre, she was afraid of 'the darkness' both in herself and in her fellow pokemon. She became a monster to protect herself and saw the tyrannical nature of those 'gifted with power'. The species of pokemon that were powerful by birth and flaunted their power. Guenievre sought a different way and she would find it in the lands of her ancestors in Kalos.
Guenievre arrived in the Kalos region on Parterre Way, a beautiful garden cared for by gardners. The fields were filled with red and yellow flowers where she first encountered a strange pokemon she had never seen before. This small pokemon was attached to a yellow flower. At first, Guenievre believed it to be a grass-type pokemon. But as she grew closer, she discovered that in actuality it was the 'fairy' type. Strangely, the little flower petal pokemon was attracted to Guenievre and seemed to believe they were of the same type. Whether these were the residual effects of the DNA splicer or not, Guenievre did not know. However, the new little fairy pokemon made her feel homely and at peace. From here, Guenievre began her journey through the lands of Kalos.
The psychic pokemon continued westward from where she came, eventually passing through Camphrier Town and heading to the Riverie Walk. Here, she met artists, painters and the like capturing not pokemon but the landscape on canvas. She met more flower petal pokemon, little flabebe that escorted her through the numerous fields of flowers. The psychic humanoid pokemon breathed in the atmosphere of this land of Kalos, it was a breath of fresh air to her compared to her previous experiences of human interactions. These fairy pokemon were quite playful, if a bit mischievous. While Guenievre did wonder why she felt very at peace with them, she didn't question it too much. Instead, she enjoyed the serenity of the pristine land around her.
Through the connecting cave, Guenievre made her way to the coastal scene of Cyllage City. Here, she witnessed a downhill race of cyclists and rollerbladers moving down steep slopes at breakneck speeds. Men, women, children and pokemon of all types were crowded around the streets to catch glimpses of the trainers as they made their way through the town as a series of blurs. One man, a dark skinned individual with glittering hair at the front of the pack caught her eye. The man radiated power and Guenievre's battling instincts to fight with this man began to surface. However, she managed to curb her bloodlust as a 'wild pokemon' and began to move northward. Crossing a small, quaint wooden bridge, the psychic took time to stop and smell the salt in the sea breeze and for the first time since she left Hoenn on her long journeys... she dipped herself in sea water. It was a most relaxing experience, one that made her quite nostalgic of her home region. It seemed many trainers drifting the seas even spoke with a 'Hoenn accent' when they did battle with passing trainers.
(More to come as I feel like writing it)
['Game' Statistics]
[b]Note[/b]: Yes, Guenievre's level fluctuates. The reasons for this include the following:
- Gardevoirs draw 'power' from the emotions. If their emotions are more geared to fighting, their psychic power becomes stronger and more sharply focussed. If their emotions are calmer then their psychic power is more lax.
- Pokemon (in the games and anime) fluctuate their levels all the time. From having 'set levels' in the frontier, battle subway and online play in the games to Pikachu going back to being beaten by starter pokemon used by novice trainers in the anime seemingly 'forgetting' everything it learned over the course of the last journey.
- Guenievre likes fighting people 'at their own level' and as much as possible she will try to remain at her opponent's level.
If you don't like these reasons, either assume she's level 100 or don't roleplay with her in a situation where level would come in to play. If it disturbs you that much for whatever reason, don't roleplay with her at all.
[i]Tropical Guen[/i] - (Guenievre as she was after her original journey through Hoenn)
Pokemon Species Name: Gardevoir
Pokemon Nickname: Guenievre
Gender: [?]
Level: 50
Nature: Modest
Personality: "Highly curious"
Often carries a lum berry
Ability: [i]Synchronize[/i] - Passes on status problems onto the opponent that caused the status problem
Hit Points (HP): 129
Attack (ATK): 63
Defense (DEF): 72
Special Attack (SPATK): 174
Special Defense (SPDEF): 122
Speed (SPD): 118
Moves:
- Thief
- Psychic
- Double Team
- Calm Mind
[i]Sir Knight[/i] - (Guenievre as she was after her journey through the Kalos region)
Pokemon Species Name: Gardevoir
Pokemon Nickname: Guenievre
Gender: [?]
Level: 79
Nature: Modest
Personality: "Alerts to Sounds"
Often carries Gardevoirite
[b]Ability[/b]: [i]Synchronize[/i] - Passes on status problems onto the opponent that caused the status problem.
[b]Mega-Evolution Ability[/b]: [i]Pixilate[/i] - Changes 'normal' type attacks to 'fairy' type.
Hit Points (HP): 220
Attack (ATK): 110
Defense (DEF): 123
Special Attack (SPATK): 299
Special Defense (SPDEF): 212
Speed (SPD): 191
Moves:
- Calm Mind
- Psychic
- Dazzling Gleam
- Thunderbolt
[i]Nurse Guen[/i] -
Pokemon Species Name: Gardevoir
Pokemon Nickname: Guenievre
Gender: [?]
Level: 35
Nature: Modest
Personality: "Highly curious"
Often carries a Revival Seed
Ability: [i]Synchronize[/i] - Passes on status problems onto the opponent that caused the status problem
Hit Points (HP): 103
Attack (ATK): 50
Defense (DEF): 57
Special Attack (SPATK): 137
Special Defense (SPDEF): 96
Speed (SPD): 93
Moves:
- Heal Bell
- Heal Pulse
- Ally Switch
- Disable
[i]Psycho Psychic[/i] -
Pokemon Species Name: Gardevoir
Pokemon Nickname: Guenievre
Gender: [?]
Level: 100
Nature: Modest
Personality: "Highly curious"
Often carries choice spectacles
Ability: [i]Trace[/i] - Copies the opponent's abilities
Hit Points (HP): 332
Attack (ATK): 206
Defense (DEF): 229
Special Attack (SPATK): 383
Special Defense (SPDEF): 329
Speed (SPD): 259
Moves:
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast / Signal Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Psychic / Psyshock
[i]Double Trouble; Para-Fusion[/i] -
Pokemon Species Name: Gardevoir
Pokemon Nickname: Guenievre
Gender: [?]
Level: 100
Nature: Modest
Personality: "Highly curious"
Often carries bright powder
Ability: [i]Trace[/i] - Copies the opponent's abilities
Hit Points (HP): 332
Attack (ATK): 206
Defense (DEF): 229
Special Attack (SPATK): 383
Special Defense (SPDEF): 329
Speed (SPD): 259
Moves:
- Double Team
- Thunder Wave
- Confuse Ray
- Psychic / Shadow Ball
[i]Guenievre God-Slayer[/i] - [Not limited to four moves; requires hitmonchan DNA splicer fusion]
Pokemon Species Name: Gardevoir/Hitmonchan fusion
Pokemon Nickname: Guenievre
Gender: [?]
Level: 100
Nature: [???]
Personality: [???]
Often carries reviver seed
Ability: [i]Synchronise[/i] - Passes on status problems onto the opponent that caused the status problem
Ability: [i]Iron Fist[/i] - Powers up 'punching' attacks
Hit Points (HP): 332
Attack (ATK): 340
Defense (DEF): 260
Special Attack (SPATK): 383
Special Defense (SPDEF): 329
Speed (SPD): 259
Moves:
- [???]
[/collapse]
[collapse=How Guen learned her moves]
I have not experienced it for myself but I have seen in some people's profiles complaints that pokemon learn like every move available in their move-pool etc. etc. While I personally have no problem with this - if someone uses all the moves in their species move-pool so will I; I also understand the frustration some people might have. So, to clarify this situation I am going to present how Guenievre learned all of her moves and the order in which she learned them.
[b]Learned Naturally while growing up[/b]:
(It should be noted that all of these moves come from Gen III and [b]not[/b] Gen V (or VI soon). As a result, she did not have many of the 'new' moves that pokemon have today while she was growing up.)
[i][color=gray]Growl[/color][/i] - The first move that Guenievre started of knowing as a ralts. It wasn't used much though it did sound adorable coming from her mouth.
[i][color=pink]Confusion[/color][/i] - The first offensive move she ever had, she learned it when she was still a ralts, learned at level 6 - it was her primary form of attacking other pokemon.
[i][color=gray]Double Team[/color][/i] - Learned at level 10, she has found this move invaluable given her naturally weak physical defences. Others can't hurt you if they can't touch you she found out. After learning this, you could say she became something of a 'double-team n00b'.
[i][color=pink]Teleport[/color][/i] - One of the most useful and dynamic moves in her arsenal. Learned at level 12, she uses it to flee from danger and to visit the places she sees in the minds of others when she reads their thoughts.
[i][color=black]Thief[/color][/i] - A dark type attack learned at level 15. This move was taught to Guenievre as a ralts as a way of fighting against other ralts she came across for training purposes. While weak, the attack is capable of stealing away an opponent's item allowing Guenievre to use the item herself if possible.
[i][color=pink]Calm Mind[/color][/i] - Learned at level 21, it was the first move she learned after her evolution into Kirlia. While she has discovered that most of her species now do not learn Calm Mind until much later, several years ago when she was growing up in Hoenn, it was quite natural for a Kirlia's first move learned upon evolution to be Calm Mind to focus their psychic energies.
[i][color=pink]Psychic[/color][/i] - The most powerful move in her arsenal then and now, this move was learned at level 26 before her evolution into Gardevoir back in Hoenn. Back then since many of her pokemon friends were reluctant to battle she found little use for it and remained using Confusion which was much less powerful. Recently however, she has begun using this more powerful psychic attack much more frequently.
[i][color=yellow]Shockwave[/color][/i] - Learned at level 30, this electric attack uses bolts of lightning which rain down in every direction and perform an ever-changing pattern making it impossible to avoid even at the highest level of evasion. Guenievre learned this attack by watching an Electrode named 'Volt' decimate the team of a flying-type gym leader in Fortree City in her home region of Hoenn.
[i][color=pink]Imprison[/color][/i] - At level 33, in preparation to visit the psychic gym of Mossdeep city, Guenievre learned the [i]'Seal'[/i] ability. This attack creates a mental block upon those afflicted by it preventing them from recalling any move in their arsenal that Guenievre also knows. This seal has a semi-permanent to permanent nature and if used as a permanent seal, it must be removed either by another psychic pokemon with the Imprison ability or Guenievre herself. If used in its semi-permanent state it will last until the afflicted individual sleeps. Imprison prevents all memories associated with the techniques/moves sealed away to be 'locked' as well.
[i][color=gray]Flash[/color][/i] - Learned during her journey through bellsprout tower, Guenievre meditated on the 'growth' she had seen in the small wavering grass pokemon around her. Despite the overwhelming odds of fighting against her power, the frail little bellsprout still stood against her and it was commendable. Using her psychic abilities, she could now generate a powerful, blinding light. With this ability, she could light up the bleakest of darkness in caverns and eradicate the 'darkness' in the minds of others.
[i][color=pink]Reflect[/color][/i] - In the Ilex forest, west of Azalea town, Guenievre met an intriguing exegcute with the capacity to erect psychic barriers to protect itself against assaults of the physical nature. Through mild 'convincing' Guenievre was able to learn from the grass/psychic pokemon how to manipulate her psychic energies to erect barriers of similar constitution to protect herself against physical attacks in much the same way. Given her frail physical form, this was greatly appreciated by the gardevoir.
[i][color=pink]Light Screen[/color][/i] - The next stage of Guenievre's training was to focus her mind to erect barriers of psychic energy to protect herself against assaults of the non-physical nature. A wall of light that she mastered the control of was more than capable of reducing both psychic attacks and 'energy based' projectiles and beams by up to 50% of their original power. Given her already capable psychic defences against such attacks, with this screen, she only takes the bare minimum of damage from non-physical assaults on her form.
[i][color=gray]Attract[/color][/i] - This was learned after witnessing the battle between a specific trainer and Whitney, the leader of Golden Rod City's gym and guardian of the plain badge. In the match, Guenievre observed how pokemon used their charms and attractive bodies to attempt to out-wit the pokemon who the trainer who faced off against her was using. Unfortunately, while the attract worked, Whitney's pokemon was unable to do any considerable damage to the pokemon and so this led to her defeat. However, Guenievre did take these lessons on 'fatal attraction' to heart and is capable of using it in battle.
[i][color=gray]Lucky Chant[/color][/i] - A move learned upon entering the ghostly hallows of Ecruteak City. A group of misdreavus led by a mismagius seemed to be reciting peculiar chants. While some of these bestowed ill-will on those who they were targeted upon, some of the chants bestowed great luck and prosperity upon those who received them. Thus, Guenievre learned 'lucky chant'. Despite occasionally using the ability in battle when she first learned the technique, it has fallen into disuse as of late.
[i][color=green]Magical Leaf[/color][/i] - This is the second 'move that can never miss' in Guenievre's arsenal. She could have never learned this ability without losing all her power from fighting against the sages in Violet City. It was only when this attack came to her that she finally understood what the bellsprout sages meant when they said she would regain new abilities 'in place' of her old ones. Later in life she managed to reconcile these two potentials upon passing through the 'distortion world' after an event involving the ruby chains of fate in Sinnoh.
[b]Learned After arriving on F-List[/b]:
[i][color=purple]Shadow Ball[/color][/i] - The very first move she learned after arriving through the warp in space/time that brought her here. This move was learned after seeing a Ghost Type pokemon Psykhe. Upon their next meeting, Guenievre was attempting to replicate what she saw to which Psykhe commented, "You have to actually practice that move?". Soon after this (and practice in the Pokefurs room) Guenievre mastered Shadow Ball.
[i][color=yellow]Thunderbolt[/color][/i] - This move was learned after numerous sessions of electro-stimulation sex with her lover Luxanna. Guenievre had become somewhat addicted to electro-sex at that point and attempted to replicate the electro-stimulation during one of her masturbation sessions. After several failed attempts (and shocking herself most uncomfortably), Guenievre learned to turn these dangerous electrical impulses into arcs and bolts of lightning. Thus, thunderbolt was born.
[i][color=yellow]Thunder Wave[/color][/i] - During her first time fighting using Thunderbolt, Guenievre managed to paralyse her opponent, slowing their movement and preventing them from attacking her. Wanting to refine this aspect of her thunderbolt attack, Guenievre practised specializing the volts of electricity to only interfere with movement and not commit to actual damaging the opposition. This was how she learned her Thunder Wave attack.
[i][color=black]Focus[/color] [color=orange]Blast[/color][/i] - This technique was learned out of necessity when Guenievre began meeting numerous dark-type pokemon. She practised this move in the anthro-poke park which was ironically owned by one of the dark pokemon she was training to defend herself against. While they are all close to her now, you never know when she would need to be able to defend herself against them.
[i][color=pink]Heal Pulse[/color][/i] - This move was taught to her by a Kirlia she had met named Kaila. The two shemale psychic pokemon taught one another moves with Guen teaching the young Kirlia how to use double-team more efficiently and in return the fellow emotion pokemon re-taught Guen this move that Gardevoirs now learn while they're supposed to be growing up as Kirlia but she never had the opportunity to learn. Thus, it became more like remembering a move she had forgotten (though she never remembered learning it) than actually learning a new move.
[i][color=pink]Heal Bell[/color][/i] - Guenievre learned Heal Bell right after Heal Pulse. During this time she was participating in the pokemon fight club and wanted to be a nurse in case people got injured during her fights with them. Since (as a lot of people know) Guenievre usually carried a lum berry on her person at all times, learning this move was a matter of studying the rejuvenating powers of the lum berry which allowed it to heal pokemon of their afflicted conditions. After several attempts, Guenievre mastered Heal Bell.
[i][color=purple]Confuse Ray[/color][/i] - During one of her random teleports, Guenievre somehow ended up in the dimension between dimensions - the distortion world. There she met the legendary pokemon of anti-matter, Giratina. This legendary dragon/ghost pokemon aided Guenievre in returning to her own world. Though, now that she has done it once - Guenievre can recreate the effects of the botched teleportation and go to the distortion world any time she pleases. Using her experiences in the confusing landscape of the distortion world which distorted her own senses (physical and psychic alike) Guenievre has mastered the art of inflicting this sensation of distortion on others resulting in Confuse Ray.
[i][color=red]Will-O-Wisp[/color][/i] - This move was learned after a fight in the Pokemon Fight Club with a certain Typhlosion. Having took his flamethrower attack, Guenievre wondered if she could replicate its secondary effects of burning on her own. Using the ghastly energies associated with shadow-ball and her recent trip to the distortion world as inspiration, Guenievre learned Will-O-Wisp.
[i][color=cyan]Ice Punch[/color][/i] - After having a battle with a Samurott who referred to himself as 'Atlantis', Guenievre noticed that the water-type pokemon used a very powerful Ice-type attack to quell the sandstorm within which they were fighting. After this incident, Guenievre became obsessed with recreating the attack that she saw that night. Ice Punch was her first fundamental attempt at doing this. By focussing her psychic energies - Guenievre managed to create a thermal 'dip' around her hand. This thermal dip began to cool the water vapour in the air around her hand resulting in icy blue crystals floating around her hand and arm. This technique was refined and eventually became 'Ice Punch'.
[i][color=cyan]Icy Wind[/color][/i] - This move was Guenievre's second attempt to recreate Atlantis' 'Blizzard' attack. After mastering the method of creating thermal dips in the air, Guenievre began experimenting with using it as an attack. Using her psycho-kinetic abilities, she could guide the thermal dips creating frigid winds when they moved passed certain areas. Though some practice was required, Guenievre became faster at initializing these thermal dips as well as making them cold enough for ice shards to begin forming within and around them. Once the thermal dips began to move, the freezing cold drafts that followed them guided the small flakes and shards of ice where she pleased. This move she called 'Icy Wind'.
[i][color=blue]Rain Prayer[/color][/i] - A weather changing move performed by reciting the first half of the chant, "First some wind, then some rain joined together to form a hurricane..." After this, the psychic energies of the gardevoir manipulate the concentrations of water vapour to cause a torrential downpour. While practising this move, Guenievre got into an argument with a Lugia about the effects this sort of technique would have on the environment. This caused the psychic pokemon to wonder about her friend 'Humphery', a ground-type pokemon with the sandstream ability who creates sandstorms wherever she goes.
[i][color=red]Sunny Day[/color][/i] - Guenievre's second weather altering move, this one was taught to her by A certain nine-tailed fox who could use this ability. Being from the tropical climate of Hoenn and with prior knowledge of 'Rain Prayer' the psychic pokemon was easily able to channel the light of the sun into revealing itself whenever Guenievre desired. While the psychic pokemon is currently unsure what she will use this for, she believes it shall be useful later on in her journey.
[i][color=orange]Signal[/color] [color=green]Beam[/color][/i] - A bug-type attack learned through meditation in the anthro poke-park followed by concentrating the 'energy' of bugs into a concentrated pulse. Guenievre mastered this attack during her days as a referee at the Pokemon Fight Club. Originally, she could only summon a small swarm of multi-coloured butterflies created of psychic energy. This was later refined into allowing the butterflies of bug-type energy to swarm a stationery target and finally Guenievre managed to create her psychic butterflies and change them into a full onslaught of bug-type energy unleashed upon an unsuspecting opponent.
[i][color=gray]Mind Reader[/color][/i] - Ironically, this is not a 'psychic' attack but a 'normal' attack that allows Guenievre as a psychic pokemon to read the minds of those who would normally be immune to her psychic ability. When used in battle it allows Guenievre to predict the next movements her opponent will make based on their thoughts and ensure her next attack will hit them. It was learned from practising on two dark type pokemon over several months. Through continued practice she may use her 'mind reader' ability for other things as well.
[i][color=yellow]Thunder Punch[/color][/i] - This attack was learned almost entirely by accident during a sexual encounter with Luxia. Guenievre began growing more and more dominant as the two continued their encounter. This culminated in Guenievre beginning to spank the luxray gijinka over and over again. After some time, Guenievre began channelling electric current through her palm to give the naughty little slut 'electric' spankings. From this erotic encounter, Guenievre mastered the 'thunder punch' ability or perhaps in this case, 'lightning spank'.
[i][color=cyan]Ice Beam[/color][/i] - An attack taught to her by Tarkus Balder and Vann. The reason and method of learning this attack is unknown to the gardevoir at this point in time. There was simply an ice-cream party in a forest where they both happened to be with people using the attack to create their own ice-cream. Guenievre was forcibly taught this power to participate in the merriment.
[i][color=gray]Recover[/color][/i] - After having healed people using Heal Pulse for so long, Guenievre has discovered a way to 'cast' heal pulse inward and allow her to regenerate her own health rather than the health of others. She has become quite proficient at using this technique since she has been forbidden from participating in open conflict. However, she doesn't use the move often in actual battle unless pressed.
Thunder - The most powerful electric attack in existence was taught to her like thunderbolt before it by Tazer. Guenievre has mimicked the electric feline's 'rain dance + thunder' combination attack and has begun to perfect it. Now, with her power over weather, Guenievre continues to seek alternate ways of using powerful weather-based attacks. As of yet however, she has not witnessed any others.
Dazzling Gleam - This is the first Fairy type attack Guenievre has learned since rediscovering her heritage in the Kalos region. A powerful flash of light that damages all opponents within range of its blinding light of justice. As an area of effect attack, it damages all pokemon with malicious intent surrounding the user, however it will not damage any allies of the wielder.
Ability: Trace- Air Lock
Guenievre gained the permanent ability to use 'air lock' after it was given to her as a blessing from a Rayquaza. This was during a weather war where a garchomp attempted to sandstorm through a forest disrupting the other residents. Guenievre continuously stifled the storm through her own 'rain prayer' and sunny day abilities. However it wasn't until the arrival of the legendary 'sky high' pokemon that the weather war was quelled. Now, as a blessing of the Rayquaza, she is able to activate her 'trace' ability to mimic 'Air Lock' to prevent arduous weather effects from afflicting the environment.
Notes on Statistics:
- In normal RP circumstances, Guen will have access to all of her abilities (Synchronize, Trace & Telepathy) as well as all the moves in her move pools. This is solely for the sake of convenience in the role play.
- In times of a 'serious conflict', if my opponent insists on using only four moves then one move-set and ability will be chosen. If my opponent has more than four moves then it can be assumed that Guen will have all of her abilities and moves available to her from all move pools.
Note on Guenievre and Natasha:
- Guenievre and Natasha live on two different parallel dimensional planes. In Natasha's dimension, Guenievre is dead. In Guenievre's dimension, Natasha is repelled back to the 'Ghost World'.](https://live.staticflickr.com/2826/12259331885_7f62ccdd7a_n.jpg)
Good Times, Family Affairs, Events By The Month, Trips To Other Places,Thinking, Seeing, Feelings, Doing, Steps To Take, Toward Changing, More Mountains, Left To Climb.
Good Times, Family Affairs, Events By The Month, Trips To Other Places,Thinking, Seeing, Feelings, Doing, Steps To Take, Toward Changing, More Mountains, Left To Climb.
Good Times, Family Affairs, Events By The Month, Trips To ...
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