In 2004, a young, unknown senator from Illinois took the stage at the Democratic National Convention. As a keynote speaker, he was tasked to uplift a nation uncertain about a future after 9/11, countless wars, and how to overcome the reality of a divisive republic. In his speech, he told the story of his family, how his father was a foreign student and shared an improbable love with his mother, how his WWII veteran grandfather used the GI bill to start a life in Kansas, cementing the idea that America was truly a special place for "in no other nation on Earth was his story even possible." He acknowledged the divisive nature of politics and the fear driven by the media and politicians but made an appeal for something different. Hope. The hope that can lift you up even in the most uncertain times. The hope that America holds a special value in all of us no matter our differences for we are more similar than different. He argued that Americans are not as divided as they think because in the end, "We are one people," the senator said, "All of us defending the United States of America."

Senator Obama making his case for a more hopeful America

It was the most electrifying speech of the convention, even more energizing than John Kerry's who was the Democrat's nominee for President. From there, everyone in America knew his name. Five years later, he would attempt to put his words into action as President. Barack Obama's eight years has passed achieving mixed results on his agenda as he prepares the exit the White House. So what was his agenda in his eight years as President? What was successful and what flopped?

1. First African-American President

Obama made history by becoming the first African-American to be elected as President to much of the country's exuberance. It really showed that anyone, especially African-Americans, that you could truly become anything you set your mind to. However, Obama oversaw the shootings of many unarmed black Americans and was seen as too passive on criminal justice reform by activists and a divisive figure by right wing media for not showing enough support for police officers. It was then people realized that America still had a long way to go in terms of improving race relations in the country, an awakening that happened under a black President, leading to the formation of Black Lives Matter and the fight for comprehensive criminal justice reform.

Obama reaching out to a child during a celebration for Black History Month

2. Stabilized Economy

Obama took office when the United States was facing the brink of an economic depression. In 2008, the U.S. lost over 2.6 million jobs and had a 8% unemployment rate. Obama pushed through a stimulus bill that aimed to increase government spending so that the economy would recover along with bailing out the auto industry and Wall Street which helped create thousands of jobs every month since 2009. Now, the unemployment rate is 4.6%, the DOW is about to hit 20,000, the Feds are considering raising interest rates which means they feel that the economy is back on track, and cars are being produced again. However, labor participation is still low, wages have not risen, and long term unemployment is still high. Obama acknowledged that a lot still had to be done but he did make a terrible situation significantly better for his successor to take over.

3. Healthcare Reform

Without a doubt, Obamacare (The Affordable Care Act) is Obama's proudest moment in office. Before its signing, the uninsured rate was at around 16% and you could be turned down for insurance based on gender and preexisting conditions. Now, 20 million new people have insurance, the uninsured rate has dropped to a historic low of about 9%, you can't be denied insurance because of a preexisting condition or gender, and you can stay under you parent's plan until the age of 26. It is the most comprehensive healthcare reform in modern history that had eluded many previous Presidents until Obama finally accomplished it.

4. Environmental Protections

Obama took the issue of climate change extremely seriously and aimed much of his Presidency to help the United States be energy independent, reduce carbon emissions, and invest in clean energy technology. He has designated more than 3.9 million acres of land as National Monuments and placed over 260 million acres of land under federal protection, more than any President in history. He placed regulations to limit chemical air pollutants from power factories, had the U.S. join the historic Paris Climate Agreement, signed a joint agreement with China to reduce carbon emissions, banned drilling in the arctic, and secured billions of dollars for investments in clean technology.

5. Wall Street Reform

Part of Obama's economic plan was to ensure that the cause of the Great Recession never happened again because of Wall Street. He signed the Dodd-Frank Act which placed tighter restrictions on banks and created the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau which helped protect consumers by being taken advantage of by companies. All of this was not enough for progressives who eventually pushed Occupy Wall Street, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, the fight for $15 minimum wages, and the larger discussion of income inequality and the top 1% into national conscience. Obama has said that the greatest challenge of the 21st century will be income inequality. A challenge he took on with moderate successes but was a President that did the most to combat in 50 years.

6. War on Terror

Terrorism was still an issue when Obama took office. Having promised to bring back American troops home from Afghanistan and Iraq, he tried to be cautious in leading the United States into another war. He led the successful assassination of Osama Bin Laden and withdrew troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. With the emergence of the Arab Spring, that complicated those plans which led to ISIS rising in power which forced him to leave behind troops in both countries. Add that to the revelations brought by Edward Snowden that the NSA was spying on Americans through a massive surveillance system without a warrant arguing that government agencies need proper intelligence tools to protect the American public. Some changes have been made to the NSA policy of collecting metadata but it still collects massive amounts on a global scale through the PATRIOT Act, something Senator Obama campaigned against.

7. Diplomacy

The President has made great strides in attempting to forge relationships with countries the U.S. was originally hostile towards. The historic Iran Nuclear Deal would limit Iran's nuclear capabilities and he resumed diplomatic relations with Cuba but failed to warm up to China and Russia (for obvious reasons). Ironically, traditional U.S. allies like Israel, Britain, and Saudi Arabia received a colder relationship due to differences in foreign policy. Overall, Obama and the U.S. is generally respected and admired around the world.

8. LGBT Rights

Originally against gay marriage, Obama became the first U.S. president to support it and began making efforts to protect LGBT rights. He overturned Don't Ask, Don't Tell which prevented gays and lesbians from openly serving the military, added gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation to be federally protected from hate crimes, appointed two Supreme Court Justices who helped achieve the landmark case of Obergefell vs. Hodges which legalized gay marriage in all 50 states, issued executive order to prevent discrimination of federal employees based on gender and sexual orientation, and designated Stonewall Inn as a National Monument.

9. Trump

Politics is like a pendulum, it can swing back and forth from Democrat to Republican, liberal to conservative, based on the issues of the time. Obama was a foil to his predecessor President Bush, the same is true for his successor Donald Trump. Obama is cool, calm, intelligent, and cautious while Trump is brash, vulgar, and trigger happy with Twitter. All of the frustrations people had with Obama gave rise to Trump. Obama's signing of the stimulus bill, Wall Street bailout, and Affordable Care Act, confirmed people's fears that the government was getting too big and spending was out of control. This gave rise to the Tea Party and fury directed towards the Republican establishment which in turn gave rise to Donald Trump. Without Obama, there wouldn't be a Republican party that embraced obstructionism and flirtations with the Alt-Right. He didn't directly create this level of opposition, but his presence alone was enough to give fuel for it.

10. Yes we can

Throughout his presidency, Obama became more and more of a polarizing figure. Democrats mostly love him and Republicans mostly hate him. Any decision he made immediately made people choose a side, to support him or to condemn him and there it splintered further. Some of his supporters say he didn't go far enough. His opponents say he can do nothing right. Campaigning on the idea of hope and change and enjoying high approval ratings when taking office, a lot of people seemed let down as he was unable to pursue some of his boldest policies. Still, people see something unique about him. Without a doubt, he provided hope for millions of people and showed them the challenges hope will face. His relatability made him popular among young people. His ideas on long term goals for the country and the world provided a blueprint for progressives to work towards for the 21st century. When he faced obstruction, he took whatever measure he could to make gains through inches if not miles. Despite everything he had faced, he still remains optimistic about the future; still a prophet of his own version of hope. As he leaves the White House and Trump takes office, Obama's idea of hope will soon be judged and tested by history.