VIDEO: Students bewilderedly thankful for Obama
In honor of the holiday, Campus Reform visited the University of Maryland to find out if students are thankful for Obama’s presidency, and if so, what exactly they’re thankful for.
They had no idea, so most students just fell back on their most truthful answer: Obama is just "cool."
With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us, families will soon be gathered around their tables to give thanks.
In honor of the holiday, Campus Reform visited the University of Maryland to find out if students are thankful for Obama’s presidency, and if so, what exactly they’re thankful for.
According to a recent CNN Poll, Obama’s 57 percent favorability rating is the highest since early 2009, and he enjoys even higher support among millennials, who awarded him a massive 70 percent favorability rating.
Carrying a “Thanks, Obama” card, Campus Reform asked young Obama supporters what the president has done throughout his two terms that warrants their thanks, but found many were unable to name or defend a single policy achievement.
“The main thing I think that he did was try to unify this country,” one student said, before admitting that it was “tough” to say whether the country is more unified today than it was prior to Obama taking office.
Several students were also unable to answer for the skyrocketing premiums under the Affordable Care Act, with one student admitting she was unsure how insurance works because, “my mom pays my insurance.”
[RELATED: Students celebrating Obama’s birthday surprised to have to pay cupcake tax]
“Nothing goes smoothly right away,” another ACA fan claimed. “You know, your wallet’s not the most important thing.”
One student even erroneously attributed the Supreme Court’s legalization of same-sex marriage to President Obama, and was unable to name any of the president’s other initiatives, explaining, “I don’t know, actually.”
Others faced a similar problem when trying to name policies they were thankful for, with answers including, “I don’t have any specifics,” “I have no idea,” and “Can I phone a friend?”
A popular theme throughout the day were allusions to Obama as the “cool president,” with many students thanking him for personality traits as opposed to policies.
“Thank you for being the funniest president of all time,” one student said, prompting another to chime in that “he does seem to have a good sense of humor.”
Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @amber_athey
