This article, “Radical in the White House”, was written by Thomas L. Friedman on January 21, 2009. He is an award-winning American journalist, columnist, author, and he is an op-ed contributor to The New York Times. His columns appear twice weekly and cause him to be viewed as a very outspoken and political critic. He has won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize three times. Two of these times wre for International Reporting in 1983 and 1988 and once for Commentary in 2002. Friedman is known for supporting a compromise resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, modernization of the Arab world, environmentalism and globalization. Although an early ardent supporter of the invasion of Iraq, he later became an outspoken critic of the war and the Bush administration.
This article was written by Friedman concerning the inauguration of our new President Barrack Obama. It was mostly addressed to Americans that supported Barrack and were proud of the change. Friedman comes off at first as being proud that the citizens of the United States have finally made a huge change by electing the first African American as president. He then follows up throughout the article saying that although we have made one change, does not mean we need to not make anymore. Thomas Friedman makes this more than clear when he says, “So my most fervent hope about President Obama is that he will be as radical as this moment — that he will put everything on the table.”
In a way I also think it was in a way addressed to Barrack Obama as well because Friedman was often talking about Obama’s gift he had of oratory and how a great politician he is. He mentioned several times he wanted Barrack Obama to make a lot of changes in America. Although it was not a direct comparision, I felt as if he was comparing Obama to some of the many great men in American History today such as Franklin Roosevelt. This to me said that Friedman believed Obama was capable of making changes, just like a lot of presidents in past history, but I depended on if Obama had the will power to do it.
