Let me expand on that, then. Obama is the America's first black President. Blacks are 12% of the population, no other person has accomplished this miraculous feat. He inspired an entire genre called birtherism. No other president has done this. He passed national healthcare for what is a backwards nation in that regard, again, a first. Our arch nemesis since Clinton was eliminated on his watch. Obama will be in the history books 200 years from now. That is called influential.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Did_Jesus...rical_human_or_was_he_a_theological_construct I didn't read much of this.. i'm not gonna search the whole web. I asked this same question in Catholic HS and College. I know u will say the source is biased but we spent considerable time on this. At the end of the argument I was convinced as much as I could be without seeing him myself, that he did exist. He has staying power of 2k years already, with no sign of slowing down. Even if the whole world went secular, it would be a long fucking time before the name of Jesus was forgotten. I can't see any way whatsoever for how obama could hope to compete with that. In fact, if any of our Presidents were on that list it would have to be GW, please don't tell me u think obama has a lasting influence of the same caliber as Washington, or ever will. IMO history will not remember this guy as anything more than "the historic first African-American President". Which is stupid, you are either American or you are not.
Staying power? So Buddha, and Mohammed were real people also, correct? Just checking for consistency.
I think it would be a stretch to define "influential" in such a way that Obama makes the top 10 of ALL history, to put it mildly.
I'm pretty sure Mohammed was a real dude.. not sure about Buddha, but it seems likely. And yes staying power. Influence soon lost is not measurable against influence that has lasted since these people existed. Obviously in fairness, we can't measure his staying power yet (obama).
========== Good points.Jesus Christ is way more infuuental than Mo; unless one overweights PLO Not a prediction, but if one takes the same poll after Supreme courts strikes down''gov grab of health care'' Clarence ''black''Thomas & other supreme court judges may be way head of Mo also...... Ronald Reagan [tax cutter/gov cutter/air controllers union reducer/pro life ] is on most of these lists also.