Man in the News: Barack Obama

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- On Nov. 4, 2008, he made history as the first African-American president-elect in the United States and gained unprecedented high popularity with his promise of bringing the country "change we can believe in."

In the first 100 days of his presidency, he signaled some major departures from the previous administration, ordering the close of the controversial Guantanamo Bay prison, mapping the strategy to end the costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and reaching out to the world that has been fed up with the U.S. unilateralism.

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On every Saturday morning, he appeared in a video clip posted on the White House website to deliver the routine weekly national address rather than over radio. This is seen as only a tip of iceberg compared to his whole strategy to employ modern technology in building a more transparent and accessible government.

He would surprise Americans by occasionally showing up in a humble fast food restaurant outside Washington, D.C., eating burgers with his sleeves wrapped and taking out more for his White House staff.

That man is Barack Obama.

Obama is a husband, father, career statesman, Democratic Party leader and public icon. But above all, he is the American leader who is steering the country through multiple domestic and global challenges.