Barack Obama overcame many obstacles, including poverty and bigotry. He was the biracial son of a single mother (his biological father basically abandoned the family when young Barack was only about two years old); and even though he was not raised as a Muslim, he had a Muslim-sounding name, in a culture that was becoming more prejudiced towards Islam. And when he decided he wanted to be in politics, he didn't have a lot of money or a lot of influence. Yet he was still able to win election to the Illinois state legislature, get re-elected several times, win an election to the US Senate, and then win the presidency-- becoming the first black president in US history.But, sad to say, he encountered racist attitudes from some people, and he was also the subject of many myths-- for example, some people, including Donald Trump, said he wasn't really born in the USA (he was-- in Hawaii in 1961); and others said he was a secret Muslim (he wasn't; he had a non-religious Muslim step-father, but he was raised Christian). However, despite the myths and the prejudices of some voters, he was very popular with the vast majority of Americans: Mr. Obama was not only elected president in 2008; he was re-elected in 2012.