Dear Barack Obama,

Thank you for being the man that you are, thank you for fighting for us, thank you for making sure that my baby nephew can get health care, thank you for showing what real decency, honor, courage, intelligence, grace under fire and pure goodness of the heart looks like.

Happy Birthday, Mr. President. Here’s to four more years at the White House and many many more happy years with Michelle and the girls.

(All photos are the work of the brilliant Pete Souza, with some help from AP. I’ll open this thread for comments so we can have a little party. I’m sorry if I won’t have the time to moderate and approve all comments, it’s not personal, I promise. Please keep it nice and don’t feed any trolls. And feel free to share this with the world. Thanks).

So, 51 reasons to vote for Barack Obama.

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1. Because he knows where we need to go.

2. Because you can always see the wheels spinning.

3. Because he brought everyone back from Iraq.

4. Because these kids no longer have to live in the shadows.

5. Because Joe Biden is a BFD.

6. And so is Michelle.

7. Because he understands that war is horror.

8. And he takes the fallen with him.

9. And the wounded too.

10. Because he loves the troops.

11. And they love him.

12. Because in Obama’s America, everyone is included.

13. Because he loves #youpeople.

14. And so is Michelle.

15. Even worse, she is always trying to hug #youpeople.

16. Because every day he reads 10 letters from #youpeople.

17. Because Bin Laden is dead.

18. And GM is alive.

19. Because Bo rides inside.

20. Because Warren Buffett’ secretary shouldn’t pay higher tax rate than Warren Buffett.

21. Because do tell.

22. And gay people should be able to get married.

23. Because #youpeople really want Mitt Romney to pick the next Supreme Court justice??

24. Because damn straight ObamaCare!

25. And being a woman is no longer a Pre-Existing condition.

26. Because he’s a kickass, badass Commander-in-Chief.

27. And do respect the swagger!

28. Because when he goes overseas, let’s say to Ireland, this is the only kind of #ObamaShambles you see.

29. Or in Brazil.

30. Or India.

31. Because facts are as stubborn as he is.

32. Because he’ll protect us from our biggest foe: THE SOVIET UNION.

33. Because he owns the ‘I killed Bin Laden’ lane (H/O to Jon Stewart).



34. Because without him, what’s gonna happen to the poor Teleprompter!!

35. Because yea, he’s cute.

36. And elegant.

37. And funny.

38. Because kids just know.

39. And they cling to him.

40. And women flirt with him.

41. Because I’m sorry, but we need to see much more of this gray sweater.

42. And we need to shop for new shirts.

43. And we really need more time to find out whether Hawaii is in the US.

44. Because there’s a lot of sex going on in this White House.

45. Because he doesn’t take any decision without serious and long deliberation.

46. Because for him, compassion is an existing condition.

47. And his heart just keeps growing.

48. Because *this* is the guy you want to continue answering the 3am phone call.

49. Because he was born to sit there.

50. Because the arc of the moral universe is still very long.

51. And because we have to keep bend it towards justice.