(Photo: Essence Magazine)

With the 2012 presidential elections heating up, President Barack Obama covers the July issue of Essence and sits down with the magazine to talk about the state of our economy, health care issues and what he's looking forward to in the next four years.
"I've always approached my presidency as a long-term proposition," he says. "I didn't run for office just to clean up the mess I inherited. I didn't run for office just to return to the status quo. Understanding that some of the things I get done, we may not see the benefits from them for 10 years. But that's how change happens…"
In the issue, First Lady Michelle Obama also salutes our military and their families alongside a spotlight on the soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team for Operation New Dawn who've just returned home from their tour in Iraq.

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