When Barack Obama speaks, America listens in rapt attention. His farewell speech was no different — it was high on rhetoric, with self-deprecatory humour, and there were also emphatic tributes to his family and associates. Obama left a trenchant messages for his nation, and vicariously for the rest of the world as well.
Maybe it is always easier to speak at a higher level if one is a President who leaves office on a high note. But what was hard to miss in the Obama speech was the despondency and fears that liberal Americans harbour about Donald Trump. Aware of the deep political, social and economic divisions in the country, Obama rightly called for unity even as he asked the citizens to stay vigilant against the erosion of democratic ideals.
Obama leaves office with a reputation of being honourable and decent, untarnished by personal scandals. He created history with his election. While in office, and going by what he said during his farewell speech, he may not be ready to become history just yet. He remains a powerful voice that we need to hear more often in the coming days.