President Barack Obama on Wednesday bade goodbye to Americans in an emotional speech, warning them of threats to democracy from growing racism, inequality and discrimination amidst a “corrosive” political environment in the country following the election of Donald Trump.
Refashioning his winning 2008 campaign mantra for 2017, Obama while addressing nearly 20,000 supporters in his hometown here asked them to hold fast to their optimism and to look within for leadership. “I am asking you to believe not in my ability to bring about change, but in yours,” 55-year-old Obama said.
“I am asking you to hold fast to that faith written into our founding documents:... Yes, we can,” he said in the address that lasted for 55 minutes. “Yes, we did. Yes, we can”.
He cautioned Americans about threats to democracy, saying “Democracy can buckle when we give in to fear. So just as we, as citizens, must remain vigilant against external aggression, we must guard against a weakening of the values that make us who we are.”
Raucous chants of “four more years” from the crowd were brushed aside by the President. “I can’t do that,” he said with a smile. US presidents are limited to two terms by the constitution.
The outgoing President lamented that despite his historic election as the nation’s first black President in 2008, “race remains a potent and often divisive force in our society.” “After my election, there was talk of a post-racial America. Such a vision, however well-intended, was never realistic,” he acknowledged. Obama’s presidency will come to an end on January 20 when Republican Trump would be sworn in as the 45th President of the US. Obama promised a peaceful transfer of power to Trump in the coming weeks. Without mentioning Trump, he used his speech to offer an implicit rebuttal to many of the contentious themes like temporary ban on
Muslim immigration that characterised the 2016 presidential campaign. Obama said he rejects discrimination against Muslim Americans, and drew cheers for saying they are “just as patriotic as we are”.
“That’s why we cannot withdraw from global fights — to expand democracy, and human rights, women’s rights, and lGBT rights — no matter how imperfect our efforts, no matter how expedient ignoring such values may seem,” he said.
“Rivals like Russia or China cannot match our influence around the world — unless we give up what we stand for, and turn ourselves into just another big country that bullies smaller neighbors,” he stressed.
After successful eight years of his presidency, Obama said he is leave this stage even more optimistic about this country than he was when started.
“This generation coming up — unselfish, altruistic, creative, patriotic – I’ve seen you in every corner of the country. You believe in a fair, just, inclusive America; you know that constant change has been America’s hallmark, something not to fear but to embrace, and you are willing to carry this hard work of democracy forward. You’ll soon outnumber any of us, and I believe as a result that the future is in good hands,” Obama said.
Obama thanks Michelle for her grace, grit
Chicago: An emotional President Barack Obama on Wednesday used his farewell speech to the nation to thank his wife Michelle for sacrificing her personal life for his political dreams, calling her his “best friend” and a “role model” for the new generation. “Michelle — for the past 25 years, you’ve been not only my wife and mother of my children, but my best friend,” Obama said. “You took on a role you didn’t ask for and made it your own with grace and grit and style and good humour. You made the White House a place that belongs to everybody,” tearful Obama added.
Sasha bunking farewell speech activates Twitteratis
Chicago: While Barack Obama was delivering his final speech to the nation, Twitteratis were nagged by the unexplained absence of Sasha, the President’s youngest daughter. Twitteratis soon began searching for absent Sasha, using the hashtag #whereissasha after the 15-year-old was not found seated along with Michelle Obama and Malia Obama in the audience at McCormick Place in Chicago.