Popular
but politically humbled, President Barack Obama says goodbye to the
nation Tuesday night in a dramatic reinterpretation of a presidential
farewell address.
Hoping to
capitalize on a well of goodwill that's expanded in the final year of
his tenure, Obama has discarded the staid Oval Office or East Room for
his last formal set of remarks. Instead, he'll travel to Chicago, the
city where he declared victory in 2008 and 2012, to address a sold-out
crowd of ardent supporters.
The
moment, conceived months ago, is meant to recall the most iconic
moments of Obama's historic tenure, ones rooted in the "hope and change"
message that carried the first African-American to the White House.
As
he departs office leaving scores of progressive policies in place,
there's ample evidence of change. But for his backers, the "hope" aspect
of that original mantra is diminished by the prospects of Donald
Trump's presidency.
On Tuesday,
Obama aims to revive the spirits of progressives who he'd hoped to rally
behind Hillary Clinton. Though his speech won't be policy-oriented or
carry any direct contrasts with Trump, his message will offer a
"hopeful" vision for the future, according to administration officials.
Obama
in his speech wants to cast a "forward-looking" vision for a country,
those officials say, insisting his message won't be directed solely at
his successor. Planned declarations that the nation benefits from
diversity and fairness, however, will surely be regarded as admonitions
to the future commander in chief.
Photos: Malia and Sasha Obama: 2008-present
"For
Michelle and me, Chicago is where it all started. It's the city that
showed us the power and fundamental goodness of the American people,"
Obama wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday inviting supporters to view his
prime-time address.
"It's easy to
lose sight of that in the blizzard of our minute-to-minute Washington
news cycles. But America is a story told not minute to minute, but
generation to generation," he went on. "We've made America a better,
stronger place for the generations that will follow. We've run our leg
in a long relay of progress, knowing that our work will always be
unfinished."
Obama's speech is the
capstone of a months-long farewell tour, manifested in extended magazine
interviews, lengthy television sit-downs, and the White House's own
efforts to document the President's waning administration.
Through
it all, Obama has sought to highlight the achievements of his
presidency using statistics showing the country better off now than
eight years ago. He's offered a rational view of Trump's election and
rarely lets on to any apprehension about his future as an ex-president.
First
lady Michelle Obama has offered a more candid view in a scaled-back
version of her own farewell. She sat for an hour-long interview with
Oprah Winfrey, frankly admitting that Democrats were now "feeling what
not having hope feels like."
And
she became emotional during her final set of formal remarks at the White
House Friday, her voice quaking and eyes welling with tears as she told
a crowd of educators: "I hope I made you proud."
No comments:
Post a Comment