Barack Obama’s final State of the Union address didn’t create history, nor did it stir emotions. The president presented facts as they are, outlining his achievements and limitations, debunking falsehoods propagated by his rivals and articulating his future vision of America as he prepares to leave office after two terms. The speech makes a fierce, forceful plea to Americans to preserve the values which has made America the greatest nation on earth, warning them of the dangers of falling prey to the divisive forces which are vehemently at work.
The president said his speech would be shorter than its predecessors: it came in at 5,462 words and lasted just over an hour. Its highlight was his frank admission that he will leave the US more, not less, polarised when he departs office a year from now. “It’s one of the few regrets of my presidency – that the rancour and suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better,” he said. “There’s no doubt a president with the gifts of Lincoln or Roosevelt might have better bridged the divide, and I guarantee I’ll keep trying to be better so long as I hold this office.” He had Donald Trump’s divisive, destructive politics in mind when he said that “as frustration grows, there will be voices urging us to fall back into tribes, to scapegoat fellow citizens who don’t look like us, or pray like us, or vote like we do, or share the same background.” He warned Americans against going down that path, saying it won’t deliver the economy they want, or the security they want, but most dangerously, it contradicted everything that makes America the envy of the world. He ended the speech with a note of optimism.
Obama delivered his address as the country, and the world, is struggling to come to grips with the shrill politics of Republican frontrunner Trump. Americans and the world are now looking beyond Obama, and are wondering who will succeed him at the White House and whether the new president will drastically change America into a state that deviates from its basic values and principles. But as Obama has said, there is more optimism than pessimism. America is the greatest nation on earth and no maverick president will be able to shake is foundation to suit his narrow agendas. The world will agree with Obama when he said: “That’s the America I know. That’s the country we love. Clear-eyed. Big-hearted. Optimistic that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word. That’s what makes me so hopeful about our future. Because of you. I believe in you.”
Barack Obama’s final State of the Union address didn’t create history, nor did it stir emotions. The president presented facts as they are, outlining his achievements and limitations, debunking falsehoods propagated by his rivals and articulating his future vision of America as he prepares to leave office after two terms. The speech makes a fierce, forceful plea to Americans to preserve the values which has made America the greatest nation on earth, warning them of the dangers of falling prey to the divisive forces which are vehemently at work.
The president said his speech would be shorter than its predecessors: it came in at 5,462 words and lasted just over an hour. Its highlight was his frank admission that he will leave the US more, not less, polarised when he departs office a year from now. “It’s one of the few regrets of my presidency – that the rancour and suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better,” he said. “There’s no doubt a president with the gifts of Lincoln or Roosevelt might have better bridged the divide, and I guarantee I’ll keep trying to be better so long as I hold this office.” He had Donald Trump’s divisive, destructive politics in mind when he said that “as frustration grows, there will be voices urging us to fall back into tribes, to scapegoat fellow citizens who don’t look like us, or pray like us, or vote like we do, or share the same background.” He warned Americans against going down that path, saying it won’t deliver the economy they want, or the security they want, but most dangerously, it contradicted everything that makes America the envy of the world. He ended the speech with a note of optimism.
Obama delivered his address as the country, and the world, is struggling to come to grips with the shrill politics of Republican frontrunner Trump. Americans and the world are now looking beyond Obama, and are wondering who will succeed him at the White House and whether the new president will drastically change America into a state that deviates from its basic values and principles. But as Obama has said, there is more optimism than pessimism. America is the greatest nation on earth and no maverick president will be able to shake is foundation to suit his narrow agendas. The world will agree with Obama when he said: “That’s the America I know. That’s the country we love. Clear-eyed. Big-hearted. Optimistic that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word. That’s what makes me so hopeful about our future. Because of you. I believe in you.”
