Barack Hussein Obama II: 44th President of The United States

[movingtargetgal]

On 11/5/2016 at 10:31 AM, ABitOFluff said:

I have this dream he'll go on to become Chief Justice of SCOTUS.

Yes!!!!!!!!!!  He was a Constitutional Law professor. SOTUS Justice would be a perfect post presidential gig for him.   

[rcc]

Obama in his speech today said he was "heartened" by his talk today with Trump. I hope his instincts are right.

[Hanahope]

23 hours ago, movingtargetgal said:

Yes!!!!!!!!!!  He was a Constitutional Law professor. SOTUS Justice would be a perfect post presidential gig for him.   

Not going to happen now.

[walnutqueen]

42 minutes ago, rcc said:

Obama in his speech today said he was "heartened" by his talk today with Trump. I hope his instincts are right.

Lying fucking liar who lies/

[rcc]

3 minutes ago, walnutqueen said:

Lying fucking liar who lies/

I wouldn't put it past him but hopefully Obama saw something.

After the shock I just want something, anything positive. It remains to be seen.

Edited November 9, 2016 by rcc

[ruby24]

I think he just wants to be as optimistic as possible and try to calm people's fears. But we've seen who this man is. Everyone has. I'm scared.

I cried watching him today. How could we have done this to him, to his legacy? One of our greatest presidents, popular as ever, and this is how we thank him?

[yeswedo]

Railing on posters/people who voted in a way you do not agree with is exactly the same as attacking them. Stop. We know a lot of you are upset and others are thrilled. We all have to live in this world together and while being on this site is optional if you all want to continue to be here you need to figure out a way to get along.

The world is not ending.

The forum will auto unlock at 9pm EST.

[mojoween]

I miss him already.

[potatoradio]

I'm not sure whether I hope he does everything he can to minimize the damage of the coming apocalypse (I've seen various options, including some kind of way to appoint Garland to the SC) in his last days or whether he goes high (I'm sure he will) and then works like crazy to rebuild progressive democratic government. I'm looking forward to seeing his continued work and can't wait to get started. We're going to need every bit of light we can get for these next dark years.

[MulletorHater]

Hubby, my in-laws and I visited the National African American Museum of History and Culture today.  What an experience!  When we reached the Barack Obama exhibit, I teared up.

I'm going to miss him and his family!

Edited November 13, 2016 by MulletorHater
Missing word

[ruby24]

I think we really need him to not disappear when he leaves office. I think the national emergency this represents requires him to stay with us and act as a galvanizing force for Democrats. Not to stay quiet.

[GHScorpiosRule]

One of the things I'll really miss from Obama is his yearly Diwali youtube messages. I know, I know, compared to everything else, this is a small thing, but...

[PatsyandEddie]

I have visions of Barack tearing up in sadness as he hands over the reins. Sadness that he is giving control over to the like Drumpf &Co. :(

[stormy]

Good lord, if anything awful happens we won't even have a consoler in chief we we respect.

[Danny Franks]

I'm really hoping that Obama can become Trump's best friend, over the next two months. Be nice to him, make him feel cool, casually show him how cool Obama is. Trump is so easily manipulated that Obama could end up swaying him on any number of issues.

I do think that, if Obama had been nice to him years ago (pre-Birther), then none of this would have happened. Trump is a big baby, squalling for attention and acceptance from all the cool kids.

[truthaboutluv]

So this is President Obama's fault now? Unless my memory serves me wrong, Trump was a complete non-entity to President Obama UNTIL the orange douchebag created a never-ending narrative of the president not being a citizen. That's when Obama rightly called him out. So there was no pre-Birther anything. Whatever words and negativity that existed between the two, TRUMP created it and further fueled the hate and ignorance against the President that existed amongst the racists of the country that were fuming that that black man was in the White House. The only people to be blamed for that incompetent oath currently being the President-Elect are the people who voted for him. It's not President Obama's fault or Hilary's fault. 

Edited November 13, 2016 by truthaboutluv

[Spartan Girl]

Obama handled the birther crap exactly the way he should have, and so did Seth Meyers. That is all I will say to keep the thread on topic.

[callmebetty]

54 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

Obama handled the birther crap exactly the way he should have, and so did Seth Meyers. That is all I will say to keep the thread on topic.

I want to give you a 1000 more likes for this.

[stormy]

Please President Obama, don't give these idiots any extra help (if in fact you offered to).

Remember, trump kept telling everyone he knows more about everything than anybody.

Just hand asshole the keys and say adios.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I just watched Buzz Feed's live coverage of Obama'a first press conference since the election-it's petty of me, but I got such pleasure at how President Obama did not use or say the ? ? name. Just referred to it as "president-elect" (barf) and "incoming president." I will miss this man and our First Lady so so much. 

Edited November 14, 2016 by GHScorpiosRule

[ChristmasJones]

I am going to miss the Obamas as well. The dignity, the intelligence, the sense of humor, the respect shown to others at all times - just a total package. I always felt proud to have him representing our country.

[zxy556575]

I saw some of the President's press conference today. I'm not sure what the point was. Trying to reassure people? He had to be diplomatic when answering questions about Agent Orange's ability to lead.

I'm looking forward to Obama being unleashed to speak his mind after January (if he even has any interest in doing so).

[j5cochran]

4 hours ago, stormy said:

Please President Obama, don't give these idiots any extra help (if in fact you offered to).

Remember, trump kept telling everyone he knows more about everything than anybody.

Just hand asshole the keys and say adios.

I think President Obama is, once again, playing eleven dimensional chess.  Trump seems to be strongly influenced by whoever he has most recently spoken to, and by anyone that he views as higher status.  Now that Trump and President Obama have met, I think that the President can be a strong influence, behind the scenes of course. At least, I hope so!

[callmebetty]

3 hours ago, lordonia said:

I saw some of the President's press conference today. I'm not sure what the point was. Trying to reassure people? He had to be diplomatic when answering questions about Agent Orange's ability to lead.

I'm looking forward to Obama being unleashed to speak his mind after January (if he even has any interest in doing so).

I wish this too. But you know he'll keep it on the downlow because he doesn't want to rock the boat. Knowing how much is at stake.

But damn if I could have three genie wishes one of them would be:

An hour and a half set of Open Nite Mic Obama, where me and Michelle and Joe Biden sit on a couch eating kale chips (cause Michelle might want something healthier than popcorn) listening to him riff on everybody. Then we all get ice cream afterwards . 

Edited November 15, 2016 by callmebetty

[shok]

10 hours ago, lordonia said:

I saw some of the President's press conference today. I'm not sure what the point was. Trying to reassure people? He had to be diplomatic when answering questions about Agent Orange's ability to lead.

He left tonight for his last overseas visits and by answering press questions now, he asked them to refrain from asking domestic questions at his pressers with foreign leaders.

[windsprints]

4 days after being elected. Quite a difference from 140 character sound bites: 

Edited November 16, 2016 by windsprints

[shok]

Oh lord, it just breaks my heart to watch this and realize the country's going from such a smart, articulate, thoughtful, wise man to the orange buffoon.

[sleekandchic]

No. 3,147 on my list of What I Will Miss About President Obama:

Watching him zoom down the steps of Air Force One.  He's a combo of dancer and athlete.  Happy to arrive, anxious to get on with business. 

[windsprints]

I've always loved how he interacts with children.  This video is great, gah what a downgrade we're getting.

[MulletorHater]

43 minutes ago, windsprints said:

I've always loved how he interacts with children.  This video is great, gah what a downgrade we're getting.

I know, right?  He and Michelle genuinely love children--including their own.

I can't imagine Drumpf getting on the floor and playing with a child just because.  I can't imagine him shedding tears of sorrow at the murder of 23 schoolchildren.  Comforting grieving parents?  Forget it especially if their tears would mess up his suit.

Nor can I imagine Melania interacting with one child much less hordes of them.  

As someone else noted, we have neither a president-select nor a sometime FLOTUS we or our children can admire going into the next 4 years.

[mojoween]

I'm not so good with the linky so hopefully you can seek it out but watching 6' 1" President Obama put the Medal of Freedom around 7' 2" Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's neck gave me the giggles.

Can he be my President in perpetuity?  The Cheeto doesn't want the White House anyways so Barack and Michelle (and Joe and Jill!) should be allowed to stay.

I mean, there isn't anyone who can give a speech as smooth as suave as President Obama can.  I've never been mad at him.  It's been two weeks and I already can't stand the sight of Gropenfuhrer and want him to shut the hell up.

[stillshimpy]

This is the one thing I can seldom bear to think about, in this surreal season we're experiencing, that Obama is actually going away. That I really won't be seeing him on my TV much.  I never thought, truly, it failed to occur to me as a possibility, that I would ever greatly admire a politician.  That I'd ever think, "What a truly great man, we can only aspire to be worthy" about a politician in this day and age.  That anyone, anywhere, could stand the test of time in this culture of the digital permanent record and emerge not merely intact, but better in my eyes.  

Do you all remember during the first debt ceiling crisis?  When that reporter in a bowtie stood up and basically asked what would happen when congress used something they had just done as leverage in the debt ceiling hearings.  Obama asked, "Well.....whaddya mean?"  and the reporter had to essentially spell out that the Repulbicans could hold the country hostage and his reply was so freaking.....lovely, really....he said that he truly believed that all those people had the best interests of the country at heart.  

And I just about died because he so clearly believed that.  In a way I don't think I've ever believed that about any political figure, until that moment.  I realized, "Oh holy shit, behold, an actually good  man, a good person...."  and in the seconds afterward, I felt so sorry for him, because I knew he was wrong and that nothing is crueler to goodness than the self-interest of others. 

He kept proving me right and wrong.  He kept his head primarily above water, despite that pit of vipers.  I never envisioned caring when a president left office, let alone actively missing them.  

I really feel like we....I don't know...welched on a bet, as a country, you know?  Here's this extraordinary person who only had to live a damned near perfect life, trying to actually do something positive for other people and he did it!  He made it! He fought and fought and tried and tried and....

Trump.  My dad died long before I could ever know whether or not I'd disappointed him with my life and the directions it had taken.  On my word, I think I know how that feels on behalf of the country right now.   

[BW Manilowe]

5 hours ago, mojoween said:

I'm not so good with the linky so hopefully you can seek it out but watching 6' 1" President Obama put the Medal of Freedom around 7' 2" Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's neck gave me the giggles.

Can he be my President in perpetuity?  The Cheeto doesn't want the White House anyways so Barack and Michelle (and Joe and Jill!) should be allowed to stay.

I mean, there isn't anyone who can give a speech as smooth as suave as President Obama can.  I've never been mad at him.  It's been two weeks and I already can't stand the sight of Gropenfuhrer and want him to shut the hell up.

Here's the White House's video of the Medal of Freedom ceremony, which was posted to YouTube.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=J-txpiizCgc

It's the *entire* ceremony, lasting a few seconds over an hour. POTUS makes remarks (many of which are funny, all of which--in my opinion--are heartfelt) about this year's honorees for about half the video, or maybe somewhat less (there were 21 recipients this year, which is part of the reason for the length); then the actual presentation of the Medal of Freedom to each recipient (or a family member, in the case of 2 posthumous recipients) takes up the rest of the video.

Once they start presenting the medals Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, since he was specifically mentioned, is the first recipient (they're presented in alphabetical order of the honoree's last name; Melinda Gates received hers before Bill Gates, though, perhaps in a nod to "ladies first"). YouTube also has other individual presentations from the ceremony, but not necessarily all of them (or all of the "popular" recipients' presentations), if you prefer not to watch the entire presentation--just go search for whomever you're looking for. I thought, maybe, some here might like to see the entire program though, especially since it's POTUS' last, so that's why I chose it.

[Ceindreadh]

Probably not so much 'ladies first' as using the full version of their names, i.e. Melinda coming before William. 

[Ohwell]

In this effed up political climate, it was so nice to see some levity, with President Obama's final Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon ceremony this afternoon.  I had never seen his nephews before.  They are adorable.

[stormy]

I almost can't stand to watch President Obama.  To think that he's leaving office in a couple of months is awful.  We're going to be in the hands of a crackpot and his unfit, unqualified crazies.

trump thinks this is all a big game.  Doling out appointments like he's picking his little league team.   Thinking genius son-in-law Jared's going to broker peace in the Mid East or his two creepy sons are going to have the power to pick up the phone and call anyone anywhere to get what they want for their evil empire.  What's going to happen when he realizes the job isn't all fun and games?

The amount of material that's been published or put out by the likes of Keith Olbermann is overwhelming and should keep Jason Chaffetz busy for years.  But he'll never take his head out of his ass long enough to stop investigating the Clinton Foundation.

So here we are.  Everyday that January 20, 2017 gets closer is more filled with anxiety.

[BW Manilowe]

17 hours ago, Ohwell said:

In this effed up political climate, it was so nice to see some levity, with President Obama's final Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon ceremony this afternoon.  I had never seen his nephews before.  They are adorable.

For those who haven't yet seen it, here's the link to the Turkey Pardoning, as posted to YouTube by the White House. It runs less than 10 minutes &, yes, POTUS' nephews (the sons of FLOTUS' brother, Craig Robinson) are cute.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xzzNdZ28Kjk

I cannot imagine Trump doing this for the next 4 years. Sigh. At least he has 8 grandkids for the "cute" factor. Ivanka's new baby boy should be old enough to participate in it by about year 3 or 4 (if we get that far). Her other 2 kids, & Don Jr's 5, are old enough now I think.

[Ohwell]

Also, the turkey gobbled towards the end like it was saying "Praise Jesus!"

[fishcakes]

More on the Obamas pre-Thanksgiving celebration.

Quote

After the ceremony, the president and first family served Thanksgiving meals to residents of the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington. The campus is home to 405 previously enlisted service members, who represent every campaign since World War I. Obama served the turkey and gravy and briefly chatted with veterans and workers as they went through the line.

[MulletorHater]

7 minutes ago, fishcakes said:

More on the Obamas pre-Thanksgiving celebration.

And, I can't see Drumpf and his vile family doing anything like this either.  It would be a staged photo op with already clean pots and pans at a soup kitchen ala Paul Ryan.

The Obamas and their genuine sense of charity and empathy for others will be sorely missed.

Edited November 24, 2016 by MulletorHater

[Danny Franks]

Every time I see Obama speak, it just reminds me anew how much America is going to miss him. He's so eloquent, articulate, graceful and warm whenever he speaks. And on top of all that, he's just so fucking cool. I mean, look at this picture:

When are you ever going to have another president who can look cooler than Bruce Springsteen?

A lot of America treated him like absolute shit, and they never let him do the things he dreamed of doing. In time, some of those people will come to regret it, but most don't have the self-awareness to even realise how badly they screwed up.

Edited November 24, 2016 by Danny Franks

[Duke Silver]

2 minutes ago, Danny Franks said:

Every time I see Obama speak, it just reminds me anew how much America is going to miss him. He's so eloquent, articulate, graceful and warm whenever he speaks. And on top of all that, he's just so fucking cool. I mean, look at this picture:

When are you ever going to have another president who can look cooler than Bruce Springsteen?

A lot of America treated him like absolute shit, and they never let him do the things he dreamed of doing. In time, some of those people will come to regret it, but most don't have the self-awareness to even realise how badly they screwed up.

I actually feel sorry for the children of racists who have been robbed of the opportunity to emulate, love & respect the first African American President.  The 12 y.o. son of a cousin of mine is one such child.  He has no idea what an amazing man Obama is.  I hope he can overcome his upbringing & one day, from an historical perspective at least, understand and appreciate what we've had the past 8 years.

I'm gonna miss Obama so much.  I disagreed with him quite often, but I always respected him, and I always will.  He occupied the Oval Office with honor.

[theredhead77]

On 11/22/2016 at 7:51 PM, stillshimpy said:

This is the one thing I can seldom bear to think about, in this surreal season we're experiencing, that Obama is actually going away. That I really won't be seeing him on my TV much.

I'm hoping that whatever he does next will be all over the TV and overshadow Trump at every turn.

[windsprints]

4 hours ago, theredhead77 said:

I'm hoping that whatever he does next will be all over the TV and overshadow Trump at every turn.

A show that wins an Emmy would be fantastic.

[BuckeyeLou]

On 11/23/2016 at 3:56 AM, BW Manilowe said:

Here's the White House's video of the Medal of Freedom ceremony, which was posted to YouTube.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=J-txpiizCgc

It's the *entire* ceremony, lasting a few seconds over an hour. POTUS makes remarks (many of which are funny, all of which--in my opinion--are heartfelt) about this year's honorees for about half the video, or maybe somewhat less (there were 21 recipients this year, which is part of the reason for the length); then the actual presentation of the Medal of Freedom to each recipient (or a family member, in the case of 2 posthumous recipients) takes up the rest of the video.

Once they start presenting the medals Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, since he was specifically mentioned, is the first recipient (they're presented in alphabetical order of the honoree's last name; Melinda Gates received hers before Bill Gates, though, perhaps in a nod to "ladies first"). YouTube also has other individual presentations from the ceremony, but not necessarily all of them (or all of the "popular" recipients' presentations), if you prefer not to watch the entire presentation--just go search for whomever you're looking for. I thought, maybe, some here might like to see the entire program though, especially since it's POTUS' last, so that's why I chose it.

So great to watch that!  President Obama is so genuine in his feelings, has a great sense of humor, really enjoys meeting all the citizens, he really enjoys all his special events....all around a "Cool" President...he is such a joy to watch & listen to.

[BW Manilowe]

If anyone's interested, here's what the Obama family enjoyed for their last White House Thanksgiving dinner. The Trumps' meal is linked to in his thread, if anyone's interested in comparing or whatever.

http://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/307500-heres-whats-on-the-white-house-thanksgiving-menu

[slf]

If there's one group I feel really bad for it's the kids. Kids who were so young when Obama was first elected, say four to seven, most of them wouldn't remember the first three or four years of their lives so Obama is the only president they've ever known. Now, they're going into their tween and teen years and they have to do it under a Trump presidency. Or the little babies who are just now starting school, or about to, and they're doing it in this climate? Swastikas spray-painted all over playgrounds? Chants of "build that wall!" by white students and staff? White kids linking their arms together to form barriers and block Latin@ kids from entering their schools? They're going to be so scared and have no idea how to handle it. LGBT kids are going to go to middle school or high school and date/go to dances during a presidency that wants to roll back their rights and endorses conversion therapy. Black boys who are about to become teenagers will have to deal with the repercussions of a president who's helped perpetuate the myth that most white homicide victims are killed by black men.

Just...

[Dresdengirl]

On 11/13/2016 at 0:24 PM, Spartan Girl said:

Obama handled the birther crap exactly the way he should have, and so did Seth Meyers. That is all I will say to keep the thread on topic.

With class, as always.

[Blergh]

5 minutes ago, Dresdengirl said:

With class, as always.

Yep, I TOTALLY agree. Although I didn't like every single one of his decisions or moves, I'm PROUD that I voted for President Obama  in all the primaries as well as Presidential elections.

Alas, IMO, we're all going from class to crass.

[SmithW6079]

I'm convinced Trump's administration will be one of the most corrupt in the history of America, which got me to thinking about the Obama administration. One of the Republicans' favorite mantras is that it is the Obama administration that is the most corrupt EVAH. 

I tried Googling "Obama" + "corruption," but all the results came from right-wing websites. Have there been any legitimate analyses of corruption issues that I just haven't seen?