In my view, the "evil doers" are living among us: the republicans in Congress. Drain the swamp.
Farewell, Barack Obama, Godspeed.

All political speeches are show business and he does it better than most. I have no dislike for Obama. I voted for him once. I also can appreciate how his most ardent supporters ache over his departure. I recall a recent candid conversation with my elderly mother in law who said the primary reason she voted for him in 2008 over Hillary was because he was African American. To her, this was essential to show that anyone of any race can ascend to the Presidency. She was right. Sadly, our current problems exceed his effective and genuine oratory, intelligence, and motivation. Some thoughts on the themes in his speech:
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"We are all in this together" Is that really true? For prosperous classes of Americans, I have seen a steady erosion in their identification as American. Instead, it is being replaced by generalized global identity which seeks most to look at oneself as a global citizen. This is a trend world-wide which no one knows how to resolve.
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"automation that makes a lot of good middle-class jobs obsolete" This is the new red herring being used to defend globalization and the movement of jobs overseas. Automation has nothing to do with jobs migrating to lower cost labor markets. The "automation" excuse is being used because Obama doesn't quite know how to handle this problem because I believe he is a globalist ideologically.
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"force a new social compact...education" I am curious why he would use the word force and education together. He starts this paragraph by admitting he sees no way to deal with the long-term trends in globalization and job loss and inequality. I translate this to mean we will have to expand the social welfare state.
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"workers of all shades are going to be left fighting for scraps" This is the reason identity politics is failing us badly. The misguided focus on identity is coming from the left and the well-to-do progressive class that benefits most from globalization.
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"These newcomers [immigrants] embraced this nation's creed and this nation was strengthened." I don't deny that. There is a fundamental problem with comparing immigration today versus then and it does not have anything to do with race. The country then could easily absorb millions of immigrants because of our rapidly expanding economy. Think about it. In one part of the speech, the President makes the case that we are going to have to expand social welfare programs because there are fewer work opportunities due to automation. How then can we continue to absorb more immigration from anywhere?
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"Look, politics is a battle of ideas." This line sounds good but is mostly inaccurate. In reality, politics is a battle of interests. He goes on to describe democracy as a rational, thoughtful, idealistic process where reasonable people can agree on the best course. As a constitutional scholar and analytical person, it makes perfect sense why he would view the world that way. I look at history and the world today and see no evidence of that.
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"We can and should argue about the best approach to solve the problem." [climate] Yes we should. Very rarely do I hear people talk about how innovation or adaptation will allow us to deal with climate change. Instead, the argument is made for solutions that reduce economic development. That's because most talk about climate change comes from environmentalists or socialists.
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"a belief that the sword or the gun or the bomb or the propaganda machine is the ultimate arbiter of what’s true and what’s right." Anyone reading this should remember an essential truth. This speech is ultimately an explanation of what is good about us and our values and the values of the post-WWII world order. It is American guns and bombs and soldiers which are securing that order. Goodwill alone will not protect us.

how can you let that last caller get away with what he said about Obama making racial problems worse and that race relations have never been as bad as they are until Obama became president? Really? Does anyone remember slavery? Lynching? Segregation? denial of voting rights? etc?
It's only that these issues are becoming more visible again since Obama became president, and also because a lot of bigots and racists are so angry that a black man became so successful that they are escalating their racist attacks and blaming it on the people they fear and hate!
Come on NPR, grow a backbone and push back on this nonsense.

The problem with Molly's view si that the people that elected Trump Don't want a different future. Those people want the past ...be it the Old South, coal mining or a just a lack of scientific knowledge.

Besides being a world leader in Climate Chnage, Obama presided over 8 million new jobs, lowest inflation ever, no scandal, and a solid and consistent message for the world.

The worst thing Obama left us with is Trump. His full throated support for Hillary and attack on Trump might have made a difference.

Now we have ...well, you know the litany of evils.

*Sound of book closing*
And that, children, was the day the guiding ideals of civility and reason graciously left the White House.

How can any honest person " on the Left " see President Obama as anybody but an unctuous servant of the American plutocracy ? Being adored by phony Hollywood " liberals " does not change this sad truth. I know many " common people " who voted for President Obama and now only feel extremely disappointed in him or betrayed by him. I recommend a book written by a " leftist " college professor - and mostly ignored : " The Trouble With Diversity " by Walter Benn Michaels . At least " identity politics " lost the 2016 presidential election - if only in the undemocratic Electoral College.
The decay and decadence of American capitalist society is mostly all about CLASS inequality. I am appalled to hear mostly voices on the RIGHT stand up - at least - for objective reality. Hollywood will never get it !

If you are appalled by this President who has been the servant of our Constitution, who had to fight everyday of his administration to forge any progress against a hostile Republican party whose aim from the beginning was to obstruct, If you are appalled by a President who has always represented our country with dignity and positive, hopeful, and diplomatic rhetoric--who was cheered and loved by people all around the world, who cares for our Planet's health and the health of everyday people-- who has tried to make pharmaceuticals affordable-, who want to protect Social Security for those who entered in its compact with our government years ago-- if you disparage THIS President --what will you think when an psycho-Egomaniac Executive with his billionaire cabinet and climate change deniers and Goldman Sachs friends take over? I'll take Hollywood "liberals" any day over the people who brought us the 2008 Recession, who hate diversity, who require that a faith be attached to the term "terrorism, who questions the birthplace of our President and the truthfulness of our Press, who hides behind a computer and twitter account, who continues to push dependence on fossil fuel for greed's sake and political support from coal miners, and who stopped our President from being able to name a moderate judge to the Supreme Court. No, it's not phony Hollywood liberals... it's the fearful masses who live in a time of economic, social, and international changes, it's the plutocrats who will continue their ride with this guy. It's when those fearful people who have lost faith in and have elected a demagogue, that we need to stand up and push back. God bless Barack Obama and Ron, are you reading this... God bless Meryl Streep too!

This rhetorical comment has all the substance and credibility of a Hillary Clinton speech writer. I am no more interested in demonizing President Barack Obama -or talented actress Meryl Streep -than I , a democratic socialist, am in demonizing President Elect Donald Trump - still the victim of a pseudo-liberal smear campaign as a tool of Russia's Vladimir Putin.
Anyone with a spark of working class CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS could not have written this fulsome comment on the moral grandeur of a president who has served the enemies of the working class and of international peace.
Obama's last act of moral grandeur ? Endorsing " Corrupt Hillary " to succeed himself in the White House. More than Putin she-and the DNC- sabotaged the " political process " in the 2016 campaign.

time will prove you incorrect.

TIME is not on the side of the moribund American plutocracy LED by President Barack Obama- who did nothing for ordinary working class black people - with the exception of that miserable compromise called Obamacare.

The best POTUS of my seventy year life time. The most honorable, inspiring, openly caring and compassionate, dedicated, cerebral, and patriotic. Many of us sadly have no idea how much the Obama family has done to improve our lives and the way the rest of the world views us.

And now the Trump era. It is sickening, demoralizing, and just plain frightening.

Please explain how literate, alert, " sensitive " working class Americans can " sadly have no idea how much the Obama family has done to improve our lives... " Has the sycophantic mainstream news media failed us ? How rotten of the Bernie Sanders campaign even to suggest that all is not wonderful in Obama's America. How did " The Donald " win ? Blame Russia's Vladimir Putin ? Let's avenge " Wall St. Hillary " with World War III ?

Please rephrase your question, or whatever point you are trying to make in complete, relevant sentences.

No working class American -not stupefied by loyalty to the capitalist political system - will have trouble getting my point here. Ask anyone you might know : " What is this guy talking about ? "

I think most people would agree with the notion that much of the gains in our recent economic recover have gone to the top of the economic chain.

But just who explains with reason and facts WHY ? I am impressed with the World Socialist Web Site- for at least 5 years now. But I am still a critical supporter of even the best and the brightest on the Left. My own intellectual independence -at my age - is sacred.

Obama and Michelle are a class act.

Now were going to have the antithesis of that.
This nation is wacky as a three dollar bill.