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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThis is what Obama told Sasha and Malia the day after the election
After Donald Trump was elected president, many Americans who didnt support him were shocked by his victory, frightened of what was to come, and mournful of the end of President Obamas term. Parents in that position in particular have struggled with talking to their children about what a Trump presidency means.
In a sprawling new interview in The New Yorker, President Obama shared with David Remnick what he told his own daughters, Sasha and Malia, in the aftermath of Trumps win:
What I say to them is that people are complicated, Obama told me. Societies and cultures are really complicated This is not mathematics; this is biology and chemistry. These are living organisms, and its messy. And your job as a citizen and as a decent human being is to constantly affirm and lift up and fight for treating people with kindness and respect and understanding. And you should anticipate that at any given moment theres going to be flare-ups of bigotry that you may have to confront, or may be inside you and you have to vanquish. And it doesnt stop You dont get into a fetal position about it. You dont start worrying about apocalypse. You say, O.K., where are the places where I can push to keep it moving forward.
A pep talk for everyone.
Eliot Rosewater
(31,125 posts)But seriously, I know he is a politician, I know he is an establishment politician, but dear god what an amazing man.
What an absolute disgrace we go from him to that vile filth in the office now.
rwsanders
(2,608 posts)underpants
(182,931 posts)Hekate
(90,848 posts)DK504
(3,847 posts)Pacifist Patriot
(24,654 posts)NewJeffCT
(56,829 posts)never seen it before, but it's great
underpants
(182,931 posts)Googled Obama bat signal
Rhiannon12866
(206,228 posts)Canoe52
(2,949 posts)canetoad
(17,197 posts)For double, no triple, recs for posts about Barack Obama.
louis-t
(23,297 posts)I need a 'fetal position' smilie.
Rhiannon12866
(206,228 posts)I find the one I'm most often using these days is this one ------>
Achilleaze
(15,543 posts)bronxiteforever
(9,287 posts)randome
(34,845 posts)The messy, chemically-based pendulum swung all the way opposite.
But I do believe that Dolt45 and the GOP will ultimately fail.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Treat your body like a machine. Your mind like a castle.[/center][/font][hr]
Marie Marie
(9,999 posts)Amaryllis
(9,525 posts)always focusing on what can be done; what we are working for. Not as much charisma as Obama but similar message. I was only going to go to the first T.H. but left so inspired that I went to one the following Saturday too. One woman said she was feeling hopeless, and he said don't be hopeless and pointed out the extraordinary grass roots movement that is happening. Last Saturday was his 800th town hall since he was elected and he said he's never seen anything like what he is seeing now - the energy and passion of people turning out in droves; many attending Town Halls for the first time ever. (Me)
erronis
(15,371 posts)And you know what I'm talking about. I won't mention it.
A soul-crushing, mind-jolting, expectoration of negative/evil/putrid orange excrescence. Now the official color of the whole f'in repuglican potty.
Even if Mr. O was the devil born somewhere outside of some border, I just loved watching his moves, his smile, and his mastery of words.
Unlike the crapola that is shitting on the US presidency and the rest of government. Well done, pute.
mountain grammy
(26,656 posts)This is an amazing man. I will fight anyone who disrespects him. Disagree if you want, I often did, but never disrespect this man; a Harvard grad with high honors who could have his pick of any high paying, high powered law firm, went to work for the people. Remember that! Went to work for the people.
Now I hope I can live up to his ideals.
Ilsa
(61,700 posts)Smearing him and Michelle on other boards or forums. It's one thing to disagree with his politics. Butersonal attacks are unwarranted . He and Michelle have comported themselves better than any president in my lifetime.
BlueMTexpat
(15,374 posts)I likely have already failed because I STILL cannot feel it within me to forgive Trump voters and enablers.
But Prez O STILL continues to inspire!
oldcynic
(385 posts)southerncrone
(5,506 posts)The extreme contrast between his kindness & the orange ogre's hate is striking. We have taken 1000 steps backward, but in Obama's spirit, we must keep marching forward...in spite of the enormous rock slide on our path.
Hats off to you, Mr President 44.
spanone
(135,891 posts)luvMIdog
(2,533 posts)I wish he was Pres
NNadir
(33,564 posts)Bob Loblaw
(1,900 posts)I am so going to use that.
NNadir
(33,564 posts)BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)I wanna explain, when I say enlightened people here in this context, I mean people who are pretty consistently wise, courageous, compassionate...and who *can* get up again and again and again, undaunted.
Doesn't necessarily mean famous, nor historically significant. Regular people can and do aspire to live that way.
Anyway, so aside from that....it takes a special kind of person to be the example that President Obama embodies.
milestogo
(16,829 posts)smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)ashling
(25,771 posts)sorry, I couldn't help myself
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)Silver Gaia
(4,547 posts)My daughter calls him "Daddy Obama" because she says he always knows the just right thing to say to make us feel better, inspire us, give us the support we need... just like any good father does for his children. And here we have it in the very words he used to help his own children understand and be inspired to do the work.
calimary
(81,523 posts)I sure needed this.
Saving it in my quotes file.
dogandturtlemom
(41 posts)He is incredible. If I had children, I hope I would be so wise. I will support my grand nephews and nieces in this direction.
BlueMTexpat
(15,374 posts)between a class act like Prez O and a POS like Trump.
anniebelle
(899 posts)I will fight, resist, expose this tyrant any way I can. I'm pretty limited here in my wheelchair and solitude, but I can give money, sign petitions, tell anyone that's willing to listen (even some who are not willing, but they're going to hear it from me anyway). I just hope there are enough "good Americans" to resist this fascist regime and dig us out of this nightmare. My only connection to the outside world is my computer, but I can hunt for the 'real' news and it's not that hard to find. No, I have no sympathy for the GOP, their enablers or even Democrats who will absolutely not go to the polls at every opportunity ~ I don't care if it's just voting for dog catcher. I've never missed a one in over 50 years even though for the past several years I've had to rely upon others to help me get there ~ there just are NO excuses for not voting!
Bluetail
(22 posts)MyOwnPeace
(16,940 posts)the pride and pleasure to hear him speak after the MAJORITY of Americans had placed him in the White House - and to hear well-thought out sentences after 8 years of "W" (I'm not gonna' be too harsh about "W" - even he's starting to look "better" now!).
And then, we get this bumbling liar...........................
MrPurple
(985 posts)Fatemah2774
(245 posts)I can only say wow...and I say with pride that he is my favorite president in my lifetime, and quite possibly our country. Sure beats the orange zest man child in the Oval Office now.
HopeAgain
(4,407 posts)Response to jodymarie aimee (Original post)
The Wielding Truth This message was self-deleted by its author.
ecstatic
(32,737 posts)Not even for a split second?
FakeNoose
(32,791 posts)but I doubt he discussed it with his daughters.
You know, he has to keep some stuff to himself.