DEAR PRESIDENT OBAMA from A FORMER DIE-HARD REPUBLICAN

Feeling Rebloggy

Dear President Obama,

Seven years ago, I met my husband, and seven years ago, I met his Obama shirt. As a card-carrying, registered Democrat, it was a shirt he wore with both pride and honor. 

I hated it. 

See, I had grown up in a Republican family and had been bred to despise all candidates and platforms blue. So when he would ask me to wear his shirt from time to time, I vehemently denied. I wouldn’t be caught dead. 

But then something funny happened. 

You. 

As I graduated from school and began to spread my wings, I learned to separate my political viewpoints from those of my parents. I started to examine my world, both political and otherwise, with fresh eyes and an open mind. I gave myself a clean slate. And you made that bare tapestry your own. 

Throughout the next seven years, I would watch you log achievement after achievement, despite steady opposition and a dearth of proper acknowledgment. I’ve seen people call you the worst president of all time, despite objective measures that indicate the contrary. After all, this presidency has been one for the history books. The Dow Jones has hit unprecedented highs. The automotive industry has set all-time sales records. We recorded the longest streak of overall job growth in United States history. And I can actually fill up the tank of my environment-killing SUV without filing for bankruptcy. 

Were things perfect? No, of course not. But they seldom ever are. And why should the standard be perfection anyway? You’re only human, after all. Your turkey pardon jokes prove as much. 

No, for me, the standard is improvement; and by that measure, you’re every bit the success you set out to be. Unemployment is down. Wages are back on the rise. And while one could point to an increase in debt, that’s only one side of the coin, as our deficit has shrunk considerably. The main attack on your performance has been the underwhelming GDP growth, but such a criticism rings a bit hollow to me when, before you took office, we were migrating in the opposite (read: negative) direction. 

Call me crazy (and I’m sure many reading this will), but criticizing a man for only marginally improving the economy when we’re coming out of the second greatest recession of all time would be like criticizing a homeless man for only finding a way to move into a studio apartment and not a mansion. To me, context matters... 

Read More: 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/5880ce91e4b09d73ca3373cc?timestamp=1484845009661

OBAMA INAUGURATION AND TRUMP INAUGURATION CROWDS SIDE BY SIDE

NEVER FORGET

Trump lost the popular vote by three million votes

Read More
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/comparison-president-trump-and-barack-obamas-inauguration-crowds/#.WIJs4szckaw.facebook

Read More

http://thankherforsurviving.blogspot.com/

OBAMA'S LAST DAY

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S FAREWELL LETTER TO AMERICA

A REPOSTSource:

 Because Of Them We Can

"It's a long-standing tradition for the sitting president of the United States to leave a parting letter in the Oval Office for the American elected to take his or her place. It's a letter meant to share what we know, what we've learned, and what small wisdom may help our successor bear the great responsibility that comes with the highest office in our land, and the leadership of the free world.

But before I leave my note for our 45th president, I wanted to say one final thank you for the honor of serving as your 44th. Because all that I've learned in my time in office, I've learned from you. You made me a better President, and you made me a better man.

Throughout these eight years, you have been the source of goodness, resilience, and hope from which I've pulled strength. I've seen neighbors and communities take care of each other during the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes. I have mourned with grieving families searching for answers – and found grace in a Charleston church.

I've taken heart from the hope of young graduates and our newest military officers. I've seen our scientists help a paralyzed man regain his sense of touch, and wounded warriors once given up for dead walk again. I've seen Americans whose lives have been saved because they finally have access to medical care, and families whose lives have been changed because their marriages are recognized as equal to our own. I've seen the youngest of children remind us through their actions and through their generosity of our obligations to care for refugees, or work for peace, and, above all, to look out for each other.

I've seen you, the American people, in all your decency, determination, good humor, and kindness. And in your daily acts of citizenship, I've seen our future unfolding.

All of us, regardless of party, should throw ourselves into that work – the joyous work of citizenship. Not just when there's an election, not just when our own narrow interest is at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime.

I'll be right there with you every step of the way.

And when the arc of progress seems slow, remember: America is not the project of any one person. The single most powerful word in our democracy is the word 'We.' 'We the People.' 'We shall overcome.'

Yes, we can. "

https://www.becauseofthemwecan.com/blogs/stories/grab-a-tissue-president-obama-just-sent-us-all-a-touching-farewell-letter

GONNA MISS HIM

I think a lot of his detractors will too before long.

And now that the President has expelled Russian intelligence operatives and and shut down a couple of Russian compounds. They have 72 hours to get out of dodge due to Russian cyber-hacking of the 2016 U.S. election. He's also declassified documents that speak to the Russian Cyber-hacking.

It's gonna be tough for the Orange Dragon to just continue to cozy up to Putin...without reversing all these actions. And in order to reverse all these actions he's going to have look less than faithful to the United States.

This is about to get interesting. Don't take your eye off the ball.

Other politicians might shut up, let things die down, then just sneakily change things when the public's attention is elsewhere. Mean Tangerine's not that bright. And his followers will follow him off a cliff. But it looks like his own party is not going for this -- trying to save their careers beyond the minuscule radar blip that Mean Tangerine will turn out to be 10 years from now -- I hope.

Well played, President Obama. Nice gambit. We'll see what happens.

See More Here:http://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/29/politics/russia-sanctions-announced-by-white-house/

BARACK AND MICHELLE'S CASUAL DINNER

Feeling Rebloggy

"One night, President Obama and his wife Michelle decided to do something out of routine and go for a casual dinner at a restaurant that wasn't too luxurious. 

When they were seated, the owner of the restaurant asked the president's secret service if he could please speak to the First Lady in private. 

They obliged and Michelle had a conversation with the owner."

http://naijapicks.com/posts/1566/michelle-barack-obamas-untold-restaurant-story 

* * * * *
Later when the Michelle returns to the table

President Obama said, "Why was he so interested in talking to you." 

Michelle said, "When we were teenagers he said he was madly in love with me." 

President Obama said, "So if you had married him, you would now be the owner of this lovely restaurant.

Michelle responded, "No. If I had married him, he would now be the President."

* * *
POTUS AND FLOTUS FOLKTALE?

I don't know. Maybe. But I'm gonna tell it every chance I get. 

But know this: Our first lady is a black feminst that most definitely knew her worth. THAT'S no joke, folktale, or fairy tale.  She was a black female role model worthy of the title

LOOKING BACK AT PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AT THE END OF HIS HISTORY MAKING PRESIDENCY

For the last 8 years, Pete Souza has been the Official White House Photographer.

Over the course of President Obama’s two terms, Souza estimates he will have taken nearly 2 million photographs.

You can find over 6,600 on the White House’s official Flickr account. Souza has captured some incredibly powerful, heartfelt and poignant moments of the President over the last 8 years and a gallery of 16 photos has recently gone viral, claiming to be Souza’s personal favorites. Although he has denied this claim, the photos are still amazing.

STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS TONIGHT

I don't think the lame duck thing is going the way the republicans want it to.

Hee-hee