The Long Goodbye: Obama Gives Farewell Remarks At Joint Base Andrews

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Barack Obama gave brief farewell remarks to staff and supporters and Joint Base Andrews before departing in a plane for Palm Springs, California.

“Michelle and I have really been milking this goodbye thing,” the former President cracked before launching into his remarks.

“I said before and I will say again that when we started on this journey, we did so with an abiding faith in the American people and their ability, our ability to join together and change the country in ways that would make life better for our kids and our grandkids,” he said. “That change did not happen from the top down, it happened from the bottom up.”

Obama toasted the crowd for their belief in the Democratic process and their support of his campaigns and presidential administration.

“Some folks did not think we could pull it off,” he said. “There were those who felt that the institutions of power and privilege in this country were to deeply entrenched and yet, all of you came together in small towns and big cities, a whole bunch of you really young, and you decided to believe.”

“Our democracy is to the buildings. Our democracy is not the monuments,” he added. “It’s you, being willing to work to make things better and being willing to listen to each other and argue with each other, and come together and knock on doors and make phone calls.”

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