I swear, we do not deserve this man. Watching President Obama ...

[11 Bravo]

present the Presidential Freedom Awards I an struck with an intense feeling of melancholy.
This good man exudes a dignity, grace, intelligence, sense of humor, and just plain fucking decency that we will not soon, if ever, see again in the Oval Office.
Thank you, Mr. President. We are a better people for your presence among us. You will be sorely missed.

[malaise]

1. It's lovely

Notice how he's not afraid of Kareem's height

[Auntie Bush]

2. Spoken beautifully.

I've spent the past hour admiring And missing Obama. He will never be replaced. The man is one of a kind. I personally don't see how anyone can not appreciate him.

[greatauntoftriplets]

3. The look on his face when Michael Jordan came up for his award.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

4. That is the first time I ever saw Michael Jordan look humble.

[madamesilverspurs]

5. Indeed.

As President Obama awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom, it occurs that he is a man who truly relishes showcasing the goodness in people. He looks for the best and celebrates it.

We are truly going to miss having a shining example in the Oval Office.


.

[cilla4progress]

6. I've always said this

We are not worthy of him.

I hope he is rethinking his confidence in the American people as a good people, exceptional.

Sad.

[OKNancy]

7. I felt the same. Got tears in my eyes when he hugged Cicely Tyson

He is so dignified.
I don't usually get all maudlin about Obama. I usually can't stand all that ooey-gooey stuff, but this ceremony really got to me.
This country is going from someone so remarkable, to a lazy evil crank.

[monmouth4]

8. I wish DU had a Like button for all the nice remarks. I loved how he spoke of Ellen also and of

course my hometown hero, Bruce. Wonderful presentation.

[lpbk2713]

9. I will never use the word president followed by the name Trump.

He's a deceitful, dishonest weasel. And he doesn't
belong anywhere in DC let alone the White House.

[bdamomma]

16. Me too

again the only President was President Obama

Not this pu**y grabbing jerk.........who disrespects women and every minority. He can go fcuk himself.

[Jeroen]

10. A History of President Obama's 8 Years in Office, 2008-2016 comparrison

Thank you sir.

[spanone]

12. you can see the weight of the job in 2016

thanks

[Jeroen]

13. Yes, it's remarkable n/t

[bdamomma]

17. it is a position that weighs heavily

god I am going to miss him but he will be working behind the scenes.

[spanone]

11. he's so comfortable 'in his skin' as they say. smart as they come.

love him.

his presidency will look all the greater when compared to the disaster that is imminent.

[Useless in FL]

14. I'm with you!

I would love to meet him in person. He's the only POTUS besides JFK that I really would have liked to meet and shake hands. Well.... Jimmy Carter too!

[DFW]

22. I have met him several times, spent an hour with him once

You are right to want it--it is always a privilege!

I never met JFK, but a good friend of mine knew JFK well. She was a famous Washington journalist in her own right, and passed away at (nearly) 93 just three years ago. She had so many stories about JFK, I wish I had brought a recording machine. But I had known her for 50 years, since I was a kid, and thought she would live to be 100, and there was no rush. We used to get together for dinner several times a year in Washington while she was alive.

I'll tell you one story she told me. Helen (that was her name) was talking to JFK one time in March, and he had to go take part in a St. Patrick's Day parade he had committed to march in for part of the way. He told Helen (who was about 5'1" and Lebanese) to come walk with him. Stating the obvious, Helen told him, "but I'm not Irish." JFK didn't miss a beat and answered, "nobody's perfect." She joined him.

[awoke_in_2003]

25. I miss your friend

I am sure a lot of us do.

[Vinca]

15. Agreed. We'll be going from the best of mankind to the absolute worst.

[mfcorey1]

18. 100

[dubyadiprecession]

19. Trump doesn't have the will of the american people, he lost the vote!

[DFW]

20. I had the privilege of an hour with him four years ago

In that hour, we talked about health care, health insurance and financing of same, its place in the US budget, and how it could be used to bring the deficit down, clean energy sources, electoral reform, Syria (4 years ago!), the Egyptian economy, the coming election, and touched on a few other things.

But after it was over, I went back to my vacation. He had to deal with these things every day (and a host of others) in the course of his job--and did. He didn't pass things off to other people. Instead, he learned about them. On the Egyptian economy, before we parted, I wrote down on a slip of paper, "Full bellies tend not to start fights." He read it, his eyes went wide, nodded, smiled at me, and he stuck it into his pocket. He listens to everyone, because you never know who might have something worthwhile to say. He may or may not agree with you, but he WILL listen, and the chances are he understands what he is hearing.

An extraordinary man, indeed. And we are replacing him with an ignorant buffoon who, to use Obama's own words on another subject, is "proud of his ignorance." We are not worthy....

[malaise]

21. You're so lucky

If you missed the ceremony it will be repeated at 8.00ETon CSpan - it was lovely.

[DFW]

23. I don't get CSpan here

I don't get any American TV here at all. I'm now in Düsseldorf.

And---it's 1 AM!! I was in Sprout City all day for work, and I'm going to bed.

[trof]

24. I cried.

Goddam I'm gonna miss him.