This is what Obama told Sasha and Malia the day after the election

[jodymarie aimee]

After Donald Trump was elected president, many Americans who didn’t support him were shocked by his victory, frightened of what was to come, and mournful of the end of President Obama’s 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 Trump’s 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 it’s 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 there’s 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 doesn’t stop … You don’t get into a fetal position about it. You don’t 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]

1. Just when I thought I was over him, he brings me back in...

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]

25. Perfect statement about Obama.

[underpants]

2. O

[Hekate]

11. Love this one

[DK504]

14. This must go viral.

[Pacifist Patriot]

18. Oh my

[NewJeffCT]

27. that is fantastic

never seen it before, but it's great

[underpants]

28. I've seen other versions but this is very well done.

Googled Obama bat signal

[Rhiannon12866]

34. Thank you for this! We sure needed it right now!

[Canoe52]

32. Never saw this before, love it!

[canetoad]

3. There should be a provision on DU

For double, no triple, recs for posts about Barack Obama.

[louis-t]

4. I sure needed that pep talk on Jan. 21.

I need a 'fetal position' smilie.

[Rhiannon12866]

35. That one would be very popular here!

I find the one I'm most often using these days is this one ------>

[Achilleaze]

5. Thank you President Obama

[bronxiteforever]

6. I miss his dignity and intellect. We went from that to 🤡

[randome]

41. Maybe it was inevitable. Maybe we have Dolt45 BECAUSE we had Obama.

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]

7. Oh Obama, why can't I quit you???

[Amaryllis]

8. I went to Senator Wyden town halls the past two Saturdays. He is positive like Obama;

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]

9. Just to bring a bit of darkness to this wonderful thread about Obama

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]

10. I needed to hear that.

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]

15. That's why it frustrates me to see nasty comments

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]

37. +1000!

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]

12. reminds me of JFK and RFK

[southerncrone]

13. Obama is a gift from the gods. Truly a special human. His leadership will be sorely missed.

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]

16. K&R...

[luvMIdog]

17. Love you President Obama

I wish he was Pres

[NNadir]

19. He became a great President by starting as a great human being. n/t.

[Bob Loblaw]

26. Brilliant!

I am so going to use that.

[NNadir]

31. Be my guest. n/t.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

20. There are many more enlightened beings around than we realize... President Obama is one.

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]

21. I'd like to hear what he and Michelle said to each other when they realized Trump won.

[smirkymonkey]

22. K&R

[ashling]

23. ... and healthcare is complicated

sorry, I couldn't help myself

[Blue_true]

24. We went from one of our greatest Presidents to an idiot. nt

[Silver Gaia]

29. Beautiful... needed that right now.

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]

30. Thanks for posting this, jodymarie aimee.

I sure needed this.

Saving it in my quotes file.

[dogandturtlemom]

33. Obama

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]

36. That is the essential difference

between a class act like Prez O and a POS like Trump.

[anniebelle]

38. Thanks, I really needed that.

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]

39. No wonder the French only half joking want to run him for their president!!! n/t

[MyOwnPeace]

40. There was.......

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]

42. The 22nd amendment sucks

[Fatemah2774]

43. Wow

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]

44. Link available?

[ecstatic]

46. So he never questioned the result?

Not even for a split second?

[FakeNoose]

47. Maybe for a split second ...

but I doubt he discussed it with his daughters.
You know, he has to keep some stuff to himself.