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President Barack Obama gets a high-five as he greets children outside the Kozy Corner diner in Oak Harbour, Ohio, Thursday, July 5, 2012.
President Obama kicked off a two-day "Betting On America" bus tour through northern Ohio and western Pennsylvania, yesterday. The bus tour is stopped in Maumee, Sandusky and Parma, Ohio, and today he'll be in Poland, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Enrique
(27,461 posts)though he looks like he might be trouble.
. . . every day is full of endless possibilities at that age.
ananda
(29,045 posts)That's so cute!
ananda
(29,045 posts)Hair. Spiked. Bad.
HughBeaumont
(24,461 posts)This went on in Parma, a Cleveland Suburb.
bigtree
(86,336 posts). . . the vicious prankster that he is
Siwsan
(26,513 posts)And is at ease with people of ALL ages. Maybe it's because, like Bill Clinton, he was not born with silver utensils coming out of a selected orifice.
bigtree
(86,336 posts). . . it's directly from the heart and soul of this man.
Orsino
(37,428 posts)...even if it is in part a put-on by a politician on the campaign trail, our president does it better. No matter how he really feels about ordinary Americans, we know he has at least enough regard for us to have learned to fake it damned well.
Unlike some candidates, whose contempt for the unrich is palpable.
bigtree
(86,336 posts). . . that this first couple do really put the concerns and needs of ordinary (and extraordinary) Americans at the front of their thinking and efforts.
He says, Michelle, its not right. We have got to fix this"
excerpts from remarks by the First Lady, Michelle Obama, at a campaign event at Chelsea Piers, New York, New York:
. . . what you all need to know is that your President, Barack, understands this all too well. He knows these issues because hes lived them. He was raised by a single mom who struggled to put herself through school and pay the bills. And she watched -- he watched her struggle. And when she needed help, who stepped up but his grandmother. She would wake up every morning before dawn to take a bus to a job at a bank.
And his grandmother worked very hard, and she was good at what she did. But like so many women, she hit a glass ceiling and she watched men no more qualified than she was be promoted up the ladder ahead of her. So Barack knows what it means when a family struggles. He knows what it means when someone doesnt have a chance to fulfill their potential.
And those are the experiences that have made him the man -- and more importantly, the President -- he is today. And we are so lucky to have him. We are so lucky to have that kind of man as President. (Applause.)
And thats what I see in him in those quiet moments at home late at night, after Malia and Sasha have gone to bed, and hes up late at night, poring over the thousands of letters that people send him every week. The letter from the woman dying of cancer whose insurance company wont cover her care. Or the letter from the father struggling to pay his familys bills. The letters from far too many young people with so much promise, but so few opportunities. And I hear the passion and determination in his voice. He says, Michelle, its not right. We have got to fix this. We have so much more work to do.
Well, thats what he carries with him every single day -- it is our collection of struggles and hopes and dreams. And thats why, even in the hardest moments, when it seems like all is lost, Barack Obama never loses sight of the end goal. He never gets caught up in the chatter and the noise. He just keeps moving forward. He just keeps fighting for our children and for our future.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002444735
PotatoChip
(3,186 posts)Last edited Fri Jul 6, 2012, 01:37 PM - Edit history (1)
Like Clinton, President Obama comes off as very genuine. Doesn't have to fake anything, including his appreciation for average, everyday people, young and old.
I love how easily both 'The Big Dog' and our current POTUS can so flawlessly adapt to any social situation they find themselves in. HUGE contrast from Shrub, who made me cringe with embarrassment upon just about every interaction he had with people, including other world leaders.
Bake
(21,977 posts)I know I would.
Bake
bigtree
(86,336 posts). . . and folks willing to record these moments for posterity.