PRESIDENT OBAMA'S FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE

After listening to part and reading the whole of the text of President Obama's final press conference, I came away thinking that his optimism seemed quaint, as if from another time quite different from the present.  I wondered if he truly felt optimistic, or if he stretched the truth a bit about his real feelings to lift the spirits of the people of the country so that we don't lose all hope.  Either way, I completely understand why he spoke as he did, and I admire him for doing so.  Of course, it's quite possible that, through it all, he remains what he's always been, a man of hope.

Obama has taken the duties of the presidency as seriously as any president in my lifetime and has been a steadying hand in the midst of difficult times.  He carried himself always with a dignity and composure that befitted the office of the president, and I admire greatly.  He is a mensch.  I'll surely not see his like in my lifetime.

The president's prepared statement at the beginning of the video, which is approximately eight and a half minutes long, is well worth watching or reading.  His final words:

So even in a season where the incredible blessings that we know as Americans are all around us, even as we enjoy family and friends and are reminded of how lucky we are, we should also be reminded that to be an American involves bearing burdens and meeting obligations to others. American values and American ideals are what will lead the way to a safer and more prosperous 2017, both here and abroad, and, by the way, if you embody those values and ideals like our brave men and women in uniform and their families.

So I just want to close by wishing all of them a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

The Washington Post has the entire text of the press conference.