Former US President Barack Obama made a decision to put a break on his extended vacations and reappeared in public Monday saying he is ready to take up the challenge of encouraging young people to take part in politics, while making no mention of his successor, Donald Trump, who is approaching the 100-day mark of his presidency.
Obama's highly anticipated public appearance comes just days ahead of the symbolically significant 100-day mark for Trump -- a milestone that one Obama adviser insisted is "far from his mind".
Former President Barack Obama said that while there are several issues he intends to work on post-presidency, helping preparing the next generation of leaders is "the single most important thing I can do". He is planning, he said, to henceforth devote much of his energy to working with young people to encourage them "to take up the baton and take their crack at changing the world". Obama started by telling a story of how he got involved in community service in Hyde Park.
The invitation-only audience included students selected from, according to Obama's office: Harold Washington College; Malcolm X College; Kennedy King College; Columbia College; University of Chicago; Chicago State University; University of Illinois at Chicago; Roosevelt University; Northwestern University; DePaul University, Illinois Institute of Technology; and Loyola University.
Former President Obama is done with his post-presidential vacation, but he's keeping things low-key politically.
Obama was joined on the stage by a diverse group of six former and current students from across the city.
How to solve the North Korean military and strategic issue
The nuclear-powered U.S. submarine USS Michigan also made a port call at Busan in the South on Tuesday in another show of force. The Carl Vinson nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is heading toward waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula.
"But I had no idea how", Obama said.
Now that he has left elected office, Obama said he has considered a number of possibilities for his "next job". He realised, he said on Monday, that "the only folks who are going to be able to solve that are young people".
He also spent time during the hour-long forum questioning the audience on how to get more young Americans more engaged in politics and shaping police. He added, "All those issues are serious and daunting, but they are not insoluble". Obama deadpanned at the beginning of his opening remarks at the University of Chicago.
Obama also argued that gerrymandering - largely the process by which a state's ruling party carves congressional districts to their political favor - has hurt the democratic process. Only 300 tickets were given out to students from different schools across the Chicago area. Friends have reported that Mr Obama privately faults Hillary Clinton for her lack of in-person campaigning during the 2016 election.
What do you think of Barack Obama's speech? The location of both events was symbolic, as Mr Obama credits his past as a south side Chicago community organiser with inspiring his run for office.
Comments