Yet as Barack Obama prepares to vacate the White House we can say this much with confidence: The 44th president was a conscientious and intelligent leader who espoused humane values, inspired millions of Americans and successfully fulfilled some of his most significant promises. Obama’s dignity and gravitas seem, of course, only more appealing as the Trump presidency approaches. And Obama throughout his tenure displayed dignity, even in the face of vicious and sometimes racist attacks that no other president has had to endure. Ultimately, despite coming to office as the anti-George W. Bush, Obama was unable to extricate the United States militarily from the Middle East and Afghanistan. And speaking of that successor, Obama’s dignity and gravitas seem, of course, only more appealing as the Trump presidency approaches.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 14, 2017 13:00 UTC