"Let's Be Anxious, Jealous Guardians Of Our Democracy"-Obama

Barack Obama's message during his farewell address challenged further the American people on the need to continue to hope and be optimistic. His speech is the capstone of a months-long farewell tour.

President Obama hinged his speech with a call on all Americans to protect their democracy from what appeared to challenges posed by his successor, Donald Trump.

He made the remarks Tuesday in Chicago as he urged the enthusiastic crowd who came to hear him to guard jealously their democracy. "Democracy can buckle when it gives in to fear," he said.

The moment was also an opportunity for Mr Obama to review some of the impacts of his administration and to appreciate some of the people who had been dear to him.

Looking back at his time, he notes the Cuban deal, the Iran deal, the killing of Bin Laden, and marriage equality. "You were the change," he says. "America is a stronger place than when we started."

Amidst tears, he turned to the wife, "You have made me proud, and you have made the country proud," he said of his wife as he at one point wiped back the tears. "With grace and grit and style and good humour" and for making the White House "a place that belongs to everybody."

Admitting candidly that political discourse has soured under his watch, Obama demanded that Americans renew efforts at reconciliation. "It falls to each of us to be those anxious, jealous guardians of our democracy," the President said. "To embrace the joyous task we've been given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours."

As he prepared to step away from the stage one final time he seemed to be passing on the stewardship of America not to Mr Trump, but to the nation's people. "Because for all our outward differences, we all share the same proud title:  Citizen. Ultimately, that’s what our democracy demands. It needs you."

It was one speech in which he made obvious berating of most of the incoming President Trump's campaign rhetoric on immigration, racial relation but which he unimaginably made reference of his name just once. The moment was also one which the crowd defied their sense of rational appreciation to ask him to contest for another term.

Mr Obama was blunt in refuting, "I can't do that," he said.

As he concluded his speech, Obama reechoed what was the catchphrase of his campaign in 2008 that centered on the power of change and hope, the outgoing president said, "Yes, we can. Yes, we did. Yes, we can," he said, repeating his catchphrase from h