In his final speech as president, Barack Obama said he is more hopeful now than when he was first elected. He called for unity and for all Americans to stay involved in the country’s democracy. Obama went home to Chicago, Illinois to give his last speech as president. He leaves office on January 20. Chicago was where his political career started more than 20 years ago. On Tuesday night, he spoke to thousands of supporters. Thank you! It's good to be home! Thank you! Obama took a look back on his eight years as president. He said the United States is a “better, stronger place” than when he took office in 2009. People cheered as he listed some of the things his administration has done. "If I had told you eight years ago that America would reverse a great recession, reboot our auto industry, and unleash the longest stretch of job creation in our history if I had told you that we would open up a new chapter with the Cuban people, shut down Iran's nuclear weapons program without firing a shot, and take out the mastermind of 9/11 if I had told you that we would win marriage equality, and secure the right to health insurance for another 20 million of our fellow citizens... if I had told you all that, you might have said our sights were set a little too high." Recognizing the current political divide in the country, Obama urged Americans to seek common ground with one another. He said that while "democracy does not require uniformity," it does "require a basic sense of solidarity." Obama is the first African American to serve as president of the United States. After his election, there was talk of a “post-racial” America one where race is not important. But Obama said race is a still a “potent and often divisive force” -- meaning that it is still a strong issue, and one that divides people. The president warned that the nation faces threats to democracy, such as issues of economic and racial inequality. Obama said the United States has to guard against weakening its values because of fear. One of the loudest cheers he received was when he said he rejects discrimination against Muslim Americans. The president said he was more hopeful about the country now than when he took office. He called on Americans to stay involved in the democratic process.
Title: Obama Appeals for Unity, Warns of Threats to Democracy
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1621/obama_unity.m4a' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Obama Appeals for Unity, Warns of Threats to Democracy' data-article-id='2139'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='10229'>In his final speech as president, Barack Obama said he is more hopeful now than when he was first elected.</span> <span data-start-time='10229' data-end-time='19208'>He called for unity and for all Americans to stay involved in the country’s democracy.</span> <span data-start-time='19208' data-end-time='27167'>Obama went home to Chicago, Illinois to give his last speech as president.</span> <span data-start-time='27167' data-end-time='31375'>He leaves office on January 20.</span> <span data-start-time='31375' data-end-time='39042'>Chicago was where his political career started more than 20 years ago.</span> <span data-start-time='39042' data-end-time='44396'>On Tuesday night, he spoke to thousands of supporters.</span> <span data-start-time='44396' data-end-time='48396'>Thank you! It's good to be home! Thank you!</span> <span data-start-time='48396' data-end-time='53479'>Obama took a look back on his eight years as president.</span> <span data-start-time='53479' data-end-time='62792'>He said the United States is a “better, stronger place” than when he took office in 2009.</span> <span data-start-time='62792' data-end-time='70333'>People cheered as he listed some of the things his administration has done.</span> <span data-start-time='70333' data-end-time='87625'>"If I had told you eight years ago that America would reverse a great recession, reboot our auto industry, and unleash the longest stretch of job creation in our history</span> <span data-start-time='87625' data-end-time='102917'>if I had told you that we would open up a new chapter with the Cuban people, shut down Iran's nuclear weapons program without firing a shot, and take out the mastermind of 9/11</span> <span data-start-time='102917' data-end-time='123063'>if I had told you that we would win marriage equality, and secure the right to health insurance for another 20 million of our fellow citizens...</span> <span data-start-time='123063' data-end-time='130333'>if I had told you all that, you might have said our sights were set a little too high."</span> <span data-start-time='130333' data-end-time='141479'>Recognizing the current political divide in the country, Obama urged Americans to seek common ground with one another.</span> <span data-start-time='141479' data-end-time='154542'>He said that while "democracy does not require uniformity," it does "require a basic sense of solidarity."</span> <span data-start-time='154542' data-end-time='163729'>Obama is the first African American to serve as president of the United States.</span> <span data-start-time='163729' data-end-time='174125'>After his election, there was talk of a “post-racial” America one where race is not important.</span> <span data-start-time='174125' data-end-time='190229'>But Obama said race is a still a “potent and often divisive force” -- meaning that it is still a strong issue, and one that divides people.</span> <span data-start-time='190229' data-end-time='202958'>The president warned that the nation faces threats to democracy, such as issues of economic and racial inequality.</span> <span data-start-time='202958' data-end-time='212479'>Obama said the United States has to guard against weakening its values because of fear. </span> <span data-start-time='212479' data-end-time='224021'>One of the loudest cheers he received was when he said he rejects discrimination against Muslim Americans.</span> <span data-start-time='224021' data-end-time='232042'>The president said he was more hopeful about the country now than when he took office.</span> <span data-start-time='232042' data-end-time='238771'>He called on Americans to stay involved in the democratic process.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1621/obama_unity.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=7926 data-hint-location='141479' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1621/what_does_solidarity_mean.m4a'>What does solidarity mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='unity based on common interests or beliefs'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1621/democratic_process.m4a'><span>democratic process</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1621/marriage_equality.m4a'><span>marriage equality</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1621/division_over_race.m4a'><span>division over race</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1621/unity_based_on_common_interests_or_beliefs.m4a'><span>unity based on common interests or beliefs</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=7927 data-hint-location='130333' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1621/what_did_the_president_urge_americans_to_do.m4a'>What did the President urge Americans to do?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='seek common ground'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1621/promote_bigotry.m4a'><span>promote bigotry</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1621/deny_health_insurance.m4a'><span>deny health insurance</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1621/support_inequality.m4a'><span>support inequality</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1621/seek_common_ground.m4a'><span>seek common ground</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=7928 data-hint-location='154542' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1621/obama_is_the_first__blank__to_serve_as_president_of_the_united_states.m4a'>Obama is the first <span class='blank'>African American</span> to serve as President of the United States.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='African American'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1621/politician.m4a'><span>politician</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1621/republican.m4a'><span>Republican</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1621/democrat.m4a'><span>Democrat</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1621/african_american.m4a'><span>African American</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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