Much is being said about the emotion President Obama showed and evoked when he paid tribute to First Lady Michelle and their daughters during his farewell address in Chicago last night. But the following captures the sense of accomplishment and customary admonition he conveyed:
The work of democracy has always been hard. It has been contentious. Sometimes it has been bloody: for every two steps forward, it often feels we take one step back. But the long sweep of America has been defined by forward motion, a constant widening of our founding creed to embrace all, and not just some.
(New York Times, January 10, 2017)
In other words, the phrase “two steps forward” reflects the success of his presidency; “one step back” reflects the foreboding of Trump’s.
Enough said.