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Filled with Optimism: Biden and Trudeau in Ottawa

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said of President Joe Biden's speech to the Canadian Parliament, "And your speech in Parliament a few minutes ago was filled with optimism, grounded in a deep faith in people and the character of the citizens we serve and their ability to step up and meet the challenges before us."

 

In the speech, President Biden said, "Today, I’d like to speak to a little bit about the future, if I may — a future that’s ours to seize.  You know, I get criticized at home sometimes for saying that — I used to always — Barack — President Obama used to always kid me because I’d always say to him in our private meetings, “A country is never more optimistic than its President or its leaders.”  Well, I’ve never been more optimistic in my life about the prospects — I really mean this, from the bottom of my heart."

At a gala dinner following the Parliamentary visit, President Biden said, "I — we stand together as friends and as family.  And for that reason, I’m optimistic about our future, because I really am optimistic about our future.  And I’m very proud of our past. "

 

More on BIden's Optimism

President Joe Biden in the 2023 State of the Union Address.

He concluded, "Because the soul of this nation is strong, because the backbone of this nation is strong, because the people of this nation are strong, the State of the Union is strong. As I stand here tonight, I have never been more optimistic about the future of America. We just have to remember who we are. We are the United States of America and there is nothing, nothing beyond our capacity if we do it together."

 

Read more on Infectiously Optimistic Leadership

Commenting on the speech, USSC Research Associate Victoria Cooper said President Biden's speech was noteworthy for its optimism. "I think this address was to make America optimistic again. I don't know if we've seen this much pessimism among Americans in a long time," she said.

"his message was one of unadulterated optimism – even in the face of open hostility," wrote CNN's Kevin Liptak.


"Look, I get accused of being an inveterate optimist.  I call that the “Irish of it.”  We’re never on top, always stepped on.  But we are optimistic like Dr King was optimistic."

A touch of optimism and good-humour in President Joe Biden's speech Honoring Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia (January 2023)

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