Joe Biden is a little bit of a cockeyed optimist

"I’m a little bit of a cockeyed optimist," said President Joe Biden at a Grassroots Organizers Event in Portland Oregon.

The President elaborated:

"I’m a little bit of a cockeyed optimist.  I realize that.  But the truth of the matter is I’ve never been more optimistic about America’s prospects.  I really mean it, from the bottom of my heart.  Never, never, never, never.  And there are two reasons for it.  Because of these — we’re the only country in the world that has — the only country that has come out of crises stronger than we went in.  Not just returned to where we were — stronger than we went in...

"here’s the deal: The reason I’m basically optimistic about America is because of those folks between 18 and 35 years old.  It’s the most educated generation in American history, the most open generation, the least prejudiced generation, and the most volunteering generation in all of American history. 

"There’s nothing — nothing, nothing, nothing — that America can’t do if we set our mind to it.  I’ve spent more time with Xi Jinping of China than any world leader has from when I was Vice President all the way through to now.  Over 78 hours with him alone.  Eight — nine of those hours on the phone and the others in person, travelling 17,000 miles with him around the world, in China and the United States.

"And here’s the deal: He asked me when I was in — when — in the Tibetan Plateau.  We each had an interpreter — a simultaneous interpreter.  He said, “Can you define America for me?”  I said, “Yeah, one word.  One word: possibilities.”  (Applause.)"

This is a consistent theme in recent months.

"I’ve never been more optimistic about America’s future"  So said President Joe Biden in Los Angeles during his comments on Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Investments.

He said:  "Let me close with this: It’s been a rough four or five years for the country.  For a lot — for a lot of your families, things are still pretty tough.  Even though you got good-paying jobs and health insurance, it’s still pretty tough.  But there’s — there are bright spots where America is reasserting itself — like here, where the best workers in the world are hard at work building a better future for all of us.  They’re providing our best days to be available to us.  And they’re ahead of us, they’re not behind us.   We just have to keep it going, and I know we can.  I mean it sincerely.  I know we can.  I’ve never been more optimistic about America’s future, particularly relative to the rest of the world.  We’re better positioned than any nation in the world.  And every other nation that I’m aware of is aware of it.  When I meet with the heads of state in Europe, in Asia, they know it.  We just have to remember who we are.  We are the United States of America, and there’s nothing — nothing beyond our capacity — nothing — when we decide we’re going to do it together. "

On 7 October 2022 in his Remarks on the Economy and the September Jobs Report, President Biden said,  "For everything we’ve been through, I’ve never been more optimistic about America’s prospects in my entire career.  My word: I’ve never been more optimistic.  Just remember who in the hell we are.  We’re the United States of America.  There’s nothing — nothing we’ve ever set our mind to that we’ve not been able to do.  Nothing!"

Speaking in Detroit on the "Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Boom in America", President Joe Biden said, "You know, you all know I’m a car guy.  I’m here because the auto show and the vehicles here give me so many reasons to be optimistic about the future.  And I really mean it.  Just looking at them and driving them, they just give me a sense of optimism, although I like the speed too. 

In my book, Optimism "The How and Why",  I quote President Biden:

"I’m always optimistic."

"There is overwhelming reason to be optimistic.”

"Democracy begins and will be preserved in we, the people's habits of heart, in our character: optimism that is tested yet endures, courage that digs deep when we need it, empathy that fuels democracy, the willingness to see each other not as enemies but as fellow Americans."

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