Former President Barack Obama and his vice president, Joe Biden, were both in Chicago on Wednesday, giving the day a feel for me of being in a bit of a time machine.
Obama wrapped up his inaugural Obama Summit on the sunny note of hope and change that propelled him into the White House for two terms, as if President Donald Trump wasn’t every day trying to dismantle his legacy.
Biden went after Trump at his speech before the Chicago Council of Global Affairs. He warned “silence is complicity” without using Trump’s name, but the message was pretty obvious.
Really, it was like being in a parallel universe.
This summit, at the new Marriott Marquis at the McCormick Place complex, with its myriad seminars and speeches, had the feel of a Ted talk and a humanities festival — be it one with Obama popping in and small breakout sessions.
When Obama dropped into the discussion of “The Responsibility of Powerful Online Platforms,” he surprised the folks at the session, who took some time to notice the 44th president at the back of the room with a cup of coffee in hand.
“You know … Bannon and Breitbart did something pretty interesting. Now, they didn’t create a whole new platform but they did shift the entire media narrative in a different direction — in a powerful direction,” Obama said.
“The question is are you able to do that in reverse but to things that are true and are not designed simply to churn anger and resentment and frustration. So — solve that will you?”
Obama also attended a session titled “Those Who Tell the Stories Rule Society.”
There was a sense that the Obama band was back together again, at least for two days.
There was Obama’s last chief of staff Denis McDonough; his White House photographer Pete Souza and others from the Obama administration now working for the foundation or in his personal office or for consulting firms.
The Obama Foundation also used this first big event to woo contributors — both those who have already donated and folks identified as potential big givers.
Obama mingled with donors at a private reception on Tuesday.
There were special briefings set up for them, including one with Obama Center architect Tod Williams and another with Obama Foundation chief David Simas.
The Obama Foundation board of directors meets today.
Obama wrapped up his inaugural Obama Summit on a note of hope and change that propelled him into the White House, as if President Donald Trump wasn’t every day trying to dismantle his legacy.
