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17 @POTUS Tweets Not To Miss Before They're Gone

by Joseph D. Lyons
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

The reminiscing about the last eight years of President Obama's time in the White House has hit a fever pitch, with even Obama himself pitching in on Twitter using his @POTUS handle. "As we look ahead to the future, I wanted to take a moment to look back on the remarkable progress that you made possible these past 8 years," he wrote on New Year's. Boy is he right. With president-elect Donald Trump waiting in the wings, it's time to treasure not just Obama but his @POTUS account too. These 17 @POTUS tweets will make you believe in America again.

They might even keep you believing in America for the next four years. There's no guarantee that @POTUS posts after Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, will keep up the established inspirational qualities that Obama included in his official tweets as president. If you're familiar with Trump's @realDonaldTrump account, you'll know that it couldn't be more different.

How Trump will use the @POTUS account is anyone's guess, but it will be made available to the new administration. The timeline will be cleared out and transferred to @POTUS44 for archival purposes. Trump will get to keep the account's 12.9 million followers, though. Whether he decides to use it is ultimately up to him. He already has more followers at @realDonaldTrump — currently 18.4 million.

For the time being, head over to the @POTUS timeline and peruse through the many posts Obama has sent out since the official account was created in May 2015. Many show the United States at its very, very best.

1) These Smart Kids Are The Future

Obama welcomed his new group of Kid Science Advisors to the White House. The initiative's goal is to improve science, technology, engineering, and math education in public schools and increase diversity in the subjects. This is American innovation getting started early.

2) America — Starting With The First Family — Gives Back

The Obamas have often served as an example. Here they served Thanksgiving dinner to veterans at an armed forces retirement home in D.C. There are many Americans across the country giving their time and talent to those in need.

3) Not Even Sports Rivalries Divide Us

Obama, like most South Side Chicagoans, is a White Sox fan. That didn't stop him celebrating a long-awaited World Series victory by the Cubs.

4) In Fact, Our Athletes Inspire

That's right. 1,000 gold medals have been one by Americans in all the Summer Olympics.

5) How Many Countries Have A Librarian This Cool?

She's the first woman and first African-American to get the job, and to hear her talk about libraries is inspiring. Check out the video @POTUS shared.

6) All The Fifth Grade Teachers Out There

Yours may have been as inspiring to you as President Obama's was to him. Public school educators keep the country learning.

7) Kindness Like This Abounds — Even At Seven

One 7-year-old Virginia kid was so moved by the Flint water crisis that he raised $10,000 to buy sanitizer for kids who didn't want to wash their hands due to lead in the water.

8) A Reminder Of How Far We've Come

The election of Donald Trump shows that the work is not over. But just over 150 years ago slavery was still allowed.

9) Small Businesses Care About Their Communities

Book stores, restaurants, and coffee shops are just some of the small businesses that hold together America's communities. Their continued success is vital.

10) We Have Welcomed The World's Vulnerable

Refugees have long been welcomed here. This is something to be proud of, and also an area for improvement. Obama raised the goal of resettled Syrians to 110,000 for the year starting Oct. 1.

11) Honoring Those Who Were Here Before Us

Honoring the heritage of Native Americans by renaming Mount McKinley "Denali" is just the beginning of what needs to be done. But it shows a willingness for progress.

12) Speaking Of The Country's National Beauty...

The beautiful lands that are protected from coast to coast and maintained by the National Park Service are a rightful source of national pride. Obama has expanded protected federal land under his presidency.

13) The Civil Rights Progress Recognized By The First African-American President

The success of the Civil Rights Movement is something we should all take pride in. Fighting for the continued success of the Voting Rights Act and equal access to the polls should be a bipartisan goal.

14) More Than A Quarter Century Of The Americans With Disabilities Act

That's 25 years of work towards fully accessible buildings and workplaces free of discrimination for Americans living with disabilities.

15) This Was America's Oldest Veteran

This Michigan woman was the oldest living veteran when she met with President Obama in 2015. She passed away about a month later at the age of 110. She had five children when she signed up for the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps in 1943.

16) The SCOTUS Marriage Equality Ruling

Honoring that marriage equality was, and is, the law of the land.

17)

In one of his first tweets, Obama posted this photo on community policing. He created the White House Task Force on 21st Century Policing to bring together civil rights activists, community leaders, and law enforcement to find a way forward and prevent the killing of unarmed civilians by police. Progress, even regarding tough topics like this, can happen with people who care.

These 17 tweets put America's best foot forward — and they're plenty a reason to believe in America again. If you need some motivation to do so in these coming weeks, or over the next four years, don't hesitate to give them another look.