Letterman Interviews Obama on Netflix

I watched this interview of President Obama by David Letterman this morning, and it was pretty inspirational. Not because there was any news there. The Pres seems like he’s been chilling post retirement, working on a book, sending his daughter off to college, and working on his foundation. Nothing unexpected.

It was more the contrast between the man sitting on stage with the horror of today. It felt like a tonic. To remember that such competence. Such inspiration was possible from the President.

There was a touching segment where Letterman walks across the bridge in Selma with Congressman John Lewis. Lewis led the march across the bridge toward the capital for voting rights back in March of 1965. Of course, the story is known. The marchers are struck down by state police while trying to cross the bridge. This sparked Lyndon Johnson’s push for the voting rights act. As Lewis and Letterman walk across that same bridge, Lewis describes his admiration for Obama and the link between what happened there to the election of Barack Obama. You can’t help but wonder whether anyone could have imagined that day that only 43 years later there would be a black President.

Letterman was clearly in awe of Obama. I imagine all of us watching this felt that way; a brief respite of nostalgia.