Obama’s farewell address belongs to a great democratic tradition — and is likely to expose the shallowness of his successor (Salon)

There's nothing "unusual" about a farewell address — and if history is a guide, it may offer important warnings...

A recent Wall Street Journal article tried to cast Barack Obama's upcoming farewell address as abnormal, calling it "unusual for an outgoing president." It was an astonishing contortion aimed at normalizing the already extraordinary presidency of Donald Trump. As many commentators have observed, given that George Washington began the tradition of giving a farewell speech, and all presidents since World War II except John F. Kennedy (for obvious reasons) have followed it. Even Richard Nixon...
http://www.salon.com/2017/01/08/obamas-farewell-address-belongs-to-a-great-democratic-tradition-and-is-likely-to-expose-the-shallowness-of-his-successor/