Barack Obama: “I think the most powerful message we can deliver is one of the examples of not just the First Lady's life story but of…”

A drift towards extremism was "not inevitable

I think when we act on that basis, it doesn't always work out, but over time things do get better.

Because if this becomes the new normal, there’s no reason to believe it will stop with her — or that future presidents, in either party, won’t do the same.

When we choose, when we make that decision, I do believe – and there is evidence for this – that the world gets incrementally better, and that is a worthy goal and it’s worth fighting for.