What Obamaa s address has in common with memorable farewells from past presidents

President Obama delivers his farewell address at McCormick Place in Chicago, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017. With President Obama’s final speech to the nation Tuesday night in Chicago, he faced a unique challenge unlike any modern president that came before him: How to give the milestone farewell address, one that typically touts a president’s key achievements and attempts to define his legacy before he leaves office, just as his signature legislative achievement, the Affordable Care Act, is threatened to be undone.