People often refer to the presidency of the United States as the most powerful office in the entire world. But this power is not just about how strong our military is.

In fact, a huge part of it goes to what is known as “soft power.” This refers to the moral power that the United States, represented by its president, has over billions of people around the globe. It is the power that makes others eager to follow the United States and engage in good relationships with our great nation.

Even domestically, the power of the president does not only come from his position as a commander in chief. It also comes from the fact that he is a moral leader and role model for all citizens. Franklin Roosevelt once described the U.S. presidency as “pre-eminently a place of moral leadership,“ according to a Wall Street Journal article.

Sincerity, honesty and high ethics are the keys to make a great president. Looking back at the last eight years, President Barack Obama was that kind of president.

In his farewell speech, Obama said to his daughter, “Of all what I’ve done in my life, I’m most proud to be your dad.”

The significance of these words is almost impossible to be ignored by political affiliation. It clearly shows that Obama was much more than just a political leader of the United States.

Over the last eight years, he continuously represented the moral figure that any parents can refer to when raising their kids. He was a man whom, despite all the responsibilities, made sure he took care of his family, expressed his love and supported his young daughters.

You may agree or disagree with his policies and his decisions, but his morality must be acknowledged. Obama centered his 2008 campaign on hope and change. Eight years later, he kept his message. He has always expressed his faith in the American people and their greatness.

During the Democratic National Convention in July 2004, Obama said, “If there’s a child in the South Side of Chicago who can’t read, that matters to me even if it’s not my child.”

He also said in the same speech, “There’s not a liberal America and a conservative America — there’s the United States of America.”

Twelve years ago, in his farewell address, he pressed on the same beliefs he shared in the convention speech.

“Our founders quarreled and compromised, and expected us to do the same. But they knew that democracy does require a basic sense of solidarity — the idea that for all our outward differences, we are all in this together; that we rise or fall as one.”

His final speech was full of emotions, and he even teared up when he started talking about his family. In short, politics aside, Obama’s character andpresence as a role model and moral face of America cannot be undermined or ignored. It is the end of an era.