President Barack Obama says the painful restructuring of America's manufacturing base means a lot of jobs are gone forever, but not that Americans must "settle for a lesser future." President Barack Obama speaks at the Nob Hill Masonic Center in San Francisco, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012. Obama is on a three-day trip to the West Coast for fundraising. President Barack Obama walks onto the stage to speak at the Nob Hill Masonic Center in San Francisco, Thursday, Feb.