
NYT: Obama Says He Would Have Defeated Trump for a Third Term
Originally posted at The New York Times by Michael S. Schmidt.
President Obama expressed confidence that, if he had run for a third term, he would have defeated Donald J. Trump, according to an interview released Monday with David Axelrod, his friend and former adviser.
“I’m confident that if I — if I had run again and articulated it, I think I could’ve mobilized a majority of the American people to rally behind it,” Mr. Obama said on Mr. Axelrod’s podcast, “The Axe Files,” referring to his message of inclusion and helping middle-class Americans.
“I know that in conversations that I’ve had with people around the country, even some people who disagreed with me, they would say the vision, the direction that you point towards is the right one,” he said.
Several hours after the interview was posted, Mr. Trump responded on Twitter. “President Obama said that he thinks he would have won against me,” Mr. Trump said. “He should say that but I say NO WAY! — jobs leaving, ISIS, OCare, etc.”
The discussion in the interview was pure political conjecture, because the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution limits a president to two terms.
Mr. Obama praised the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, saying that she performed well under difficult circumstances and that there “was a double standard with her.”
“For whatever reason, there’s been a longstanding difficulty in her relationship with the press that meant her flaws were wildly amplified,” he said.
But Mr. Obama also said she campaigned too cautiously.
“If you think you’re winning, then you have a tendency, just like in sports, maybe to play it safer,” Mr. Obama said.
He added: “And the economy has been improving. There is a sense, obviously, that some communities have been left behind from the recovery and people feeling anxious about that.”
It was “nonsense,” Mr. Obama said, that Democrats had abandoned white working-class Americans, who rallied to Mr. Trump.
“Look, the Affordable Care Act benefits a huge number of Trump voters,” Mr. Obama said. “There are a lot of folks in places like West Virginia or Kentucky who didn’t vote for Hillary, didn’t vote for me, but are being helped by this.”
The problem, Mr. Obama said, was that Democratic politicians were not communicating to these people “that we understand why they’re frustrated.”
“We’re not there on the ground communicating not only the dry policy aspects of this, but that we care about these communities, that we’re bleeding for these communities,” Mr. Obama said.
“There’s an emotional connection, and part of what we have to do to rebuild is to be there,” he said. “And that means organizing, that means caring about state parties, it means caring about local races, state boards or school boards and city councils and state legislative races, and not thinking that somehow, just a great set of progressive policies that we present to the New York Times editorial board will win the day.”
In a telephone interview on Monday, Mr. Axelrod, now a commentator on CNN, said it was his sense that Mr. Obama was “frustrated” that his presidency is ending when his party has sustained such a dramatic loss.
“He believes the momentum is still on his side in the long term,” Mr. Axelrod said. “He’s always been a guy who thinks long term and has an amazing ability to do that.”
Read more at The New York Times.
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December 27, 2016 at 11:29 AM
Dream on idior
December 27, 2016 at 12:08 PM
This is laughable snice Obama has no way to prove his argument and. Otero clearly voted against Hillary who ran on being Obama’s 3rd term.
December 27, 2016 at 12:11 PM
I have never, in my 60 years here on earth, seen a more delusional, arrogant, megalomaniac as Barrack Hussein Obama! He is really going to try to totally destroy our great country as rapidly as he can! I’m glad the election is over and Trump is on his way to the Presidency. He will have a hard road to hoe, that’s not an enviable position to be in, but God Bless him. Thanks for all you do too, Dinesh!
December 27, 2016 at 12:41 PM
File this under : “If a cow had wings”
December 27, 2016 at 1:31 PM
GO AWAY OBAMA! GO FAR, FAR AWAY!
Don’t come back!!!!
December 27, 2016 at 5:18 PM
Mr obama is a quintessential liar and spin doctor who defies explanation. He permeates the world around him with lies half truths and evil he needs to remove himself from public life and live a life of obscurity for the betterment of mankind
And take that thing he is supposedly married to with him
December 27, 2016 at 7:06 PM
No big surprise axlerod , a broke political hack , would be picked up by a broke political hack news organization cnn as pod cast fit to be destined as BUTT WIPE !
December 27, 2016 at 7:14 PM
I needed a good laugh today! Obama is as crazy as Hillary! We have all been counting the days till we are RID of OBAMA!
December 27, 2016 at 7:38 PM
Only in his dreams! It will never work because people don’t want a “one nation world” , kind of like, it looks good on paper but in not in real life. Way too many differences! I also have to laugh to myself when I think of Obama living a mile away from the Whitehouse after he leaves. I just picture him lurking around at night, like a dog without a home.
December 27, 2016 at 7:38 PM
It’s beliefs and the things he’s done are going to lead him straight to hell. God will have the last word for each and everyone of us
December 28, 2016 at 3:40 AM
Cannot Wait Until January 20, 2017 Well Be So Happy. No I Do Believe You Would Have Lost.
December 28, 2016 at 6:01 AM
When Obama speaks of “helping middle-class Americans” you’ll find that he soon wants extra helpings. His agenda? It’s a cookbook!
December 28, 2016 at 11:42 PM
Wishful thinking , if the majority of people could make it happen they would be happy to never see or hear of them again . They have done so much damage to OUR COUNTRY. Remember her remark America is a nothing. They came to divide this country and they are still working on it, didn’t work out the way you wanted it to!!! SO now your at it again you will fail because of who you are. Not because you think you are better but because you don’t know the LORD he is much more bigger than you. He is LOVE.