Obama ‘Confident’ He Could’ve ‘Mobilized’ Majority of Americans in 3rd Term
”Even some people who disagreed with me, they would say the vision, the direction that you point towards is the right one,“ POTUS said on ”The Axe Files“
President Barack Obama suggested that if he had been eligible to run for a third term, he would have been able to rally Americans behind his message of a more tolerant and diverse nation.
During an interview with his former adviser David Axelrod on his podcast “The Axe Files,” Obama referred to a speech by Henry Cabot Lodge, the point of which, Obama said, was “not to bury that ugliness,” that “there’s this thing in this country that is good and unifies us and, ultimately, will win out.”
He went on to tell Axelrod that although he saw that spirit of America show itself in all sorts of ways during his eight years in office, he also saw that “the resistance to that vision of America, which has always been there, was always powerful, mobilized and asserted itself powerfully.”
For the past year and a half, there’s been endless conversation about the shift in America and in the world itself. Although Obama acknowledged that change, he does differ in opinion on one vital point:
“What I would argue is, is that the culture actually did shift, that the majority does buy into the notion of a one America that is tolerant and diverse and open and — and full of energy and dynamism. And, and the problem is, it doesn’t always manifest itself in politics, right?”
The outgoing president continued, “You know, I am confident in this vision because 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. 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.”
Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States on Jan. 20, 2017.
9 Democrats Who Could Challenge Donald Trump for President in 2020 (Photos)
Donald Trump shocked the world and beat Hillary Clinton to become the president-elect of the Unites States. He doesn’t take office until Jan. 20, 2017, but Democrats are already thinking about the next election. Here are nine Democrats who might be able to reclaim the White House in 2020.
Getty Images
Michelle Obama
The First Lady is a terrific public speaker and one of the most likable members of the Democratic Party. She has said the job doesn’t interest her. However, if Trump isn’t unifying the nation as his term winds down, expect Democratic leadership to beg her to run.
Booker is a talented campaigner who is one of America’s most prominent African-Americans. The New Jersey senator is extremely popular among his peers, and his speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention was widely praised.
The Vermont senator is arguably the most popular left-leaning politician in America and came close to upsetting Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. WikiLeaks emails exposed how the DNC favored Clinton, which may embolden supporters who argue it's his turn. But Sanders is now 75 and may be considered too old in four years.
The Massachusetts senator could pick up supporters of the Bernie Sanders movement, and she’s not afraid to fight back against Donald Trump. "We are going to be smart, we are going to be organized, we're going to use our time and talents in a strategic and careful way, but we are going to fight back," she recently told MSNBC. "We are not going to turn this country over to what Donald Trump has sold."
The outgoing vice president considered running against Hillary Clinton in 2016 but decided not to after the 2015 death of his son Beau. Biden is popular, particularly with working-class voters whom Trump lured from the Democrats. But he's 73, and like Biden may seem to old in four years.
Getty Images
Mark Cuban
Well, we can't laugh anymore at billionaire reality TV stars with no political experience. Cuban has shown a passion for politics and was a special guest of Hillary Clinton during a presidential debate. He is openly anti-Trump and might have the personality and attitude to beat the president-elect at his own game.
The governor of New York is a staunch supporter of same-sex marriage and gun control. Cuomo is popular in the Empire State and a close ally of Hillary Clinton.
The opposition party is already thinking about the next presidential election
Donald Trump shocked the world and beat Hillary Clinton to become the president-elect of the Unites States. He doesn’t take office until Jan. 20, 2017, but Democrats are already thinking about the next election. Here are nine Democrats who might be able to reclaim the White House in 2020.