President Obama puts his thumb of the scale and favors Hillary

[CajunBlazer]

CNN showed clips from an interview which President Obama gave to Politico and, while he certainly didn't endorse any candidate in the Democratic primary race, his remarks definitely showed a preference for Hillary Clinton.

This might have a big influence in the upcoming caucus and primary battles. The president currently has a 90 percent favorability rating among Democrats; he’s especially popular among African-Americans, a big part of Democratic electorate in South Carolina’s and the many states in the so called Southeaster Conference primaries set for March 1st.

I will try to find some direct quotes from the interview and post them when they become available.

[DURHAM D]

1. Establishment

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[morningfog]

2. His remarks were that HIllary is privileged in her run and that Bernie is running as

a long shot. Both true.

[CajunBlazer]

6. Disingenous Post - selective parts of President Obama's comment

I'm paraphrasing, but it was along the lines that Hillary was both privileged and burdened by her front runner status and Bernie, as a long shot, was a "bright shiny object"

[restorefreedom]

20. sorry, but poor beleaguered hillary went out of her way

to paint her candidacy as inevitable and herself as the frontrunner. if she is unhappy with that, she has only herself to thank.

[Doctor_J]

3. Cconservative/corporate wing of the party will stick together forever, while the party disintegrates

The president and Mrs. Clinton both love the MIC, insurance companies, big banks, for profit prisons, and the oil companies. And appeasing republicans. Not much of a surprise.

[CajunBlazer]

7. Please back up your comments with facts...

... which prove that they are true about both Clinton and President Obama. And don't give that mumbo jumbo about she took money for speech or the contributed to her campaign. That's not proof of anything. I am particularly interested of how you will tie President Obama to "the MIC, insurance companies, big banks, for profit prisons, and the oil companies."

[Doctor_J]

11. Well, besides the one I've already posted a few times,

Now add a column for president Obama

[CajunBlazer]

14. That's not proof - that's BS

[Doctor_J]

50. ummm...Ok. It's actually a little flattering to candidate Clinton, since she

Supports dadt, doma, for profit prisons, and the war on drugs

[hill2016]

4. here you go

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2016/01/25/make-no-mistake-obama-just-tried-to-undercut-bernie-sanders/?hpid=hp_no-name_opinion-card-d%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

THRUSH: I mean, when you watch this, what do you — do you see any elements of what you were able to accomplish in what Sanders is doing?

OBAMA: Well, there’s no doubt that Bernie has tapped into a running thread in Democratic politics that says: Why are we still constrained by the terms of the debate that were set by Ronald Reagan 30 years ago? You know, why is it that we should be scared to challenge conventional wisdom and talk bluntly about inequality and, you know, be full-throated in our progressivism? And, you know, that has an appeal and I understand that.

I think that what Hillary presents is a recognition that translating values into governance and delivering the goods is ultimately the job of politics, making a real-life difference to people in their day-to-day lives. I don’t want to exaggerate those differences, though, because Hillary is really idealistic and progressive. You’d have to be to be in, you know, the position she’s in now, having fought all the battles she’s fought and, you know, taken so many, you know, slings and arrows from the other side. And Bernie, you know, is somebody who was a senator and served on the Veterans’ Committee and got bills done. And so the—

THRUSH: But it sounds like you’re not buying the — you’re not buying the sort of, the easy popular dichotomy people are talking about, where he’s an analog for you and she is herself?

OBAMA: No. No.

[CajunBlazer]

5. Link and Excerpts from the article:

Link: Exclusive: Obama on Iowa, Clinton, Sanders and 2016

Excerpts from the article:

"When I asked Obama if Clinton is facing “unfair scrutiny” this time around, his answer was a clipped 'yes'..."


".....when I asked him if Sanders reminded him of himself in 2008, he quickly shot me down: “I don’t think that's true.”

President Obama called Sanders "a bright shiny object".

"Obama didn’t utter an unkind word about Sanders, who has been respectfully critical of his administration’s reluctance to prosecute Wall Street executives and his decision to abandon a single-payer health care system as politically impractical. But he was kinder to Clinton."

“She’s extraordinarily experienced — and, you know, wicked smart and knows every policy inside and out — sometimes could make her more cautious, and her campaign more prose than poetry,' he told me. This, from a president who has been governing in prose, especially during his second term. In fact, Obama’s experiences in office have brought him around to Clinton’s hardheaded view of the presidency, first forged during her eight years as first lady. “I think that what Hillary presents is a recognition that translating values into governance and delivering the goods is ultimately the job of politics, making a real-life difference to people in their day-to-day lives,” he said, echoing the very critique Clinton makes of Sanders."

"Obama has remained above the fray in the Clinton-Sanders duel, but people close to him say he believes his onetime opponent is better equipped to defeat the Republicans. “He’s not panicked by Sanders,” said one former top aide, “but he’s clearly thumbing the scale for Hillary.”

[cali]

8. I don't think that he favors Hillary is news to anyone

[CajunBlazer]

10. You're probably right

[ieoeja]

36. It would be to me. The Clintons reportedly despise the Obamas.

I think Obama is more bemused by their hatred. The Clintons take politics way too personal.

As President he had to walk back comments made by his first Secretary of State on more than one occasion. Can you name the last time a President had to do that more than once by one of his Secretaries? They were clearly not on the same page. And she has repeatedly criticized his foreign policy since leaving office (except when it benefits her to claim it for herself).

If you read the two paragraphs being cited to prove he supports Hillary, you will find:

1. “Bernie has tapped into a running thread in Democratic politics that says: Why are we still constrained by the terms of the debate that were set by Ronald Reagan 30 years ago?”

2. “Hillary presents is a recognition that translating values into governance and delivering the goods is ultimately the job of politics…”

3. “Hillary is really idealistic and progressive.” In other words, but Hillary is also idealistic.

4. “Bernie, you know, is somebody who was a senator and served on the Veterans' Committee and got bills done.”

Which translates as:

1. Everyone says Bernie is idealistic.
2. Everyone says Hillary gets the job done.
3. But everyone ignores that Hillary is also idealistic.
4. And everyone ignores that Bernie also gets the job done.

So there is not much difference between the two.

[wendylaroux]

51. It's not about like or hate,it's about policy.

[Metric System]

53. I think you've been reading too much Edward Klein.

[Skwmom]

9. Why wouldn't he - as Hillary said in the 2008 debate - He is no different than me. n/t

[DefenseLawyer]

12. The clip of the interview I heard own the radio this morning

could be parsed as "pro-Clinton" but it didn't seem like the kind of thing that would have much impact on the average voter. It seemed pretty benign to me, but maybe that was just me.

[CajunBlazer]

15. I don't know what your heard on the radio - read the entire article - you'll change your mind

[DefenseLawyer]

17. You may be proving my point

The average voter is not going to "read the entire article", thus the impact is probably pretty minimal.

[CajunBlazer]

23. CNN is all over it - including Obama's praise of Hillary and calling Bernie "a bright shiny object"

CNN's emphasis on Obama's preference for Hillary is more obvious in their coverage than in the actual text of the Politico article. I don't know how the other news outlets are covering the story, but I suspect FOX New is not playing up the story. It is pretty clear that their Republican masters want Bernie to win.

If I were running the Clinton campaign in Iowa, I would be running commercials of Hillary and Obama together with a soundtrack of Obama's praise of Clinton in the background.

[Freddie Stubbs]

13. Paybacks are a b***h:

http://www.politico.com/story/2011/11/some-dems-refuse-to-back-obama-068266?o=1

[CajunBlazer]

18. Another examples of Bernie's idealism over coming good political pragmatism

You can't run a country on idealism alone. There is a difference between simply having lofty, but perhaps impractical ideas (Bernie) and actually being able to run the country and be Commander in Chief (Hillary).

[Freddie Stubbs]

57. Agreed!

[Autumn]

16. Yeah, butchers used to do that with ground beef when I was young.

Stick their thumbs on the scale so you thought you were getting more when you weren't getting what you paid for. After a couple of times my Grandmother quit sending us to the market because we were young and he would rip us off every time.

[CajunBlazer]

30. Would you rather that the President come out with a full out endorcement of Hillary?

[Autumn]

33. It doesn't matter one bit to me, if Hillary's his choice he should do so.

Obama is a centrist dem and it would shock me if he didn't endorse her.

[ieoeja]

37. Pretty sure he would be far more likely to endorse Sanders. n/t

[Octafish]

19. Certainly favored Wall Street for 7 years.

TARP inspector general wrote a book on it.

Neil Barofsky Gave Us The Best Explanation For Washington's Dysfunction We've Ever Heard

Linette Lopez
Business Insider, Aug. 1, 2012, 2:57 PM

Neil Barofsky was the Inspector General for TARP, and just wrote a book about his time in D.C. called Bailout: An Insider Account of How Washington Abandoned Main Street While Rescuing Wall Street.

SNIP...

Bottom line: Barofsky said the incentive structure in our nation's capitol is all wrong. There's a revolving door between bureaucrats in Washington and Wall Street banks, and politicians just want to keep their jobs.

For regulators it's something like this:

"You can play ball and good things can happen to you get a big pot of gold at the end of the Wall Street rainbow or you can do your job be aggressive and face personal ruin...We really need to rethink how we govern and how regulate," Barofsky said.

CONTINUED... http://www.businessinsider.com/neil-barofsky-2012-8

[CajunBlazer]

24. Try telling that to the 90% of Democrats that love the President

[Autumn]

26. Of course he would favor her, Bernie wouldn't carry on with those policies.

Nice article. Thanks.

[Fumesucker]

21. Excellent, lowering expectations for Bernie

Truly a master stroke on the part of a consummate politician.

[CajunBlazer]

27. Yep, it will ease the pain of his supporters when he loses in Iowa and then gets killed in .....

Nevada, South Carolina and then in the many Southern states staging primaries March 1st. Gotta prepare the dreamers for a series reality checks.

[Fumesucker]

29. I think Obama probably has read this book, I know it helped me a lot, it could help you too

[CajunBlazer]

32. That book is very old - I suspect you are too

You have to remember that Bernie most fervent supporters are a minority of the Democratic Party; many are not even Democrats. With a 90% favorability rating among true Democrats, the President doesn't need your advice on how to win friends and influence people. Remember back to 2012 - with friends like Bernie Sanders the President didn't need enemies.

[Autumn]

38. Are you going to be okay when Obama leaves office?

[CajunBlazer]

40. Yep, as he is leaving Hilliary will be moving in...

along with Bill, probably the best Politician in the last 50 years.

[Autumn]

41. You hope.

[CajunBlazer]

43. Let's just say that my hopes are sustained by average of the last latest nationwide polls...

...Clinton leading Sanders 51.2% to 38.0%.

Tell me that you wouldn't like to see that situation reversed.

[Fumesucker]

46. You cut me to the quick

[Hekate]

22. Oh the humanity! POTUS favors his former opponent and former SoS! Policy wonks both!

I hear so much here about discussing "policies" and so forth -- well there you have two policy wonks who made friends and worked well together. Officially, Obama will remain neutral until later in the game because why the hell would he take on the aggravation. But when asked directly what he thinks of Hillary, what is he supposed to say? "My lips are sealed"? No, he says what he has always said, and nothing new.

[totodeinhere]

25. Obama needs to stay out of this. I would hate to see his legacy tarnished from being on

the wrong side of history.

[CajunBlazer]

28. Why, not supporting Sanders is not going to affect the President's legacy

When this election is over, Bernie Sanders is going to be a footnote in the history books. And a very small footnote at that.

[totodeinhere]

31. In your dreams perhaps. But anyone who seriously believes that does not have a very

good take on the mood of this country.

[CajunBlazer]

34. Said the man sitting in Nevada

.....which is supporting Hillary by 15 percentage points. Try telling that to your Hispanic friends.

[totodeinhere]

35. Actually Nevada is an ethnically diverse state. In fact it is the most diverse state that

participates early in the process.

[CajunBlazer]

42. Yep, Nevada votes just in time to reverse the mistakes made in New Hampshire...

....by rich, lily white voters out of touch with the rest of the country. NH may be the only state to vote for Bernie.

[totodeinhere]

44. Well then why did you attack me for being in Nevada?

Attacking people for where they live is pretty lame. I also noticed that you edited out the part about my being a white man.

[CajunBlazer]

49. I merely pointed out that you are not in the majority in your own state

[totodeinhere]

54. I didn't say what my race is but assuming you are correct, aren't you in favor of minority rights?

What would be wrong with not being in the majority in my state? You just aren't making any sense.

[CajunBlazer]

55. Absolutely, and why do you think that most of Sanders supporters are white?

And why a large majority of non-whites are in the Clinton camp? The biggest reason is because Sanders has spent most of his time talking about income equality, but not speaking except in general terms about the issues these folks face everyday.

People of color see Bernie as Johnny One Note and, except in general terms, it isn't a note to which they are attuned. In addition they know the Clinton's have been fighting their fight for 30 years and they see Hillary as the only candidate who can protect the legacy of Barack Obama.

With Bernie idt is all about ideas and dreams that, even as President, he won't have the power to make real. With Hillary it is about leadership and getting things (maybe just small steps in this partisan environment) done. She is someone who is best prepared to deal with the real world

By the way, I am a white male and I approve Hillary's message.

[Dawson Leery]

45. Tarnished? By a non-Democrat?

[Tarc]

39. Camp Bernie tosses Obama under the bus?

Hardly a surprise...

[Number23]

47. Please post links and quotes when you get a chance. Looking very forward to seeing them

Edit: Just saw this Fox article on the president's comments. They are an excellent read and actually worth letting your browser touch the Fox web site for. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/01/25/obama-defends-clinton-likens-sanders-to-bright-shiny-object.html

[CajunBlazer]

48. The link to to the Politico article is posted in one of the first few replies to the OP

[Gothmog]

52. I thought that President Obama's comments were fair and measured

[FrenchieCat]

56. I love my President!

I will certainly miss him,
especially if the GOP get in and reverse his 8 years!