Make no mistake: Obama just tried to undercut Bernie Sanders

[cali]

The Hillary Clinton campaign has been engaged in an aggressive effort to accomplish one crucial political goal: Knocking off Bernie Sanders’ halo. One common thread running through many Clinton attacks on Sanders — whether it’s questioning his record on guns or suggesting his single payer dream isn’t going to happen — has been to try to portray Sanders as a conventional politician (after all) who is not quite as pure as the scenes of his rapt, transported crowds suggest and is promising more than he can deliver.
may have just gotten an assist in this regard from none other than President Barack Obama.

In an interview with Politico’s Glenn Thrush, this exchange happened, after Thrush asked Obama whether Sanders was successfully duplicating the optimistic, transformation-promising message that helped him defeat Clinton in 2008:

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.


<snip>

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2016/01/25/make-no-mistake-obama-just-tried-to-undercut-bernie-sanders/

[hrmjustin]

1. The president knows the job and who is up for it.

[cali]

4. Lol. Hillary is a corrupt liar.

[hrmjustin]

9. Will you vote for her if she is the nominee?

[cali]

16. Not that it matters in my ultra blue state, but yes I'll be voting against

whoever is the puke nominee. But I have said here for many years, I doubt she can win. If the nominee was Cruz, yeah, but it won't be. I don't even think she can beat trump.

[hrmjustin]

17. I don't think Sanders can win but I will vote for him if he wins.

Reluctantly but I will vote for him.

[cali]

24. Hey, for me it's about ethics and integrity as much as anything.

He has them. She most certainly does not. She'll be the inner, and she'll lose. And it will be a disaster.

[hrmjustin]

25. For me it is about who can do the job.

[cali]

28. Her judgment is appalling. She is a neocon.

Disaster if a puke is elected, but she in no way is fit to be President.

[hrmjustin]

29. She is a strong, intelligent, and capable woman.

Sanders is nice but not up to the job.

[cali]

35. Yeah,he is. He's my Senator.

I'm quite sure he's up to the job. Hill will get us into more wars. She'll support the TPP and TTIP. She won't do jack for unions- she never has, and I'd bet anything she'll get us into grand bargains.

[hrmjustin]

40. Bogus. My brother is an iron worker and she aided them in their wars with bloomberg.

That is why they endorsed her.

Sanders is not ready for the office.

[notadmblnd]

105. It was said Barrak Obama wasn't up to the job either

He spent less time in congress than Senator Sanders. Do you still believe Obama wasn't up to the job or do you think those who said it simply mis-spoke?

[hrmjustin]

106. I never said that about Obama and to those who did they were

proven wrong.

[notadmblnd]

107. Senator Sanders will prove you wrong too.

[hrmjustin]

109. I don't think so and he won't win the nomination.

[notadmblnd]

110. We'll see.

Unlike you, I don't possess a crystal ball.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

18. I will write in Bernie's name.

No more of the same bullshit.

[hrmjustin]

19. Your choice.

[artislife]

20. Oh...pledge post. nt

[hrmjustin]

22. No.

[artislife]

31. What else could this comment be?

Will you vote for her if she is the nominee?

[hrmjustin]

34. I am asking cali what she would do if the woman she doesn't care for wins the nomination.

[artislife]

37. Which is TOS bait. nt

[hrmjustin]

42. Hmmm did you point that out here?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=1058147


Doesn't look like it.

[artislife]

50. No and you won't see my name on the thread.

Why?

Because I read the OP title and took a pass. I tend to skip stupid OPs that deal with hypothetical situations that are basically a TOS bait.

[hrmjustin]

54. Yet you feel the need to call me out instead of your own side.

See what I am getting at?

[artislife]

57. I am calling it out here because I read this here.

This is not something I really feel like engaging in anymore.

You either will stop or repeat this action. You are free to do as you please. And I am free to comment on it or not.

[hrmjustin]

58. This is a political discussion board and my question is appropriate.

If you want me to take your question seriously you should be consistent.

[Sheepshank]

61. Some person like to argue for the sake of argument.

There doesn't seem to be a real basis for their arbitrary attacks. other than the obvious...you are a Hillary Supporter lol

[hrmjustin]

63. Yep! I am use to it now.

I knew the day I announced my support of Hillary I would not be popular anymore but it must be done.

[kennetha]

10. The President

who bested her in a hard fought battle, and then appointed her to Secretary of State, doesn't seem to share your view.

Who should I believe .. you or him?

[cali]

21. Believe whatever you wish. But she is a proven liar.

And her obvious past conflicts of interest are glaring. Another thing I find distasteful, is the greed. It's not like they weren't already very,very wealthy when she stepped down as SoS. She knew she'd be running for president, but in her arrogance, she dashed into the arms of big banks and corporate America.

[BainsBane]

111. Clearly you don't bother to look at fact checking sites

because Bernie is no more truthful than Clinton, and both are exponentially more truthful than the Republicans. http://www.politifact.com/ Naturally you will dismisms it because sadly truth is now defined not in relation to actual evidence but through Bernie.

When Clinton calls civil rights organizations that back her opponent "establishment," then we can talk about her so-called "arrogance." Frankly, I don't think she approaches her opponent or some of his supporters in that regard. She believes she actually has to work to win votes and endorsements. She doesn't assume they are owed to her and therefore lash out and attack everyone who fails to fall in line. In fact, in Iowa the Clinton campaign is supporting candidates who have publicly endorsed Sanders because she wants to get more Democrats elected. She knows no reform legislation can proceed without more Democrats in office. Yet Bernie focuses entirely on Bernie, on his own campaign exclusively. He isn't sharing any of the $50 to 70 million he's raised with other Democratic campaigns as Clinton is. How, I wonder, can Bernie's "revolution" be successful without support from congress, particularly congressional Democrats whom he continues to attack? In light of that, it's difficult to see the rhetoric about revolution as more than a campaign slogan.

You claim to have voted for Democrats your entire life, and if that is true you have voted for presidents and candidates far more wealthy than Clinton. Yet that was never a problem before. I suppose it's too much to ask you to reflect on why that is.

[cali]

112. Sorry, Bernie would never make up shit like Hillary's bullshit

under fire in Bosnia crap. And he's my Senator, so I know he's not the unethical liar Hillary is. And the only person I've ever voted for who is wealthier than Hillary is Kerry.

[Kentonio]

64. And your jury service is predictably in. I was juror 5 incidentally.

On Mon Jan 25, 2016, 01:10 PM an alert was sent on the following post:

Lol. Hillary is a corrupt liar.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=1062857

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

Over-the-top smear

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Mon Jan 25, 2016, 01:13 PM, and the Jury voted 3-4 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: Obvious why this calls for a hide, regardless of poster's good history here.
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #3 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #4 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: Bernie lovers are out of control in their negativity on the next president of the United States. Be respectful at least to Hillary. No cursing.
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No more over the top than a hundred other things posted here daily by both sides.
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Something like this is said every day about every candidate.
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Meh

Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.

[randys1]

76. Why would you want to be on Democratic Underground with this attitude?

[cali]

84. I have voted dem for 40+ years

That doesn't make me blind to the obvious

[randys1]

86. But look at what you said.

If you are the old voter you claim to be, surely you realize the negative impact such statements can have on those who may not have been around as long?

For instance, here is how I would say what you obviously feel:

Hillary Clinton is not always truthful and is too closely connected to Wall Street, but compared to the rightwing she is a saint

[nc4bo]

7. ...or who knows best how to continue the water carrying without interruption. nt

[hrmjustin]

12. Not an Obama fan?

[nc4bo]

27. I really like President Obama much much much more than I liked G.W. Bush, whom I despised. nt

[Betty Karlson]

26. "It's her turn" - great slogan you've got there. eom

[2pooped2pop]

39. He knows who will continue the status quo and who may actually accomplish what Obama promised

[hrmjustin]

43. Yep! He knows Hillary will be the best choice.

[2pooped2pop]

47. No one in their right mind would want shit to continue as they are

Unless they think themselves part of the one per enters and too blind to see the other people dying off.

[hrmjustin]

52. Thus Hillary will move us foward!

[2pooped2pop]

62. Riiiiigggghhhhtt

If that wasn't so sad, it would be ROFL stuff.

[hrmjustin]

65. I promise not to laugh at you.

[karynnj]

83. You might consider that Obama himself did not start with that level of experience

and he is a very consequential President.

I don't take this as an endorsement of Clinton, something that he could have done as easily as Clinton endorsed Gore. Also -- why choose the example of the sailors detained by Iran.

Where do you think the difference would be between a President Sanders or Clinton -- I would guess that - if they were in the office long enough - they would have had someone develop the relationship with a peer in Iran -- and if not I assume both could get John Kerry's number. HRC has even blasted Sanders as too willing to have a relationship with Iran.

Now, if this were a contest between Sanders and Kerry -- then that example would favor one over the other, but it is not.

[Autumn]

2. Obama's opinion on Bernie means nothing to me. Bernie is the better person for

the job of President.

[kennetha]

3. As close as it comes

to an endorsement, without quite being one.

Wonder if this will piss Sandernistas off at Obama.

I really does seem to me that eventually, Sanders is going to have to start running against Obama more explicitly.

[cali]

8. Nope. Not me. I expected it. And Bernie knows what he is up against

[firebrand80]

14. Many DU Bernie supporters are already part of

the "Obama is too conservative" crowd

[nc4bo]

41. Well as much as we are happy we successfully elected and re-elected POTUS

it does not mean that all of us are jumping up and down in ecstasy over his presidency.

There is disappointment. Sanders popularity should be proof of that.

There is enough anger and disgust in our politics right now where it shouldn't surprise anyone if few actually give a damn what President Obama had to say in endorsement of HRC.

Mouths move on how much better our economy is than it was BUT wallets and bank accounts say otherwise.

[Sheepshank]

70. Can you point out the endorsement? I don't see it in the OP n/t

[kennetha]

71. It's not in the 'text"

It's in the subtext. He basically seconded both Clinton's understanding of the nature of the presidency, touted her readiness to be president on day 1, and more or less dismissed, without being at all mean about it, Sanders as the "shiny new toy" with "nothing to lose" who is narrowly focused and needs and will be more deeply and widely vetted.

[marlakay]

101. No I think its pay back for Hillary helping him in general in 08

I don't personally think he wanted to do it, why he waited so long, I think she pressured him.

I can't prove it but since its happening right now as she struggles...

I worked in the Obama campaign and he was in same place as Bernie the unknown unvetted guy. If he felt he had to pay her back I understand it helped him win.

Most of Bernie's voters are wanting someone different and Obama and Clinton are not different. Very close on issues.

[DanTex]

5. Under the bus goes the president!

[Bluenorthwest]

32. No but he invites comparison of his own candidacy to that of Sanders and to be blunt with you DanTex

Obama ran spewing so much anti gay religious crap and holding events with ex-gay evangelists while Hillary joined him in claiming that straight marriages are all hand crafted by God who refuses to work for gays and that was the last time I will put up with any of that crap out of any of them. I do not want to and will not support in any primary any of those so called Democrats who have voted against my rights or preached against them, who have said God favors their type and dislikes mine. Additionally, the DNC needs to stop asking me to vote for such candidates. I am starting to blame the institution and the voters in it. It is not acceptable. It needs to end.

Thankfully there is Bernie, so there is someone I can vote for in the primary. Barack got the last pass. No more passes are available.

[CharlotteVale]

6. I knew he would. Just surprised it took him so long.

[Sheepshank]

69. can you point out where in the OP, Obama is endorsing Hillary?

I think everyone is responding to the OP title and not to the article itself.

[CharlotteVale]

73. So what? I read the article and it sounded like Obama was undercutting Bernie to me.

YMMV of course.

[gwheezie]

11. Hillary was his sec of state

He knows her and worked closely with her. I expect him to make positive comments about her or why would he have kept her in that job for so long?
I imagine he doesn't know Bernie very well.

[MeNMyVolt]

13. PBO gets it. Others, not so much.

[Skwmom]

15. To go against Clinton he'd have to go against himself.

[Matariki]

23. Obama himself has been very critical of the disastrous Reagan legacy.

So I don't see this as a criticism of Sanders at all.

[Sheepshank]

33. I read the paragraph a couple of times and done see what the OP sees in the statement

perhaps someone can point out their "read between the lines" interpretation, and explain why that reading between the lines means what they think it means, and why the public at large (a majority being non political wonks) would see this as a luke warm endorsement of hillary?

[OrwellwasRight]

79. This isn't that critical.

http://www.nytimes.com/ref/us/politics/21seelye-text.html

[MineralMan]

30. Did you honestly expect any other statement from him?

He has great respect for Hillary Clinton, and will enthusiastically support her as the nominee. As President, he will not issue an endorsement before the convention, but his support is there for her. Anyone can see it, whether they like it or not.

[zazen]

36. PBO is smart enough to know that openly endorsing HRC will help Bernie more than hurt

Obama openly endorsing Clinton would just more openly set her up as the incumbent establishment candidate and draw more support to Sanders.

[Skwmom]

38. Obama made that choice long ago. He surrounded himself w/people from the Clinton Admin

[KingCharlemagne]

46. And the Bush admin (Gates at Defense and a couple others I've since forgotten) - nt

[NCTraveler]

44. K&R. Love it. Obama knows who is up for the job. nt.

[Old Codger]

45. Bernie is

What we thought Obama would be, clinton is what Obama turned out to be...

[Cali_Democrat]

49. Or maybe.....Obama is Obama....Clinton is Clinton and Bernie is Bernie?

[kennetha]

51. Right

Sanders is running to transcend Obama. Clinton is running to revise and extend Obama.

Sanders should make clear how little he thinks of Obama.

That would be more honest.

[Old Codger]

60. Not sure

Where that is headed, I think Bernie probably respects Obama, doubt he has much for clinton. Obama turned out to be corporate politician through and through, clinton is of the same mold... Bernie is a peoples politician, cares about them much more than as voters that he will ignore as soon as they are counted...

[Sheepshank]

68. YES...that is a grand idea, diss Obama most vociferously as a way to get more voters

take your pick ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

[nc4bo]

55. I know EXACTLY what you're saying OC. nt

[INdemo]

72. Obama has been a true Corporatist on many issues.

Guess his idea of change was to fill several positions in his Cabinet with former Goldman Sachs exexs.
His idea of change was a trade bill that will cost more American jobs than NAFTA.
So that is real change?
He said he would not allow Soc. Security and Medicare on the table with budget negotiations but he lied.
He has not been a warrior for Organized Labor as he promised and he lost that comfortable pair of shoes he promised to wear on the picket line for public employees when Gov. Walker stripped them of their bargaining rights.
He pushed for and signed legislation that weakened the Dodd-Frank bill.

And the list goes on.

[marlakay]

103. I think he honestly wanted change but caved when

he realized how hard it is. I think he wanted everyone to play nice and when he saw there was no nice on other side he almost gave up on a lot of issues.

We were told during the election he wasn't far from Hillary on issues, I think we just wanted change so bad we wished it were more.

[SammyWinstonJack]

98. Nailed it!

[George II]

48. Unbelievable. He's being honest. If that's now being interpreted as him "undercutting"....

...a candidate, so be it.

And now people are equating the non-existent "Clinton attacks on Sanders" to what Obama said in his Politico interview? Even MORE unbelievable.

I guess if Obama didn't come right out and say that Sanders is the best politician and Presidential candidate that ever existed in our 240 years of existence, anything else would be "undercutting" him.

You know, you love to point out to people that don't agree with you that "you don't know anything about politics", "how long have you been following this?", etc. Perhaps.....?

[phleshdef]

53. I thought he balanced his statements pretty well. He said a lot of good things about both.

I always figured he favors Hillary over Bernie but I don't think he is against Bernie either.

[merrily]

56. I don't think the headline matches what Obama said.

[Cheese Sandwich]

59. No kidding it's the opposite. He sounded going out of his way to be neutral.

[merrily]

66. Seems as though WAPO has an agenda, though.

[Cheese Sandwich]

96. We're getting spun. It's the theme of the day.

Obama puts his thumb on the scale for Hillary. They're trying to bait Bernie fans into attacking Obama or calling him -the establishment-. It's a very coordinated talking point.

[Amimnoch]

67. Welcome to the big leagues.

One thing is in your favor.. If the Washington post is writing an article like that, and doing a backward attack on Bernie.. You know your candidate is doing well, and they're thinking he'll be a challenge.

The more he climbs in these polls, and the closer he gets to becoming a front runner, the thicker you better get your skin. This is nothing yet.

Here's the whole transcript, and the part that was left out:

Full transcript here

It wasn't as much of an undercut as the WP led.

Personally, I thought it was a GREAT interview overall. He did shower praise on both candidates.

[stevenleser]

74. That is a lot more fair than I would be towards the guy who called for me to be primaried

You Sandernistas are lucky he didn't give a full fledged endorsement of Hillary and didnt go out campaigning for her.

It's what Bernie deserved after calling for Obama to be primaried.

[karynnj]

75. Not so sure, I would point to the example he used of crises that happen

There are many that he could have picked that were on domestic issues or a foreign policy issue from the first term. Yet, he chose the detaining of the sailors by Iran. While I get that it is a good example of the advantage of having been President for awhile, it was resolved quickly and with as little repercussion as possible because we had a real channel with Iran.

Yet it is Sanders who is being bashed by Clinton as too willing to have a relationship with Iran. In addition, I would hope that if this were - say March 2017, a President Clinton OR a President Sanders would do what President Obama did --- get John Kerry to speak with Zarif, assuming Zarif still has influence in Iran. He would not be the first retired diplomat to be called upon. At a later, date, I would hope that each would have someone - an ambassador or the SoS - who would have the contacts to do that. However, from their comments on Iran, it is hard to imagine that A President Sanders would not have acted a lot like President Obama did.

Neither Democrat would allow things to return to where they were three years ago, where the US could not have easily called someone with whom they had a trusted relationship.

I think the truth is Obama is trying to stay neutral, but the fact is that HRC was a part of his administration. In fact, his NOT being front and center supporting her - as various Presidents supported their VPs running to succeed them is unusual. It would be very hard to imagine that he would say anything negative about his own Secretary of State -- and I doubt he wants to be seen like a Democratic Eisenhower showing lack of enthusiasm for Nixon.

I would point to where Obama's foreign policy seems to be going - in Asia, there are articles that in the Fall when Obama goes to Laos, it will be to officially announce a major effort to remove the unexploded bombs in Laos. Kerry is there today and will speak to that - and build on the work Ben Rhodes and then Tony Blinken have done on this. In addition, the keynote speech at Davos that Kerry gave was against both corruption and extremism. This speech, while consistent with Kerry's long career was given at too prominent a venue not to have reflected Obama's positions.

Links on Laos - https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/world/2016/01/22/john-kerry-discuss-unexploded-bombs-trip-laos/kz3Irm3OlwhgZOOUHifpeN/story.html and http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/24/politics/john-kerry-laos-secret-war/

Link to video and text of Davos keynote speech - http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2016/01/251663.htm

Obama has just a year left. Finishing even the more limited goal of removing the bombs in Laos likely needs more than a year. Even the most optimist person knows that stopping the bleeding and everyone helping Syria forward will take more than a year - let alone a goal to try to stop (or even moderate) the US/Russia and SA/Iran (Sunni/Shia) proxy wars.

For these and for making the Paris climate change agreement real, we need a Democratic President. It may be that Obama feels more comfortable that a mainstream candidate - and who is more mainstream than HRC - might have the easier time. It also might be that any incumbent President might have a certain ambivalence to a campaign demanding when change - even one who started his career as an activist.

The problem is what if the country itself is more receptive to a change campaign? In 2008, the Republicans faced this challenge - and McCain, not a member of the Bush administration but a power player in the Republican party - actually tried to run on change .. even to the point of not inviting Bush/Cheney - and it really really did not work. It should be noted that both HRC and Sanders have disagreed with Obama on some things, but overall they praise him. In addition, where there certainly is a demand for change, Obama is currently at 49% approval - Bush's numbers at a comparable time were about 20 points less.

I think that whoever wins the nomination, Obama will be there and will make a strong case for either one to be elected. If Sanders wins, it will be after Clinton received more party, media and big money support. That is a huge hurdle to have jumped. It is amazing he is even where he is now, but if he wins it means two things - he is a very good candidate and the country is really voting for change and against the powers that be. As that feeling seems strong in both parties, it may be this is not a year for the status quo.

[WillyT]

78. K & R !!!

[ieoeja]

80. That is a bit of a stretch.

The very next paragraph:

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...

Yes, Hillary "delivering the goods" could be interpreted as implying that Bernie does not. But his thought ends with Bernie "got bills done" before he was interupted. That kills the implication this author is reporting.

The two paragraphs could really be restated as:

Bernie is idealistic. Hillary is pragmatic about implementing policy. But those policies are idealistic. And when it comes time to implement his policies, Bernie is also pragmatic about it. So there really isn't much difference between them.

Hence, Obama's statement that "Hillary is really ideallistic and progressive." He goes on to say a couple more times that there isn't much difference between them.

It is Obama being a diplomat. In other words, Obama being Obama.

[Schema Thing]

89. Thank you.

[draa]

81. K+R!!!

[Schema Thing]

82. OH Jeez... Obama did not undercut Bernie. That's the WP forcing the headline on us

If you read Obama's words, he cuts it right down the middle.. POSSIBLY favoring Hillary SLIGHTLY - but no actual words that say he does.

quote:

" And Bernie, you know, is somebody who was a senator and served on the Veterans’ Committee and got bills done. And so the—"


Here, he got cut off - but the context is that he said, while yes getting in more words about Hillary, that they both are progressive and they both know how to get things done.


And then:

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.

I don't know what he said after that, but right here^ we only see Obama rejecting the idea that 2008 is playing out again for poor Hillary - with Bernie being the-new-obama. That rejection is the only gentlemanly response he can have to that idea at this point (no matter what is unfolding).

[Matariki]

85. Agreed.

seems like most responses in this thread are based soley on the headline and not on the actual article. I don't see it as much of a criticism of Sanders. It seems somewhat supportive of both candidates.

[randome]

87. Reading skills. They're so old-fashioned.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Aspire to inspire.[/center][/font][hr]

[Schema Thing]

88. Whew, glad to see I'm not alone in looking for what our Prez actually said..

...as opposed to a click bait headline and a subsequent forced narrative.

[ieoeja]

91. Not sure which is worse. Clinton supporters false accusations. Or this shit by Bernie supporters.

I imagine Clinton supporters are hooting and hollering at Bernie supporters trying to drive a non-existent wedge between Obama and Bernie. They are probably kicking themselves and thinking, "why didn't we come up with this?"

[Schema Thing]

95. yep :/

[senz]

94. Agreed. Obama's trying to nuance his way without endorsing either.

The author compares Bernie's and Obama's respective attempts to get popular support for progressive action and Obama's relative failure to do so while Bernie's approach (political revolution) may be more promising. I got the sense that this may be making Obama slightly uncomfortable.

But overall, I don't think Obama's seriously undercutting Bernie.

[MoonRiver]

90. No, he was showing support for Clinton.

It's clear she is his first choice to follow him in office, but he would be ok with Bernie. Heck, I feel the same way!

[oberliner]

92. Do you think Obama is more like HRC or more like Sanders?

In terns of the way he has governed for the past almost eight years? Do you think that his governance reflects more of the Sanders approach or the Clinton approach?

[Tarc]

93. Camp Bernie isn't upset that Obama expressed an opinion

They are upset that Obama expressed an opinion that they disagree with.

Subtle but telling difference here.

[marlakay]

104. speak for yourself

I am in camp Bernie and I don't care what Obama says. I think he felt he had to say good things about Hillary because she helped him win in the general with her voters.

[Dawson Leery]

97. As he should.

Bernie is no Democrat. And stop with this Bernie is a Democrat in the mold of FDR nonsense.

Bernie was against the party during the times Kennedy and Johnson, well before the DLC (which is now defunct).

Bernie wanted to primary Obama in 2012. Why would Obama support someone who wanted to challenge him as n incumbent?

[book_worm]

99. In the quote you used where does Obama undercut Bernie?

"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."

[Skwmom]

100. And the disappointment continues. Not a surprise. He's not going to buck the system now. n/t

[ecstatic]

102. Anything other than a glowing review is somehow undercutting,

etc. The real world doesn't work that way. Nobody is perfect. NOBODY.

[mhatrw]

108. Shiny Third Way backs dull Third Way over New Deal way.

This is no surprise.

[Blasphemer]

113. BHO is nothing is not pragmatic

And I agree with the writer's take, he has learned hard lessons and knows that the Clintons learned those same lessons almost 20 years before he did. So, I didn't really take anything he said as intended to undermine Sanders. He seems to honestly believe the Sanders "revolution" is lacking a healthy dose of realism. He may well be wrong - I'm not sure that true revolutions need realism. But, I am also weary of premature proclamations of revolution. In any event, I think this wasn't as much of an endorsement as a "word of caution." It could also be a read as, "If you win this thing, you are, by definition, a part of the system, and will need to figure out how to work within it. It was more difficult than I anticipated." Certainly, there is some self-excuse making in that but I really don't see anything that is undercutting Sanders.