Barack Obama warned Democrats Thursday about the importance of the midterm elections, saying they need to stop waiting for a perfect candidate and a perfect message and just vote to save our democracy.
Giving his first public comments in months at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in Beverly Hills, the former president told the audience they had a right to be concerned about the future of the country, but holding out for a Democratic savior isn’t going to help them win elections.
“Do not wait for the perfect message, don’t wait to feel a tingle in your spine because you’re expecting politicians to be so inspiring and poetic and moving that somehow, ’OK, I’ll get off my couch after all and go spend the 15-20 minutes it takes for me to vote,’ ” he said, Politico reported. “Because that’s part of what happened in the last election. I heard that too much.”
“Boil it down,” he said. “If we don’t vote, then this democracy doesn’t work.”
Mr. Obama never mentioned President Trump by name, but “spoke at length” about his problems with the administration, Politico reported. He also warned Democrats not to get too complacent just because they’ve been doing well in recent elections.
“Fear is powerful,” Mr. Obama said. “Telling people that somebody’s out to get you, or somebody took your job, or somebody has it out for you, or is going to change you, or your community, or your way of life — that’s an old story and it has shown itself to be powerful in societies all around the world. It is a deliberate, systematic effort to tap into that part of our brain that carries fear in it.
“There’s a fundamental contrast of how we view the world,” he added. “We are seeing the consequences of when one vision is realized, or in charge.”
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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