The war of
words between outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama and incoming President
Donald Trump continued with Mr. Trump rejecting Mr. Obama’s claim that he could
have defeated him in the November 8 presidential election if he had run against
him.
The
Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria in New York reports that Mr. Trump,
in a reply to the outgoing President’s claim, took to his twitter handle and
wrote in capital letters: “NO WAY!”.
The
president-elect also listed some policies under Mr. Obama’s administration,
which he thought constituted baggage to the outgoing President, and would have
made it difficult for Mr. Obama to be re-elected had the U.S. Constitution
allowed him to contest for the third term.
“President
Obama said that he thinks he would have won against me.
“He should
say that but I say NO WAY! – jobs leaving, ISIS, OCare, etc,” Trump fired back
at the outgoing president from whom he would take over on January 20, 2017.
Mr. Obama
had told his former senior adviser David Axelrod in an interview for the “The
Axe Files” podcast, produced by the University of Chicago Institute of Politics
and CNN, aired on Monday that Americans still subscribed to his vision of
progressive change, asserting that he could have succeeded in this year’s
election if he was eligible to run.
“I am
confident in this vision because I’m confident that if I had run again and
articulated it, I think I could’ve mobilised 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.”
NAN
reports that Mr. Obama, a former Illinois senator, still receives high
popularity ratings among Americans, currently exceeding 50 per cent, one of the
highest for a two-term U.S. president.
Mr. Obama
had in his last Christmas address from the White House, listed some of his
administration’s achievements in the last eight years.
“Together,
we fought our way back from the worst recession in 80 years, and got
unemployment to a nine-year low.
“We
secured health insurance for another 20 million Americans, and new protections
for folks who already had insurance.
“We made
America more respected around the world, took on the mantle of leadership in
the fight to protect this planet for our kids, and much, much more.
“By so
many measures, our country is stronger and more prosperous than it was when we
first got here. And I’m hopeful we’ll build on the progress we’ve made in the
years to come.”
The two-term
president said that there was a difference between Mr. Trump’s change mantra of
2016 and the hope-and-change vision he heralded in 2008, which won him
outstanding victory over Republican John McCain.
“In the
wake of the election and Trump winning, a lot of people have suggested that
somehow, it really was a fantasy.
“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
full of energy and dynamism.”
NAN
recalls that in the November 8 presidential election, while Hilary Clinton beat
Mr. Trump in the popular vote by almost 2.9 million ballots, Mr. Trump won more
electoral votes and consequently, the presidency.
In the
50-minute session, Mr. Obama repeated his suggestion that Democrats had ignored
entire segments of the voting population, leading to Mr. Trump’s win.
He implied
that Mrs. Clinton’s campaign had not made a vocal enough argument directed
toward Americans who had not felt the benefits of the economic recovery.
“If you
think you’re winning, then you have a tendency, just like in sports, maybe to
play it safer.”
He,
however, said he believed Mrs. Clinton “performed wonderfully under really
tough circumstances” and was mistreated by the media.
The
podcast interview was Mr. Obama’s latest post-election analysis, which had
focused on Democrats’ failure to convince non-urban voters and a media
preoccupied with negative stories about Clinton.
Mr. Obama
said his party this year had not made an emotional connection to voters in
hard-hit communities, relying instead on policy points he said did not make
enough of an impact.
“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.
“It means
caring about local races, state boards or school boards and city councils and
states 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,” he said.
Mr. Obama
cited an unlikely model for future Democratic success: Senate Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell, who he said had executed an effective – if obstructionist –
strategy.
“Mitch
McConnell’s insight, just from a pure tactical perspective, was pretty smart
and well executed, the degree of discipline that he was able to impose on his
caucus was impressive.
“His
insight was that we just have to say no to that,” Obama said.
He said
part of his post-presidential strategy would be developing young Democratic
leaders, including organisers, journalists and politicians, who could galvanise
voters behind a progressive agenda.
The
outgoing president also said that he would not hesitate to weigh in on
important political debates after he leaves office.
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