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US PRESIDENT BARACK Obama says he could have been re-elected for a third term and that the nation still largely embraces his political vision despite last month’s election of Donald Trump to succeed him.
The US leader’s remarks were made in an interview on the podcast The Axe Files, produced by CNN and the University of Chicago.
Obama, who winds up his second and final term in office in just over three weeks, said he believes the American public still supports his progressive vision, despite having voted for Trump — his political opposite.
“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,” Obama tells his interviewer, former senior adviser David Axelrod, in the most recent of several exit interviews he has been conducting.
He was philosophical and a little rueful about Democrats’ loss of the presidential election, when Hillary Clinton was defeated by Trump in a shock outcome almost no one predicted.
“Losing’s never fun,” he tells Axelrod, a political strategist who helped craft Obama’s winning 2008 presidential campaign and then followed him to the White House.
I’m proud that I have tried to conduct myself in office to do what I think is right rather than what is popular, I always tell people don’t underestimate the public humiliation of losing in politics.
It’s unlike what most people experience as adults, this sense of rejection.
But he was also proud of the way the progress made in the two terms of his presidency, thanks to the “spirit of America,” especially evident in the younger generation.
“That spirit of America has still been there in all sorts of ways. It manifests itself in communities all across the country,” Obama said.
“We see it in this younger generation that is smarter, more tolerant, more innovative, more creative, more entrepreneurial, would not even think about, you know, discriminating somebody against for example because of their sexual orientation,” the president said.
“All those things that I describe, you’re seeing in our society, particularly among 20-year-olds, 30-year-olds.’
Despite the election of Trump — a Republican who appears set to put in place policies that will take the country sharply to the right — during his presidency “the culture actually did shift,” Obama told Axelrod.
“The majority does buy into the notion of a one America that is tolerant and diverse and open and full of energy and dynamism,” the US president said.
The problem is, it doesn’t always manifest itself in politics.
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No doubt he’s being paid in cash!
Still hasn’t a bank account?
Sounds like a nice place to name drop in the canteen at work, ” oh Sheilas going to Benidorm for 2 weeks, not my cup of tea but I’m actually flying to Bougainville”. I wonder if the Bougainvillesers know what the Irish think of Bertie though.
Sweet Jesus I hope they didn’t give Ahern the keys of the treasury.
Hope Bertie is not advising them on economics!
I taught was something to do with some nice n popular but ended up being that gibshite
@Alan Carthy: you wanna have another crack at that?
@Aido Yollom: …or less crack before trying that again…?
@Alan Carthy: I’d still take him anytime over that gobs**te Varadakar. While we’re at it could we have Tiny Blair back in power in the UK.
Building a new nation….thank God…more work for Bertie’s pal “Paddy the builder”
@sinead foley-coleman: plasterer
Bertie knows how to get his result, no matter how many referendums have to take place.
Exporting the EU way.
Bertie opening a tax dodge bank there … and may even open an account for himself.
Interesting 60 mins Australia doc on south east Asia and china exerting more influence in the region
@Vote4Pedro: all thru Png now , travel there regularly their influence is everywhere
Can this happen in Ireland
@pat murphy: thirsty for an independent Wexford Pat?
@pat murphy: No.
@pat murphy: Doubtful, we don’t have enough Bougainvillians to fill a football team let alone enough to make a country.
is it true Bertie has advised them not to use bank accounts? Lock up the family silver.
@Angela McCarthy: Sure Bertie never had a bank account.
Is Paddy the plasterer with him, I’m sure theres a bit of work to be done over there!
He doesn’t look so bad compared to the present shower of bluffers
I’ve gone to Google Maps and I’ve seen that there is an island called New Ireland near Bougainville. And another one called New Britain as well. https://www.google.cat/maps/@-4.4341627,152.0409819,7.63z
@Marc Esteve: so that is what he is after. King Bertie of New Ireland.
@Niall: it’s got a very interesting history over the few hundred years. With WW2, volcanoes, civil war, the mine. Beautiful place to visit nice people, though still lots of suspicion towards white people due the mine
Wishing Bertie all the best in his important role in Bougainville Island!
He can always wear his good yellow trousers if he’s asked to become the canary for renewed development in that valuable copper-mine.
Well done Bertie, has to be applauded for getting involved in sorting out a volatile area like this.
Am sure they don’t know who he is. Hoping he don’t encourage that country to come here also for a long stay.
So now we are going to have the Bougainville Fudge a la Bertie Ahearn. The unfortunate people of Bougainville would be well advised to hold off for afew years . Mr Ahearn is globetrotting selling his Good Friday Agreement as a template for peace. Meanwhile we see his own .,he would say, Good Friday Agreement , falling apart by the day.
Please Mr Ahearn, don’t sell these innocent islander people trinkets and glittering baubles like their colonial master did in the past. Your Good Friday Fudge is just that, a fudge, a glittering bauble.
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