Even Obama Thinks Sanders and Warren are Too Left Wing
In his 8 years in office, Barak Obama was never mistaken for a conservative. In fact, he was one of the most liberal presidents America has ever seen. However, when the 44th President spoke to the Democracy Alliance, a group of wealthy, Democratic donors, Thursday night and implored them not to give their money to the “activist wing” of the party.
Obama, in what amounted to a stern warning to the 2020 field, bluntly said Friday that voters are "less revolutionary than ... interested in improvement" and warned about turning off certain segments of the electorate by not being "rooted in reality." https://t.co/4rHyASCtqq
— Dan Merica (@merica) November 16, 2019
This was the first time Obama has truly weighed in on the 2020 Democratic primary and most saw this as a tacit endorsement of his former Vice President Joe Biden and his more centrist agenda which is far more moderate than socialist candidates Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders.
In his speech to the assembled crowd Obama told them, “Even as we push the envelope and we are bold in our vision we also have to be rooted in reality. The average American doesn’t think we have to completely tear down the system and remake it.”
He continued taking veiled shots at the far left Democrats by saying, “I don’t think we should be deluded into thinking that the resistance to certain approaches to things is simply because voters haven’t heard a bold enough proposal and if they hear something as bold as possible then immediately that’s going to activate them.”
On social media, where the most vocal Democratic segment tends to skew incredibly far left, reaction to the speech from liberals ranged from disappointment to anger at the former president. Left wing critics called him “a mess”, “timid” and not a true activist like other famous African Americans.
A mess. https://t.co/QTQBgYTDJu
— Shaun King (@shaunking) November 16, 2019
Dear Black Folk & ally,
— Anthony Clark for Congress (@anthonyvclark20) November 16, 2019
Obama never was/will be:
Malcolm X, MLK, Huey P., Eldridge Cleaver, Angela Davis, Rosa Parks, Bobby Seale, James Baldwin, Harriet Tubman, Nina Simone, Ella Baker, Fred Hampton, Bunchy Carter, Assata Shakur, 2pac. etc.
Sincerely,
A Black activist
Yeah this ain’t it @BarackObama. What happened to hope and change? You inspired us to face the impossible odds. So now that we are fighting our asses off for Medicare-for-ALL our sights are set too high? #YesWeCan #NotMeUS https://t.co/ClGxgs45On
— Will Bryant (@Fitter2019) November 16, 2019
At the root of the discussion over Obama's comments on the party and the direction forward is whether folks are willing to imagine that the situation we are in is not just the fault of the GOP. Decades of timidity and centrist thinking is what landed us here.
— Justin Hendrix (@justinhendrix) November 16, 2019