Obama Claims He Will Defend American ‘Values and Ideals’ Against Trump
Obama will give Trump space, but will speak up if need be, giving the Democrats a leading voice they need.
President Barack Obama has said that he will not constantly criticize President-elect Donald Trump once they transition, but he will speak up if a certain situation arises:
“As an American citizen who cares deeply about our country, if there are issues that have less to do with the specifics of some legislative proposal or battle or go to core questions about our values and ideals, and if I think that it’s necessary or helpful for me to defend those ideals, I’ll examine it when it comes,” Obama told reporters.
Presidents have a tradition of providing “their successors space to govern.” Obama insists he will do that, making a very smooth transition for Trump the same way President George W. Bush did for him eight years ago.
Obama has also “praised Bush for the way he’s handled his ex-presidency.” Bush quietly went back to civilian life, concentrating on his family and helping veterans whenever he can. I can’t remember ever hearing a peep out of him against Obama. He has stayed out of the public and political eye, even as his brother ran for president this year.
Obama did not tell the reporters exactly what Trump could do that would cause him to speak out:
The president spoke out vigorously throughout the campaign against Trump’s calls for banning Muslim immigrants, deporting millions of people living in the U.S. illegally, repealing “Obamacare,” and canceling the Paris climate deal, to name a few. Those policy proposals and others like them have stoked fear for many Americans who oppose Trump and are hoping vehement opposition from Obama and other Democrats might prevent Trump from implementing them.
Though Obama didn’t specify what might trigger him to break silence, he left himself a broad window of possibilities. His comments suggested he’d be most inclined to weigh in if Trump violated basic principles Obama has tried to uphold, such as minority rights, equal protection and respect for civilian life. Obama has long warned that Trump might impulsively use nuclear weapons, and has cast a dim view on ideas like a Muslim registry, which Trump’s incoming chief of staff declined on Sunday to rule out.
As Politico points out, Democrats will probably welcome this news as they continue to search “for party leadership and who are still largely in love with him.” 2016 started off strong for the party, but one night in November completely deflated it. Trump soundly defeated Hillary Clinton, the Democrats did not pick up as many seats in the House as they hoped, and the GOP held the majority in the Senate. Not only that, though, because the GOP made strong gains in individual state governments.
The Democrats may need Obama around since the party keeps looking on the outside for blame instead of the inside. Obama has so far attempted to make the Democrats accept blame while encouraging them to step in the right direction:
Obama said of the new administration and Congress, “give them a hearing.” Earlier in the press conference, Obama said “people should take a wait-and-see approach” on Trump.
Many Democrats feel like they’ve heard and seen enough already. But Obama, as he often does, urged a long view over immediate political satisfaction.
“My advice to Democrats is, know what you care about and what you stand for and fight for your principles, even if it’s a hard fight. If there are areas where the new administration is doing something that’s good for the American people, find a way to work with them,” he said.
In a press conference last week, Obama took a few swipes at Hillary and his party for their actions during the election:
“I believe that we have better ideas. But I also believe that good ideas don’t matter if people don’t hear them,” Obama said, reflecting on Hillary Clinton’s shocking Election Day loss.
In 2008, no one thought Obama would win Iowa. He took that doubt, put it to work, and won. He said he won “in Iowa mostly white state, ‘not because of the demographics’, but because he spent 87 days going to ‘every small town’, fair, fish fry and VFW.”
Obama also said he probably saved a few votes because he took that extra effort to visit the voters:
‘And the challenge for a national party is how do you dig in there and create those kinds of structures,’ he said.
However, like Bush, Obama wants to concentrate on his family before spilling back into politics:
“My intention is to, certainly for the next 2 months, just finish my job,” Obama said. “And then after that, to take Michelle on vacation, get some rest, spend time with my girls, and do some writing, do some thinking.”
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Who cares what Obama thinks? After January, he ceases to exist.
In other words, we’ll never be rid of this self-absorbed fool. I’d love for him to fade into deserved obscurity, but the MSM will be ever ready to stick a camera and a microphone in his face.
It ain’t American values in which he is interested. It is the values of his identity politics cohorts he wants to defend.
He’ll speak up when another one of his sons are killed committing a crime. Just go away and take McCain with you
“As an American citizen who cares deeply about our country, I will do my upmost to see that this country remains on its predestined course to become Islamic, just as the Founders intended.”
basic principles Obama has tried to uphold, such as minority rights, equal protection and respect for civilian life.
Said the only American president who’s ever had his own personal assassination program.
Seriously, this is boilerplate, just negligible noise. He’s not going to announce to the press that he’s going to spend the next decade golfing and reminiscing about jetting around in Air Force One, generating a carbon footprint most of them can only fantasize about.
He’s not going to go graciously, like GW Bush did for him? No surprise, there.
The DNC and the Hillary Campaign haven’t called off their hounds, either.
After the continued attacks on Trump supporters, the Trumpkins at Reddit asked why she hadn’t done that, and the top answer was “She conceded,” as if we did not know that this was only her public position.
Meanwhile, the New York Times and the Washington Post, both of which violated their own journalistic ethics by colluding with the Clinton Campaign, continue their obvious slander against DJT, his appointees, and voters.
What an arrogant douchebag. Dude, the decimation of the Dim party during your reign of failure tells you what we think of your “ideals.” Please go f*ck yourself.
He will probably sub contract that out to Rev Wright.
The man would not know American values if they hit him in his face.
We have put up with his “values” for 8 years.
I agree… Go flick your self! We have more than had it with the progressive view!
He’s largely responsible for the GOP’s monumental gains since 2008 at all levels of government. The GOP needs to sign Obama up for speaking tours and finance everything, put him front and center whenever and wherever he wants. “And now, folks, a word from our opposition, if you can stomach it.”
I submitted my comment & then read yours. I like the way you think Mr. Hawkins 😉
Thanks! Call me Henry.
Yup! This guy has presided over a rolling disaster for the Dems. Keep it up!
Sure, he will be an Uncle Festering sore. Please keep speaking up President B.O. Doing so over the past 8 years, the grassroots wave of Republicanism from the local levels has replaced your ideology, chosen successor, & RINOS that would bend over for you. President Barack H. Obama, the best gun salesman for 8 years running and the best Republican grassroots leader. Please keep your mouth running.
So naive of us, to think that Obama would get the message that we sent to him on November 8.
Pro-Choice/[class] diversity, Pro-Choice/”=”, Pro-Choice/abortion, etc. are not American values and ideals. They’re not value and ideals pursed by civilized people. Then there is Obama’s legacy of progressing monopolies and practices, progressive wars, immigration “reform” including refugee crises, etc.
Americans are looking forward to a dawn following an extended twilight.
So, after January, he’ll be known as Citizen Stompy Foot. Got it. What an arrogant fool. So, he gets to decide what our nation’s values and ideals are? Please. In reality, I think he does know what our values and ideals are, since he’s devoted himself to destroying them the past eight years (when he’s not golfing, that is).
Obama’s legacy obsessions will themselves become part of his legacy, and he is undoubtedly anxious to protect this as historians begin to sharpen their pencils. History will not only scrutinize the substance of Obama’s failed policies but also his mode of governing. Long ago he abandoned his commitment to “reach across the aisle” and replaced it with “I won” and his “pen and a phone.”
American History 101 teaches that if you’re going to pass a treaty, gin up a war or enact a major entitlement, you’d better get at least some bipartisan support; otherwise, all you’ve done is build a castle of sand. I suspect that the instant gratification of a headline counted for more with Obama than permanence. Other than his status as America’s first twice-elected African American president, his true legacy will be more of a cautionary tale: reckon your ambitions with reality and learn to make nice with others in the sandbox, even if you hate them. There’s more to fighting a battle than a battle speech.
Dead white men without identity-anxiety disorders passed Social Security, Medicare,Medicaid and the Interstate Road network. These prevail no matter who is in office. Unfortunately, Alinsky only had 12 rules, and advice for getting actual things done in an actual world weren’t among these.
“And then after that, to take Michelle on vacation, get some rest, spend time with my girls, and do some writing, do some thinking.”
What the hell does he think he has been doing for the past eight years? Now he wants to do some thinking! It’s a little late jugears.
Its the thinking bit he hasn’t been doing one the last 8 years. I guess now is as good as any time to start eh?
Regards
Mailman
Holy scrapmetal, Batman!
Obama sucks
Zero, you and your policies have been soundly rejected by intelligent, thinking voters. Time for you to STFU and go crawl back under your slimy rock ~
I wish that were true. It isn’t. Barracula enjoys near-record approval ratings. If he’d been running, the outcome of this past election would probably be very different.
There’s no accounting for this in a rational world. But there’s no accounting for the two nominees of the major parties to be two of the worst people ever to run for the office, either. Not in a rational world.
Rating by pollsters who had Hillary winning the election.
I’d hope the man who is responsible for weaponizing the entire federal government against his political opponents would think twice about criticizing a new throne sitter too vigorously. Too many of the Obama folks can be made an example of to encourage a bit of civility. Ugly for sure, but probably a necessity the lefties can understand. Nice just isn’t going to work.
Obola wouldn’t recognize an “American Value” if one up and bit his scrawny butt.
The public becomes fatigued after eight years of just about any president. The MSM will cover Obama’s every word, every step, after he leaves office. And Obama will have little reason to temper what he says after he leaves. He’s going to sicken Americans, the media will help him do it, and it will all accrue to the Democrat Party, which still does not understand what happened on November 8th, and what’s happened to their party since 2008.
In other words, an awesome period coming for anyone not a Democrat.
This narcissist is incapable of leaving the limelight or showing any class or respect for the traditions of the office of POTUS. Remember his putting his feet up on the Resolute desk? That is his opinion of the traditions of the office.
Yep, I highly doubt his ego will let him stay off the mic for long.
My first thoughts echoed some listed above: how can he defend what he doesn’t know? Then I realized that he does know American values because he has targeted them for destruction. The lie is in “defending”. He should have said, “I will continue my war on values such as truth, and justice. My war on liberties found in the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States of America. You know, all that “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
These are the values he strives to transform. Hello Mitch McConnell, Hello Senator Orin Hatch: are you sure you want to preserve the filibuster for the likes of Barack Hussein Obama can foil the will of the people?
Some thoughts from President Coolidge on the Declaration of Independence, Address at the Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Philadelphia, Pa.
July 5, 1926
“About the Declaration there is a finality that is exceedingly restful. It is often asserted that the world has made a great deal of progress since 1776, that we have had new thoughts and new experiences which have given us a great advance over the people of that day, and that we may therefore very well discard their conclusions for something more modern. But that reasoning can not be applied to this great charter. If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth or their soundness, the only direction in which he can proceed historically is not forward, but backward toward the time when there was no equality, no rights of the individual, no rule of the people. Those who wish to proceed in that direction can not lay claim to progress. They are reactionary. Their ideas are not more modern, but more ancient, than those of the Revolutionary fathers.”
Why is it that when progressive ideas are rejected progressives complain “good ideas don’t matter if people don’t hear them”? Nearly all conventional media and social media platforms are progressive strongholds. How can we avoid hearing them?
Yup.
Heard a Hoosier Democrat leader on the radio today lamenting about the fact that Democrats hold no Statewide office and have no say in the Supermajority of Republicans in both sides of out legislature.
His excuse, you ask?….”messaging”
Which is code for, we need to take it off the news channels and put it in the stuff people watch (even more brainwashing than they already attempt to do now in entertainment).
When you are catering to the lowest common denominator, this is how you indoctrinate idiocracy style.
Other Obama claims: If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. If….
Dear Barack,
If you are serious about defending American values, go to the podium and tell your brownshirts to stand down and stop being violent.
Thanks
America
Also, we heard your speech in Peru. We are concerned that a “constitutional scholar” didn’t learn why we have an Electoral College. Or a Senate. You said:
“As long as Wyoming gets as many Senators as California…”
Is that what they are teaching at Harvard these days?
After 8 years of this doofus, we know he still has no clue what are American values. Ignorance is not being informed of the facts, stupidity is not recognizing the facts. He is not just our worst president, he is the only one that was stupid.
The retarded Obama displaced Jimmy Peanut Carter as the worst president in history. He will now go on to make Carter the second worse ex president in history, count on it.
Oops! A little slip-up on your TelePrompTer there Barry, should have read “Marxist ‘values and ideals’.”
I think Trump was elected because of American values and ideals.