President Obama just issued a dire warning about the dangers of Donald Trump

[kpete]

In an appearance at the annual Friends of Ireland reception on Capitol Hill, President Obama delivered a stirring condemnation of the climate in the 2016 presidential campaign and called on the country to prove that we are better than the current state of our politics.

Here are the two key paragraphs (Obama spoke for four total minutes):

It's worth asking ourselves what each of us may have done to contribute to this vicious atmosphere in our politics. I suspect that all of us can recall some intemperate words that we regret. Certainly I can. While some may be more to blame than others for the current climate, all of us are responsible for reversing it. It is a cycle that is not an accurate reflection of America and it has to stop. I say that not because it's a matter of political correctness … it's about the way that corrosive behavior can undermine our democracy and our society and even our economy.

In America there aren't laws that say we have to be nice to each other, or courteous or treat each other with respect. But there are norms, there are customs, there are values that our parents taught us and that we try to teach to our children. To try to treat others the way we want to be treated, the notion that kindness breeds kindness. The longer that we allow the political rhetoric of late to continue and the longer that we tacitly accept it, we create a permission structure that allows the animosity in one corner of our politics to infect our broader society. And animosity breeds animosity.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/03/15/president-obama-just-issued-a-dire-warning-about-the-consequences-of-trumpism/?postshare=6801458068923826&tid=ss_tw

[lindysalsagal]

1. Man's gotta point!

But I'm afraid we're not better than that.

[2naSalit]

3. I am sad to say that you could be correct.

[democrattotheend]

2. I'm going to miss him!

No matter who wins the election, I am going to miss having Obama as president.

[Umbral18]

4. I can't think of any 'intemperate words' I regret, except those I didn't say, yet. nt

[DustyJoe]

5. It seems like

A possible change of heart from the 2008 campaign language of 'get in their face' and 'if they bring a knife you bring a gun' with the statement above

It's worth asking ourselves what each of us may have done to contribute to this vicious atmosphere in our politics. I suspect that all of us can recall some intemperate words that we regret. Certainly I can.

If that is the case, kudos to the President as those 2 quotes did manage to set campaigning courtesy and kindness on a back burner.
I think everyone is ready for less animosity in politics as he stated.

[Angel Martin]

6. No President Obama, you are wrong !

"I suspect that all of us can recall some intemperate words that we regret. Certainly I can."

It's not about nasty statements about political opponents. Or calling people names.

It's not what these politicians SAID.

It's what they DID. Or what they DIDN'T DO.

For Obama, it started with the banking bailout, is ending with the TPP and covers just about all the economic and financial decisions in between, including what health care turned into.

On the economic, financial, trade and health care side, what happened in office had almost no resemblance to what was promised in the campaigns.

And the same issue has caught up with the GOP establishment as well. In the 2010 and 2014 they whipped up their base with promises of what would happen when they won. Most of which was impossible, and the rest they had no intention of doing.

So this year the GOP establishment sent out a supposedly "strong" Presidential field promising the same BS that has enthralled their base for years.

But Repub base is no longer buying the false promises.

And the "strongest Republican field ever" got their asses handed to them by Donald Trump, of all people.



So, President Obama, it is not about crude language or demonization of opponents.

It is about perennial fake election promises and non-performance in office.

We can argue about the proportion, but both Party establishments share the blame.

[DustyJoe]

7. So True

It is about perennial fake election promises and non-performance in office.

If the Trump rah-rah bunch think he can miraculously deliver on even one of his outlandish campaign promises then they still believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny too.