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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Obama called out by progressives for not doing enough to counter Trump
Some liberals reportedly want former President Obama to do more amid President Donald Trump's second term, accusing the former president of sacrificing his "megaphone." "There are many grandmas and Rachel Maddow viewers who have been more vocal in this moment than Barack Obama has," co-founder of the Progressive Change Institute, Adam Green, told the Atlantic. Obama campaigned alongside former President Biden before he dropped out of the race and also stumped for former Vice President Kamala Harris when she became the nominee. The former president spoke out against Trump in April at an event in New York, but has largely remained out of the spotlight since Trump won. "It is heartbreaking," Green said, "to see him sacrificing that megaphone when nobody else quite has it." Democratic Strategists Question Influence Of Obama-era Campaign Operatives In Party's Future Obama accused the Trump administration of trying to destroy the post-World War II international order at the April event before suggesting sacrifice might be necessary to fight back against Trump. Read On The Fox News App "It has been easy during most of our lifetimes to say you are a progressive, or say you are for social justice, or say you are for free speech, and not have to pay a price for it… And now we're in one of those moments when… it's not enough just to say you're for something. You may actually have to do something and possibly sacrifice a little bit," Obama said. "Should Obama get out and do more? Yes, please," Democratic media consultant Tracy Sefl told the Atlantic. "Help us," she said. "We're sinking over here." The Obama Foundation did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. 'Greater Reckoning': Obama's Spot In The Democratic Sun Fading After Harris Loss The former Democratic president also weighed in on the back-and-forth between Harvard and the Trump administration in a post to social media in April, praising his alma mater for standing up against the president. Eric Schultz, an adviser to Obama, told the Atlantic that the former president is careful about the issues he weighs in on. "We try to preserve his voice so that when he does speak, it has impact," Schultz said. "There is a dilution factor that we're very aware of." Obama's former Attorney General Eric Holder told The Atlantic that the former president was out there opposing Trump, but said Democrats needed to be careful not to "regularize" him. "Should he do more? Everybody can have their opinions," Holder said. "The one thing that always kind of pisses me off is when people say he's not out there, or that he's not doing things, that he's just retired, and we never hear from him. If you f------ look, folks, you would see that he's out there." Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture Jon Favreau, a former Obama speechwriter and co-host of "Pod Save America," told the outlet that the Democratic Party needed new stardom but added that if Trump attempted to run for a third term, he would beg the former president to be the party's standard-bearer again. "The party needs new rising stars, and they need the room to figure out how to meet this moment, just like Obama figured out how to meet the moment 20 years ago," he said. "Unless, of course, Trump tries to run for a third term, in which case I'll be begging Obama to come out of retirement."Original article source: Obama called out by progressives for not doing enough to counter Trump
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ex-DNC chair complains Democrats expected him to 'just rubber-stamp' plans during 2024 campaign
Former Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair Jaime Harrison lamented that he was "taken for granted" as a party leader and was seen as a "rubber-stamp" throughout the 2024 campaign, as Democrats continue to determine a way forward after their loss to President Donald Trump in November. "I feel like, as chair, my voice was not always heard, that I was taken for granted. I was seen as somebody to just rubber-stamp and not to actually have a seat at the table to influence certain things," Harrison told the Washington Post at South Carolina's Democratic convention on Saturday. "And that has to change." "We can't just be nice ornaments," Harrison said, telling the Post that he was angry over the election and over Black voters' voting for Trump or choosing to stay home. "We actually have to have a substantive and real role in terms of directing this party and moving this party forward." 'Greater Reckoning': Obama's Spot In The Democratic Sun Fading After Harris Loss Harrison stood by former President Joe Biden as he faced attacks on his age prior to exiting the 2024 race. The former DNC chair said in January that the party should have stuck with Biden rather than forcing him off the ticket. Read On The Fox News App After former Vice President Kamala Harris lost to Trump in November, Sen. Bernie Sanders accused the Democratic Party of abandoning the working class. Harrison strongly disagreed with the suggestion and responded to Sanders on social media, calling it "straight up BS." "Biden was the most-pro worker President of my lifetime - saved union pensions, created millions of good paying jobs and even marched in a picket line and some of MVP's plans would have fundamentally transformed the quality of life and closed the racial wealth gap for working people across this country," Harrison wrote in November, after the election."From the child tax credits, to 25k for a down payment for a house, to Medicare covering the cost of senior health care in their homes. There are a lot of post-election takes and this one ain't a good one," he concluded. Dem Party Blame Game: Accusations Fly As To Who Is Responsible For Harris' Massive Loss To Trump Other prominent Black Democrats, including Catherine Fleming Bruce, who is running for Senate in South Carolina, expressed frustration to the Washington Post that there wasn't an open process to replace Biden on the ticket. She told the Post that Democrats should be "making sure that we have Democratic processes at all times." Maryland Gov. Wes Moore told the outlet that the party had a problem with only focusing on Black voters in election years. "It's tiring," he said. Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture South Carolina Democratic Party chair Christale Spain told the Post that the party didn't prioritize Black voters, a key voting bloc for the party, in 2024. "We can't lose our most dependable base because we're chasing rainbows," she told the outlet. "You've gotta know where your bread is buttered. Invest there."Original article source: Ex-DNC chair complains Democrats expected him to 'just rubber-stamp' plans during 2024 campaign
