Obama: Trump exploiting blue-collar fears in campaign

[webfact]

Obama: Trump exploiting blue-collar fears in campaign
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE

HONOLULU (AP) — President Barack Obama, in a broadside against the leading Republican presidential candidate, says billionaire Donald Trump is "exploiting" the fears that working-class men in particular have about the economy and stagnant wages.

In a year-end interview with NPR News, Obama said demographic changes combined with the "economic stresses" people have been feeling because of the financial crisis, technology and globalization have made life harder for those who rely on a steady paycheck.

"Particularly blue-collar men have had a lot of trouble in this new economy, where they are no longer getting the same bargain that they got when they were going to a factory and able to support their families on a single paycheck," Obama said in the radio interview released Monday. "You combine those things and it means that there is going to be potential anger, frustration, fear. Some of it justified but just misdirected."

"I think somebody like Mr. Trump is taking advantage of that. That's what he's exploiting during the course of his campaign," Obama said.

Trump has called for temporarily banning Muslims from entering the U.S., and has made inflammatory comments about Hispanics and others.

Obama sat for the interview last Thursday after returning from the National Counterterrorism Center, where he received a pre-holiday briefing on potential threats to the homeland. He said publicly after the briefing that his national security advisers had no specific, credible information suggesting a potential attack against the homeland. Obama left Washington on Friday for two weeks of vacation in his native Hawaii.

Obama told NPR News that criticism of his strategy to combat the Islamic State group was warranted and that the administration's failure to keep the public informed about his strategy for countering the IS group has contributed to the public's fears that not enough is being done to protect them.

"I think that there is a legitimate criticism of what I've been doing and our administration has been doing in the sense that we haven't, you know, on a regular basis I think described all the work that we've been doing for more than a year now to defeat ISIL," Obama said, using an acronym for IS.

The group claimed responsibility for an attack in mid-November that killed 130 people in Paris.

U.S. authorities blamed the shooting deaths of 14 people at a holiday party in San Bernardino, California, earlier this month on a radicalized married couple who pledged allegiance to an IS leader in a Facebook post after they had opened fire.

Both attacks heightened fears of terrorism in the U.S. and led to widespread criticism of Obama's response.

If people don't know about the thousands of airstrikes that have been launched against IS targets since August 2014, or aren't aware that towns in Iraq once controlled by the group have been retaken, "then they might feel as if there's not enough of a response," Obama said.

"And so part of our goal here is to make sure that people are informed about all the actions that we're taking," he said.

Obama outlined the strategy against IS in a nationally televised address from the Oval Office on Dec. 6, days after the San Bernardino shooting. Before leaving on vacation, Obama also tried to soothe public anxiety about attacks on the U.S. through a series of public appearances with members of his national security team following separate briefings on the Islamic State group and on potential threats to the U.S. homeland.

In the interview, Obama urged keeping the situation in perspective, saying IS "is not an organization that can destroy the United States."

"But they can hurt us, and they can hurt our people and our families. And so I understand why people are worried," he said. "The most damage they can do, though, is if they start changing how we live and what our values are, and part of my message over the next 14 months or 13 months that I remain in office is to just make sure that we remember who we are and make sure that our resilience, our values, our unity are maintained."

"If we do that then ISIL will be defeated," Obama said.

In other subjects discussed in the wide-ranging interview, Obama said:

—Democrats have a "good chance" of regaining control of the Senate in the 2016 elections.

—Campus activism is a "good thing," but protesters should be open to hearing opposing viewpoints when presented "respectfully and reasonably," instead of just trying to shut them down.

—The "specific virulence" of some of the opposition directed at him "may be explained by the particulars of who I am."


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-12-22

[NeverSure]

"Donald Trump is "exploiting" the fears that working-class men in particular have about the economy and stagnant wages Obama's economy and stagnant wages."

[ezzra]

Pretty much the Same when Obama took advantage on the American public who wanted to see a real change by electing a black president for the first time in the history of the US, the same as he let his own race down by making them think that black president will bring huge changes to the troubled minorities... Oh how wrong they all were...and what an unaspiring and

mediocre president he turned out to be....

[mpa]

If he could run for a 3rd time in a row he would be reelected believe it or not.

[Berkshire]

The President is being kind. What he could have said is that Trump is the biggest lying sack of sh*t in history...

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015-12-21/fact-checking-website-donald-trump-lies-76-percent-of-the-time

[NeverSure]

If he could run for a 3rd time in a row he would be reelected believe it or not.

Obama has the lowest public approval rating of any president in recent memory. He couldn't get elected to flip burgers in a hamburger joint. LINK

[dcpo]

Trump is good at appealing the powerful idiot block. He knows his audience, and he knows they wouldn't know bullshit if someone served it to them in a sandwich. Many of them hang out on TV.

[retarius]

What's wrong with playing on people's fears? Every politician does it….sometimes some even offer hope, like Obama in 2008. Trump's constituency is the poorly-educated white male who has lost out heavily and consistently since 1970. His job has been shipped abroad, his employer-provided health benefits are gone, he works for minimum wages driving a forklift storing Chinese made goods in a warehouse. He sees everybody passing him by, even his wife earns more than him, but not enough to avoid the foreclosure on his home that the bank did in 2010. He is part of the 47 million who don't earn enough to pay tax, one of the group that Romney famously killed off by saying that he would not be a president for them.

Britain has UKIP….America being bigger and better, has Trump.

[chilli42]

"Donald Trump is "exploiting" the fears that working-class men in particular have about the economy and stagnant wages Obama's economy and stagnant wages."

About change in general which they are unwilling or unable to process: a black president, a female speaker of the house, gay marriage, decriminalization of weed, increasingly non-white america, terrorism, jobs etc etc. Its rich ground to seed, white blue collar and farmers are in shock and denial. These people sure are not going to vote for Hillary ... but they are no longer the majority so what they want will not win an election for Trump.

[chilli42]

If he could run for a 3rd time in a row he would be reelected believe it or not.

Obama has the lowest public approval rating of any president in recent memory. He couldn't get elected to flip burgers in a hamburger joint. LINK

It's well understood that being a leader is not a popularity contest, its about making the right choices for the future of the country. Being a politician is all about being popular with voters and the money men. Obama has had to take many unpopular stands on issues ... but that is what leaders do. Trying to get anything agreed to by the blockheads in the Republican congress and senate would drive any sane person mad.

[JakeSully]

Though I don't agree with him, I understand Trump's appeal. He says flat out what a lot of Americans are thinking but don't dare say in public (thanks to media and unhinged political correctness). The problem isn't that 40% of GOP primary voters agree with him. The problem is that nearly 100% of Democrat, most independent voters and even most Republican voters don't agree with him and find him completely unelectable at best.

Whether you agree with Trump or not, if he wins the nomination, Hillary or Bernie will be the next president of the United States.

I say this as a liberal who misses the old GOP and is secretly hoping for a moderate Republican president that believes in Americans having a higher minimum wage, climate change and LBGT as equals and affordable healthcare as necessary to the country.

I do this because I don't believe that any liberal will be able to de-polarize the country at this point until the next Republican President openly admits these liberal battles and victories have made America better..

Edited December 22, 2015 by JakeSully

[ggt]

Is it just me...or is the President trying very hard to appear Presidential of late...actually meeting with his staff at the Pentagon...speaking to reporters on almost a daily basis...yet still his arrogance and jaded world-view do not allow him to come to grips with the reality of either the Islamic terrorists or home-grown terrorism...

Most everyone in Washington...but Obama...has concluded that the Obama doctrine on securing the ME is not working...will not work over time...and is a false narrative...yet Obama continues to conclude that the Islamic Terrorist are not a threat to the US and of little consequence in the ME...IMHO

[webfact]

Obama criticizes media's saturated coverage of terror attacks for amplifying fear about IS threat
English.news.cn

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama criticized the U.S. media's saturated coverage of recent terror attacks by Islamic State (IS) for whipping up the public's fear about the group's threat.

"Well, I think what's fair is that post-Paris you had a saturation of news about the horrible attack there. And ISIL combines viciousness with very savvy media operations," Obama said in an interview released Monday.

"And as a consequence, if you've been watching television for the last month, all you have been seeing, all you have been hearing about is these guys with masks or black flags who are potentially coming to get you," Obama said in the wide-ranging interview taped Thursday with the NPR News.

ISIL is an acronym used by Obama for IS, which has claimed responsibility for the massive terror attacks on Nov. 13 in Paris, France, that killed 130 people, and a shooting attack on Dec. 2 in San Bernardino, California, which killed 14 people.

Full story: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-12/22/c_134939173.htm

-- Xinhua 2015-12-22

[up-country_sinclair]

If he could run for a 3rd time in a row he would be reelected believe it or not.

Obama has the lowest public approval rating of any president in recent memory. He couldn't get elected to flip burgers in a hamburger joint. LINK

Sorry, but facts matter.

President Obama's approval rating is higher than his immediate predecessor. I can only presume that you remember President George W. Bush whose approval rating hit 25%.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/116500/presidential-approval-ratings-george-bush.aspx

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-03-31/obama-approval-ratings-for-7th-year-top-george-w-bush-s-so-far

Furthermore, presidential elections are determined by the electoral college, not popular vote (nor opinion polls). If President Obama proved anything in 2008 and 2012, it's that he was able to chart an easy path to 270. As a life long Republican, I'm glad he's off the ballot in 2016.

[mpa]

Obama has the lowest public approval rating of any president in recent memory.

So the polls say otherwise. Then why I keep reading and hearing about Obama running for president, breaking the protocol and getting elected again against all odds; Im sure it's not just a rumor. He is still popular somehow, I cannot tell for sure of course, perhaps I'm wrong, perhaps not...just read the previous post.

Edited December 22, 2015 by mpa

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

Wow, fear mongering in American politics??? Say it isn't so.......Who would have guessed?

FOX should be renamed to Keep Fear Alive news.

[up-country_sinclair]

I keep reading and hearing about Obama running for president, breaking the protocol and getting elected again against all odds; Im sure it's not just a rumor. He is still popular somehow, I cannot tell for sure of course, perhaps I'm wrong

It's not a question of "protocol", it's the 22nd ammendment to the US Constitution.

I'd be interested to know how you're "sure it isn't just a rumor"?

[mrwebb8825]

I keep reading and hearing about Obama running for president, breaking the protocol and getting elected again against all odds; Im sure it's not just a rumor. He is still popular somehow, I cannot tell for sure of course, perhaps I'm wrong

It's not a question of "protocol", it's the 22nd ammendment to the US Constitution.

I'd be interested to know how you're "sure it isn't just a rumor"?

the 22nd amendment says he can't serve more than 2 terms as president As A Member Of The Democratic Party. He can, however, run as an Independent and serve a 3rd term.

[ClutchClark]

The only fear this retired blue-collar worker has is the Democratic Party.

Doesn't anyone see the irony of Hilllary's remark?

The Democrats used to be the Party for Blue-Collar workers but now the Democrats cater to the unemployed and those on social welfare...offering free healthcare, free college educations, subsidized housing--the less you work the more you get.

I used to vote Democrat as often as Republican over the past 50+ years. I voted for Clinton. But I will never vote Democrat again after this Administration. They are no friend of the working class anymore.

Edited December 22, 2015 by ClutchClark

[sgtsabai]

Just exactly where did anyone get the idea that Obama has an approval rating lower than Cheney/Bush et al? Yes Congress rates lower than whale shit as it should but then again that is the Republicans who have refused to do anything except try to defund Obamacare and try to stop women's health programs. They just gave big oil a xmas present in the budget. They publicly stated from the day Obama took office they would block everything he tried to do, so far apparently a lot of dumb-ass Americans have fallen for it. Look I don't like Obama, he has codified the Constitutional destruction done under Cheney/Bush et al. The Republicans have played to the fears of the white folks, especially since the "Southern Strategy" was started and it was Ronald Regain that begun the destruction of Unions. Foreign "trade" deals have caused the destruction of the working/middle class and yes, it was Clinton doing with NAFTA and the repeal of Glass-Steagall. Obama's TPP and other secret corporate "trade" (not) deals if passed will seal the fate of America to a 3rd world country run by the rich and for the rich. I'll say this, the Republicans are very good at playing to fear and getting the blue collar workers to vote against their own interest. Oh, and the collapse of the economy occurred during the Cheney/Bush et al regime, not Obama's and it is Cheney/Bush et that is responsible for the unfunded wars and tax cuts to the rich who produce nothing while the middle/working class bear more and more of the tax burden. Some of you right wingers better do some real research instead of listening to hate (lying) radio and faux (not the) news right wing hate and propaganda.

[Chicog]

If he could run for a 3rd time in a row he would be reelected believe it or not.

Obama has the lowest public approval rating of any president in recent memory. He couldn't get elected to flip burgers in a hamburger joint. LINK

So which is it?

You're lying?

You're wrong?

You have selective memory issues?

Unless , of course, you mean "lowest public approval rating of any president as far as racist WASPs are concerned".

In which case I stand corrected.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/116479/barack-obama-presidential-job-approval.aspx

[Chicog]

I keep reading and hearing about Obama running for president, breaking the protocol and getting elected again against all odds; Im sure it's not just a rumor. He is still popular somehow, I cannot tell for sure of course, perhaps I'm wrong

It's not a question of "protocol", it's the 22nd ammendment to the US Constitution.

I'd be interested to know how you're "sure it isn't just a rumor"?

the 22nd amendment says he can't serve more than 2 terms as president As A Member Of The Democratic Party. He can, however, run as an Independent and serve a 3rd term.

Not that I'm American or anything, but where in the 22nd Amendment does it say someone can run for a third term under any circumstances?

Chuck where are you when I need you?

Section 1. No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once. But this article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.

Section 2. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states within seven years from the date of its submission to the states by the Congress.

Edited December 22, 2015 by Chicog

[JHolmesJr]

Does anyone of them not lie to further their own interests…it's the nature of the beast.

However, I fail to see what connection security from getting shot up or blown up in usa by islamic terrorists has with blue collar concerns on (their) economic progress.

Bit of a stretch.

[ClutchClark]

Sarge,

Its as if you quoted me directly in 90% of what you say above...but what you fail to see is that the Democrats just made a huge shift under Obama. They now support the lazy and chronically unemployed and wefare crowd more than they do the working men and women of this country.

Voting Democrat has become "voting more against ones self interest" than voting Republican.

Atleast when GOP cozies up to Corporate Interests they create jobs in America. And as much as I hated to see the Export Ban on Crude lifted, it is another example of job creation.

You are slow to see the shift in the Democratic Party.

And as for FOX, I don't listen or watch it anymore than I do CNN for the very same reasons--they are both distorted. Making such comments about FAUX news is really quite lazy anyway.

Is your Beta tape of "Billy Jack" almost worn out ? ;-)

[metisdead]

A flame post has been removed as well as a reply.

[ClutchClark]

I keep reading and hearing about Obama running for president, breaking the protocol and getting elected again against all odds; Im sure it's not just a rumor. He is still popular somehow, I cannot tell for sure of course, perhaps I'm wrong

It's not a question of "protocol", it's the 22nd ammendment to the US Constitution.

I'd be interested to know how you're "sure it isn't just a rumor"?

the 22nd amendment says he can't serve more than 2 terms as president As A Member Of The Democratic Party. He can, however, run as an Independent and serve a 3rd term.

No he can't.

[Chicog]

Atleast when GOP cozies up to Corporate Interests they create jobs in America. And as much as I hated to see the Export Ban on Crude lifted, it is another example of job creation.

My there are some whoppers coming out today.

Selling US resources (when they are not that valuable) for the benefit of Big Oil is "job creation"?

Giving American manufacturing jobs to the Chinese, Mexicans and Indians is "job creation"?

My word it must be a happy christmas in GOPLand.

Edited December 22, 2015 by Chicog

[ClutchClark]

Atleast when GOP cozies up to Corporate Interests they create jobs in America. And as much as I hated to see the Export Ban on Crude lifted, it is another example of job creation.

My there are some whoppers coming out today.

Selling US resources (when they are not that valuable) for the benefit of Big Oil is "job creation"?

Giving American manufacturing jobs to the Chinese, Mexicans and Indians is "job creation"?

My word it must be a happy christmas in GOPLand.

Hey Sexy, what jobs has Obama created?

I am not a fan of the GOP but I have become even less a fan of the Democrats. I guess you missed my point in your frenzy to label someone who has a different opinion from you a Conservative FOX loving Republican blah-blah-blah.

As for selling US resources "when they are not that valuable", I give you enough credit to fully realize those resources are not going to be at bargain basement discount for very long. Big Oil won't let that happen.

I used to enjoy your posts a couple years back but all you do anymore is try to antagonize and bait. You have most certsinly lost your sharp intellect. Quite sad really.

[ClutchClark]

Alright, the Trump suit with the Hecho in Mexico label is a good one.

Well done.

[Chicog]

Atleast when GOP cozies up to Corporate Interests they create jobs in America. And as much as I hated to see the Export Ban on Crude lifted, it is another example of job creation.

My there are some whoppers coming out today.

Selling US resources (when they are not that valuable) for the benefit of Big Oil is "job creation"?

Giving American manufacturing jobs to the Chinese, Mexicans and Indians is "job creation"?

My word it must be a happy christmas in GOPLand.

Hey Sexy, what jobs has Obama created?

I am not a fan of the GOP but I have become even less a fan of the Democrats. I guess you missed my point in your frenzy to label someone who has a different opinion from you a Conservative FOX loving Republican blah-blah-blah.

As for selling US resources "when they are not that valuable", I give you enough credit to fully realize those resources are not going to be at bargain basement discount for very long. Big Oil won't let that happen.

I used to enjoy your posts a couple years back but all you do anymore is try to antagonize and bait. You have most certsinly lost your sharp intellect. Quite sad really.

If you want to know what jobs Obama has created; I'd recommend the Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

Also, US oil is more valuable in Asia than the US, that's why they paid the GOP to add that item. It's a shame Obama signed it but he had to get the rest done.