LF: Obama hints Trump is capitalizing on racism to turn working-class Americans against him as he frets that Republicans think 'somehow I'm different'

Title: Obama hints Trump is capitalizing on racism to turn working-class Americans against him as he frets that Republicans think 'somehow I'm different'
Source: Daily Mail Online
URL Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art ... blicans-think-m-different.html
Published: Dec 22, 2015
Author: Nikki Schwab
Post Date: 2015-12-22 08:37:58 by cranky
Keywords: None
Views: 1239
Comments: 5

President Obama said that Republican frontrunner Donald Trump was exploiting the fears of blue-collar men to gain political traction, while suggesting that some 'specific strains' of the Republican base didn't care for him because he was the first African-American president.

Those voters 'suggest that somehow I'm different, I'm Muslim, I'm disloyal to the country, etc., which unfortunately is pretty far out there and gets some traction in certain pockets of the Republican Party,' Obama observed.

'That's probably pretty specific to me and who I am and my background,' he added.

The president sat down with National Public Radio's Steve Inskeep where he was asked about what was motivating voters' attitudes in the country and why people were, particularly, interested in Donald Trump.

President Obama suggested that Republican frontrunner Donald Trump was exploiting the fears of 'blue-collar men' in order to win votes

President Obama sat down for an interview with National Public Radio where he discussed what was motivating Donald Trump voters and whether Obama's race made him more prone to dislike among the GOP

Obama explained that while he's seen a lot of social progress – on progressive issues like gay marriage – there are swaths of Americans who feel left behind.

'I think we are — when I talk to my daughters and their friends, I think they are more tolerant, more welcoming of people who are different than them, more sophisticated about different cultures and what's happening around the world,' the president noted.

However, because of economic stresses, Obama articulated, including the flat-lining of wages, 'particularly blue-collar men have had a lot of trouble in this new economy,' he noted.

'You combine those things and it means that there is going to be potential anger, frustration, fear,' the president said. 'Some of it justified, but just misdirected. I think somebody like Mr. Trump is taking advantage of that.'

Inskeep noted how some of those anxieties were particularly focused on President Obama.

'Do you feel over seven years that you've come to understand why it is that some ordinary people in America believe or fear that you are trying to change the country in some way that they cannot accept?' the NPR journalist asked.

Obama asked the reporter if he was referring to the fact that he was the country's first African-American president.

President Obama suggested that plenty of other presidents weren't liked by swaths of the country pointing to Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and FDR

'I don't know if that's all of it,' Inskeep replied.

'I'm sure that's not all of it,' Obama replied, though noted that 'somebody questioning whether I was born in the United States or not,' was something that 'may gain traction because of my unique demographic.'

'I don't think that that's a big stretch,' the president added.

Obama continued, saying that there were always going to be people who were frustrated.

'Some of them may not like my policies, some of them may just not like how I walk, or my big ears or, you know,' he said. 'So I mean no politician I think aspires to 100 percent approval ratings.'

He also said that often the more personal attack sometimes worked better, using the example of voters who live in a town that has historically relied on the coal industry for jobs.

''It doesn't matter if I tell them actually it's probably because natural gas is a lot cheaper now so it doesn't pay to build coal plants,' Obama said.

'If somebody tells you that this is because of Obama's war on coal, well, you, know that's an argument you may be sympathetic to,' the president continued.

'And that's perfectly legitimate,' he added.

Obama said that if Inskeep was referring to some of the 'specific virulence' spewed at the current resident of the White House, 'that may be explained by the particulars of who I am,' Obama said.

On the other hand, Obama said, aiming ire at presidents isn't unique to his presidency.

'I always try to remind people, that goodness, if you look at what they said about Jefferson or Lincoln or FDR — finding reasons not to like a president, that's, you know, a well-traveled path here in this country,' Obama said, concluding the interview.

Its choice that you claim Trump is using racism when you used it to get to the white house. What do we expect from a socialist/communist/marxist!