Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 02:00 pm
It took five simple sentences for President Obama to destroy the myth of a divided Democratic Party while speaking at the White House.
Video:
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Transcript via The White House:
Q And on Sanders dropping out?
THE PRESIDENT: I think on the Democratic side, let’s let the process play itself out. You mentioned the delegate math. I think everybody knows what that math is. I think Senator Sanders has done an extraordinary job raising a whole range of issues that are important to Democratic voters as well as the American people, generally. And I know that at some point there’s going to be a conversation between Secretary Clinton and Bernie Sanders about how we move towards the convention.
The good news is that despite the fact that during the course of primaries everybody starts getting a little chippy — I’ve been through this, it’s natural, sometimes even more with the staffs and supporters than with the candidates themselves — the good news is, is that there’s a pretty strong consensus within the Democratic Party on the vast majority of issues.
There’s some disagreement about tactics. There’s some disagreement about political strategy or policy nuance. But both Secretary Clinton and Bernie Sanders believe that every American should have health care. So do I. Both candidates believe that we should be raising the minimum wage. Both candidates believe that we should invest in our infrastructure and put more people back to work. Both candidates believe that we should pass a comprehensive immigration reform policy that makes sure we’re enforcing laws and improving our legal immigration system and making sure our borders are secure, but also that we continue to enjoy the incredible boost that we get from attracting talent from all around the world. Both candidates agree that we should be prudent in terms of how we use our military and that we should care for our veterans when they come home.
So if you look at 95 percent of the issues, there’s strong agreement there. You don’t see the same kinds of divisions between the two Democratic candidates that remain that you’ve been seeing in some of the Republican debates.
President Obama cut through the media BS. He cut through the BS of the presidential campaigns and their supporters and laid it out in five sentences. Democrats agree with each other on the substance. There is no war for the policy direction of the Democratic Party. The dispute that is taking place is about how Democrats get there, not where they are going.
The Democratic Party isn’t on goals. Democrats know where they are going. The little spat that happened during the primary will have no impact on November.
Obama set the record straight, and it is the strong consensus within the party that bodes well for Democratic chances on Election Day.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
