(RightWing.org) – Apparently oblivious to the winds of change, former President Barack Obama turned the reins of the Democratic Party over to Hillary Clinton, thinking she would easily sail to victory in 2016, aided by his advice. Now, roughly eight years later, he has crept out of his corner and started lecturing a couple of Republican presidential hopefuls about how to win.
Obama sat down for an in-depth interview with his former campaign strategist David Axelrod’s podcast, which aired on CNN on June 15. The longtime associates discussed how non-white conservative politicians Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley were approaching the topic of race in their respective campaigns.
Obama bashes Nikki Haley and Tim Scott on race relations: ‘Long list of minority candidates in GOP who say everything is great’ https://t.co/oUqmftBD0Y pic.twitter.com/Wrh1V6YQIo
— New York Post (@nypost) June 16, 2023
Axelrod initiated that portion of the interview by pointing out that Scott’s rhetoric reminded him of Obama’s keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Obama attributed the rise of his political career to the country’s progress regarding race relations and opportunity. Axelrod went on to distinguish between the two men, claiming that Scott promotes the idea that racism and discrimination are a part of the past.
Picking up his cue, Obama accused Haley of having a “similar approach.” He said the Republican Party had a long history of pandering to “African American or other minority candidates,” promoting the idea that everything is great now. Obama cautioned that GOP hopefuls must embrace “an honest accounting” of the country’s racist past.
Obama conceded that Republicans like Scott and Haley “may even be sincere” when proclaiming they want Americans to live together peacefully. However, if they don’t have a plan for addressing “crippling generational poverty” created by “hundreds of years of racism,” their campaigns could be doomed for failure.
Twisting the knife, Obama said voters were “rightly skeptical” of a candidate’s qualifications if they weren’t “willing to acknowledge… discrimination in everything from [obtaining] a job to [purchasing] a house” to understanding the inherent bias of the nation’s “criminal justice system.”
There is no higher compliment than being attacked by President Obama.
The Left is threatened by my candidacy.
Why? Because the truth of my life disproves their lies. pic.twitter.com/RTIGR4K9Qh
— Tim Scott (@votetimscott) June 18, 2023
Barack Obama had 8 years to pull our country together, but he chose to further divide us by race and gender. Now he’s doubling down by accusing America of being defined by racism.
Not on my watch. https://t.co/JrXPE70DxK
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) June 21, 2023
Obama’s unwilling pupils quickly responded to his campaign advice. Scott pointed out that the “truth of his life” disproved the “lies of the radical left.” He also said that there’s no greater compliment than being singled out by Obama for criticism. Haley eviscerated the former president’s remarks accusing him of hurting minorities by “singling them out as victims” instead of encouraging and “empowering them.”
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