Source: Bloomberg
The presidency ‘is not hosting a talk show,’ Obama says
Obama says he’ll eventually have opinion on Democratic primary
“I continue to believe Mr. Trump will not be president,” Obama said Tuesday at a news conference after meeting with Southeast Asian leaders in Rancho Mirage, California. “And the reason is, I continue to have faith in the American people. And I think they realize that being president of the United States is a serious job. It’s not hosting a talk show.”
While Obama again criticized the tone and substance of the Republican primary campaign, he described the Democratic contest as a “healthy debate.” He didn’t say whether he would endorse his former secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, or her challenger, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, but allowed that he and Clinton may more often agree on policy.
“I know Hillary better than I know Bernie, because she’s served in my administration, and she was an outstanding secretary of state,” Obama said. “And I suspect that, on certain issues, she agrees with me more than Bernie does.”
Sanders rode support from young and first-time voters to a decisive victory in New Hampshire and a close second place in Iowa, the primary’s first two nominating contests. Clinton remains the front-runner in national polls, and she is seeking to rebound in the next two nominating contests — the Nevada caucuses on Saturday and the South Carolina primary a week later.
“Ultimately I will probably have an opinion” on the contest, Obama said. “But for now I think it’s important for Democratic voters to express themselves and for candidates to be run through the paces.”
If Sanders, who caucuses with Senate Democrats but identifies himself as a democratic socialist, prevails in Nevada, Obama will face new pressure from party leaders to intervene in the nominating contest ahead of South Carolina.
Black voters, who propelled Obama to a victory in South Carolina over Clinton in 2008, remain loyal to the president and represented more than half the Democratic electorate that year. Clinton currently holds a 21-point lead in the state, according to a survey from Democratic pollster Public Policy Polling released Monday.
Obama has previously made comments interpreted as hints that he would prefer Clinton as the Democratic nominee. In an interview with Politico, Obama called Clinton “wicked smart” while characterizing Sanders as a “bright, shiny object” that appealed to frustrated liberals.
Former White House press secretary Jay Carney said Feb. 11 on CNN that Obama wants Clinton to win.
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