Many, if not most, Democrats seemingly hate President Donald J. Trump. Therefore, one would think the 45th president of the United States would be lambasted at a Democratic primary debate.
Shockingly, Trump wasn’t the president candidates appeared to take the most issue with at last Wednesday’s fiery debate. Rather, presidential contenders launched attacks at one of their own — former President Barack Obama. And, this unexpected phenomena left multiple onetime Obama administration officials furious.
Besides former officials, Obama himself was also reportedly less than thrilled with last week’s debate developments according to TheBlaze. Candidates took jabs at the Obama legacy in an attempt to undermine the front runner of the 2020 Democratic presidential field, former Obama Vice President Joe Biden. Going after Biden, none of the 44th president’s actions were off limits. Candidates eviscerated Biden over the Obama administration’s trade deals, deportations, and even Obamacare.
No doubt, many in the audience and watching from home were rendered speechless at the uncanny turn of events. Late on the night of the debate, former Obama Attorney General Eric Holder tweeted, “To my fellow Democrats. Be wary of attacking the Obama record. Build on it. Expand it. But there is little to be gained — for you or the party — by attacking a very successful and still popular Democratic President.”
The morning following the debate, Rahm Emanuel, former Obama White House chief of staff, maintained to CNN that presidential contenders criticizing his old boss weren’t doing things right.
“Everybody has got to be kidding me here. You have a perfect set up. President Trump is suing to undue [Obamacare]. We won an election on it. I don’t get this,” he said.
The left-leaning media outlet reported that the 44th president of the United States “has privately expressed exasperation at some policy proposals and promises that he believes are unrealistic. And he and people around him question the wisdom in assailing the record of a popular ex-president rather than the unpopular-by-comparison current one.”
The fallout didn’t stop with Democrats who previously worked in the Obama administration. Politico reported that many liberals are “seething” over the Obama attacks during last week’s debate. Allegedly, one of Politico’s reporters got cold called by the former chairman of the Democratic Black Caucus of Florida, Henry Crespo, who was irate about the criticisms about Obama’s legacy.
“What is wrong with our party? It’s like they want to lose,” Crespo said.
On the August 2nd broadcast of Fox News’ “The Five,” co-host Greg Gutfeld questioned Democrats’ strategy to throw Obama under the bus.
“Every idea 10 years ago that was seen as sensible is now judged by these extreme criteria that combine intersectionality and identity politics,” Gutfeld said. “At this rate, they will be tearing down statues of Obama before they’re even built. Because that’s where they’re going.”
Gutfeld went on to say the jabs only prove Trump’s points.
“They’re just proving that Trump was right,” the host added. “These problems already existed before Trump became president. He’s only been here for three years. Immigration and health care and deficits and trade — all this stuff was there and some of it for decades.”
Gutfeld contended that candidates might be correct in judging Obama in a negative light. However, he maintained that the sole purpose of their strategy is due to changing views within the Democratic Party. He said, “So maybe they’re right to go after Obama. But the reason why they’re going after him, right, is because … they’ve moved the goalposts.”
Sensing they might have made a critical mistake, some 2020 Democratic presidential candidates heaped praise on Obama after the debate. On the day after the spectacle, Senator Cory Booker stated, “Heck, if [Obama] was running for president for a third term, I wouldn’t be running.”
On the same day, Senator Kamala Harris remarked that she had “nothing but praise for President Obama.” The 2020 Democratic presidential candidate told reporters, “I think he did great work. We talked about the health care system. Many presidents before him tried to reform America’s health care system. He actually got it done.”
It’s amazing the difference a day, and some sharp criticisms about debate performances, can make.
