Obama reflects on a past 'mistake' and Democratic priorities in new interview

Former President Barack Obama was interviewed on the podcast Pod Save America, where he talked about a "mistake" in his presidency and called Democrats "buzzkills."
The mistake Obama was referring to was his response to previous uprisings that took place in Iran back in 2009, CNN reports. He specifically referred to the protests from the Green Movement, which advocated for democracy amid claims of a fraudulent election. Looking back, the former president disapproved of his decision to not "publicly affirm what was going on with the Green Movement," saying the U.S. should always "express some solidarity" when people are fighting for freedom. Instead, because "the activists were being accused of being tools of the West" and he worried he'd "be undermining their street cred in Iran if I supported what they were doing" (and likely didn't want to upend progress on the nuclear deal), he was initially publicly neutral.
Obama also argued that Democrats can be a "buzzkill" and said they could be better at connecting with their voter base, The Guardian reports.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Obama said Democrats tend to get too offended and most people want "acknowledgment that life is messy and that all of us ... can say things the wrong way, make mistakes." As the midterms approach, Obama discussed the importance of being a "little more real and a little more grounded" as a way to counteract outlandish claims by right-wing media.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
June 22 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include a SpaceX flight, Bibi pulling Donald Trump toward war, and an ICE agent looking like a bank robber
-
5 bunker-busting cartoons about the Israel-Iran war
Cartoons Political cartoonists take on Iran waiting for Pete Hegseth to leak war plans and Donald Trump's wish for a Nobel prize
-
Malaysia's delicious food and glorious beaches
The Week Recommends From 'colourful' George Town to the 'jungled interior' of Langkawi, Malaysia is incredibly diverse
-
Will Iranians revolt?
Talking Point The chasm between Iran's rulers and their subjects is 'as great now as it was when Iranians toppled the Shah'
-
Can MAGA survive a US war on Iran?
Talking Points Trump's wavering sparks debate about 'America First'
-
'The Minnesota attacks join a grim catalog of political violence'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Can Iran's government survive war with Israel?
Talking Points 'Regime change' may be on the agenda
-
Trump ramps up Iran threats, demands 'surrender'
Speed Read Trump met with his top aides in the Situation Room on Tuesday
-
Iran's allies in the Middle East and around the world
The Explainer Tehran will look to Middle East proxies and other authoritarian 'Crink' states for backing in its war with Israel
-
'Retailers have a role to play, too'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump's LA deployment in limbo after court rulings
Speed Read Judge Breyer ruled that Trump's National Guard deployment to Los Angeles was an 'illegal' overreach. But a federal appellate court halted the ruling.