Obama urges Democrats to mobilize to vote: 'You are right to be concerned'

(Image credit: Getty Images)

last updated 29 June 2018

Former President Barack Obama didn't say President Trump's name when speaking at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in Beverly Hills, California, on Thursday, but he didn't have to, Politico reports. "Fear is powerful," Obama told his audience. "Telling people that somebody's out to get you, or somebody took your job, or somebody has it out for you, or is going to change you, or your community, or your way of life — that's an old story and it has shown itself to be powerful in societies all around the world. It is a deliberate, systematic effort to tap into that part of our brain that carries fear in it."

Obama's words marked his first public comments in months, and he took the opportunity to assure Democrats that "you are right to be concerned." He urged his supporters to vote, or otherwise "this democracy doesn't work."

"Do not wait for the perfect message, don't wait to feel a tingle in your spine because you're expecting politicians to be so inspiring and poetic and moving that somehow, 'Okay, I'll get off my couch after all and go spend the 15-20 minutes it takes for me to vote,'" said Obama. "Because that's part of what happened in the last election. I heard that too much." Read more about what he said at Politico.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

Explore More

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox