Obama: ‘If you don’t vote, that’s a vote for Trump’
ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Barack Obama speaks during the opening ceremony of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall in Washington on Saturday.
President Barack Obama’s message to black voters is simple: Stay at home on Election Day and it equates to a vote for Donald Trump.
In an interview on the “Steve Harvey Morning Show” that aired today, Obama warned against complacency.
“If you don’t vote, that’s a vote for Trump,” said Obama, who has become Hillary Clinton’s chief surrogate in appealing to African-American voters.
“If you vote for a third-party candidate who’s got no chance to win, that’s a vote for Trump. So the notion somehow that, ‘Well, you know, I’m not as inspired because Barack and Michelle, they’re not on the ballot this time, and, you know, maybe we kind of take it easy’ — my legacy’s on the ballot. You know, all the work we’ve done over the last eight years is on the ballot.”
In recent weeks, Obama has delivered fiery calls to black voters, urging them to get to the polls and support Clinton.
“I will consider it a personal insult — an insult to my legacy — if this community lets down its guard and fails to activate itself in this election,” he said at a gala hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus this month.
National and swing state polls show Clinton has strong support among African-American voters. Still, as polls narrow in several swing states, such as Ohio and Florida, Clinton is banking on black voters to help carry those states.
In 2008 and 2012, turnout among African-Americans reached all-time highs. Democrats’ challenge this cycle is to replicate that turnout in November with the nation’s first black president absent from the ballot.
In the interview, which was recorded Tuesday, Obama praised Clinton’s performance in the first debate a night earlier, saying she showed that she “is capable, tough, does her homework, cares about the same things I care about.”
“And then on the other side, you’ve got Mr. Trump, who is unqualified, doesn’t do his homework, doesn’t know basic facts that you need to know if you’re going to be president,” he added.
Obama referred to Trump’s comments about the former Miss Universe contestant he criticized after gaining weight, saying that someone who judges a person based on how they look and not based on “the content of their character … is not somebody I want in the Oval Office that my daughters are listening to, and that sons are listening to.”
“Across the board, you’ve got somebody who appears to only care about himself,” he said.
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(Times staff writer Michael A. Memoli contributed to this story.)
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©2016 Los Angeles Times
47 responses to “Obama: ‘If you don’t vote, that’s a vote for Trump’”
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interesting. when hannemann pulled out the “i look like you’ race card he was vilified and called out by inouye and other hawaii democrats.
at the congressional black caucus affair obama pulls out the race card saying, ““I will consider it a personal insult — an insult to my legacy — if this community lets down its guard and fails to activate itself in this election.”
and no one calls him out.
O is a racist pure & simple.
Keonigohan, agree with your post. Today, it is confirmed Hawaii born President Obama is a racist. It’s an accumulation of his words and actions over the 8 years he has been in office. Most Americans truly wished he was not a racist, but we can’t anymore.
Mahalo & I agree with your assessment.
Don’t let the door hit you in the arse, and don’t forget to pack up your wife, her mom, and the mom’s sister. You’ve been an absolute disaster for America. You, and the extreme left, aka (Democrats), have severely damaged the fabric of our society. You spent 8 years cheerleading the extreme left,instead of leading the nation. You divided the nation like never before. You’ve brought racism back in full force. You destroyed healthcare in America when you and all the rest of the Democrats swindled the country into your scam about insuring 40 million un-insured. You brought the power of the IRS and NSA against fellow Americans. You and Hillary lit north Africa on fire, and brought Muslim fanatics to a frenzy. You gave Iran a nuclear weapon factory, and allowed Putin to have his way with you. All in all, you’ve been an unmitigated disaster. America has fewer allies today than when you were given the oath, as your untrustworthiness gave us a reputation of disrespect around the globe. One can only hope that Americans have had enough, and that a majority still love the country, and will soundly defeat your socialist extreme left ideology. It will take quite a while to repair the damage you and the extreme left have done, but it’s possible. Interesting that you gave a speech at the National Museum of African American History, as you will go down in history as a disgrace to not only blacks, but the nation as a whole. In eight years you did absolutely nothing to help blacks or any other minority. Why on earth should they continue to believe the lies from your party? You’ve been an unrepentant liar, choosing over and over again to lie to the nation whenever it suit your need to further tear the fabric of our nation.
Excellent post by the way. Yep, somewhere a community is missing it’s organizer. Time to go little Barry Hussein. And while he was busy doing his fundamental transformation the majority of the country couldn’t bother to tune out their reality TV lifestyles and take note of what he was doing.
You are surely in the minority as the presidents approval rating is at a record high of 58%. The Chump and his supporters are a bunch of whiners and cry babies just like your candidate. He got his ass kicked and instead of admitting it he just complains like the 70 year old brat that he is. He wastes valuable time by complaining instead of preparing. The problem with his organization is HIM!
Remember the statistical certainty that half the population has below average intelligence. That’s Trump’s base.
Klastri, glad you finally admitted you have below average intelligence. Think the majority already knew that but it is good to have confirmation from you.
Hitaxpayer – It would probably help if you finally, at long last, learned to read. If you put your mind to that task, you might stop writing such ridiculous comments.
Klasti, you have intelligence way below average. Quit insulting other people in our country. You like Obama are a great divider.
klastri: your vainglorious posts are a constant source of humor. Keep it up!
Deplorable and pride of it. Crooked Hilary should look in the mirror. She and her elitist should look in the mirror. If Trump is dishonest what is she?
By the way you should change your tag to peanutforbrains.
Peanut, you are an effin nut job. The closer it gets to the full moon, the nuttier your posts get. Please take your Ambien and dream of lambs and green pastures.
If you do vote, vote for Donald Trump. Good job Peanut. Tell it like it is. The Kenyan will soon be history. “Make America Great Again” Hey Barry, how did that veto work out for you? Only one guy on your side and guess who that was? The second biggest loser.
We’ll see how that veto works out, when people of other nations sue the U.S., and hopefully, payments to settle the lawsuits come from the U.S. defense budget.
Nailed it!
Peanutgallery, excellent comment!
“Across the board, you’ve got somebody who appears to only care about himself…” Obama pretty much summed up his presidency, the most narcissistic president in history, now he wants a third term by electing HilLIARy, why would anybody listen to him. I can see Obama looking in the mirror and singing, “I’m just too good to be true oooh…..”
why should anyone listen to Obama? How about the economy has recovered. Now you republicans want to plunge the economy back into the deepest recession ever. Shame you no longer believe in republican values.
Those arguing that nirp/zirp are destroying banks and the banks need higher rates and larger spreads to improve margins and make money, etc. are missing half the picture. If rates rise on the toxic balance sheets the value of portfolios will collapse and rising rates will crash collateral for the loans, etc… So, in the end the banking system is screwed either way.
As far as the Fed being a servant of the govt, it would be much more accurate to call them partners in crime against the people they claim to serve… the Fed gets the printing press monopoly on money and bailouts in return for bankrolling govt expansion….. the govt serves the banking interests in return for perpetrating inflationism and financial repression on us… it is the ultimate in statist cronyism and parasitical symbiosis..
Cool, thanks for the advice Barry
Mr. Obama was the President of the United States for eight years.
Compare that to what you’ve accomplished in your life. Good luck with that analysis.
Come on klas-less it’s not us that we are talking about. You still don’t get it and more than likely never will. We are talking about the worst POTUS. Did a Presidential veto ever get over ridden by such a large amount? There’s his legacy.
You are now an expert at veto overrides? Please. You can barely put paragraphs together unless you cut and paste the work of others.
There is that word Worst again. No Sarge, the worst president was your hero G W Bush who inherited a budget surplus but left the country with a trillion plus deficit. So much for fiscal responsibility. He also started two never ending wars and he did what no “liberal” would ever do – Give Tax cuts during a time of War. Way to go but it is ok if you are republican. lol
As a side note G W was not my hero. Far from it.
I got more done and with better results.. You Klassy is a disaster.
So, becoming President makes you a better person than everyone else. Even you?
who wants to hear Obama speak he is a law breaker like Hillary, that means that birds with the same feather flock together.
I’m guessing you rather attend a Ku Klux Klan rally instead and hear Trump spew his hate speech to his like-minded supporters.
64hoo, yep and we now know it was the AG office that provided Ms Mills her immunity and not the FBI. Wow, went to the top (Obama) on this one.
How is Obama a law breaker like Hillary? After all it was reported today that the Donald did business with Cuba when he was not supposed to. Seems like it is the republican, again, who break the law.
very simple he went to Columbia university as a foreign student and did not pay any tuition even when he is a U.S. citizen. you break the law when you apply for a foreign exchange student. remember in an interview michelle said he paid back his college tuition, which means he broke the law and paid it back later, that’s just like when someone robs a bank and returns the money, he still gets prosecuted, so yes Obama broke the law and covered it up.
SA I am answering boots question about why Obama is a law breaker, what’s with the your comment is awaiting moderation are you trying to cover up for Obama to. lets see if you let my comment stand.
“If you don’t vote, that’s a vote for Trump,” said Obama,…”
Not true. If you don’t vote there is no vote to be counted for anyone.
If you don’t vote, then the electoral votes of your state will go to the candidate that received the most votes. In the case of Hawaii, that would be sweet Hillary.
The candidate with the most votes will get the electoral votes anyway. It has nothing to do with “If you don’t vote, that’s a vote for Trump,”
Hillary was always going to get Hawai’i. (Now that Uncle Bernie has been shuffled aside.)
I voted for Obama once . . . . . bad mistake.
Sure beats voting for G W Bush. lol
“(North Fork) concluded in their estimation that your net worth was actually $1.2 billion instead of $3.5 billion as you claimed. Are you aware of that?” asked O’Brien’s attorney, Andrew Ceresney.
Trump said he had not known that, but dismissed the quality of the bank’s opinion.
“The numbers are wrong,” he said.
North Fork wasn’t alone in marking down Trump’s net worth. Deutsche Bank also reviewed Trump’s finances as of 2004, deeming him to be worth “give or take $788 million,” Ceresney said in the deposition.
Hmmmn, this is pre-crash 2007-08, he loves debt financing, he always uses leverage and we know for a fact he has about 3/4 of a billion in documented debt. He is now balking, despite his campaigns pleas to place another 100 million in the race–seems at best, his net worth might be 2 billion or even less…….
Why worry, if HiLIARy can go from broke to an instant Millionaire Mr Trump will be fine.
So?
Will you and Michelle go away already. You are not royalty believe it or not.
“President Barack Obama’s message to black voters is simple: Stay at home on Election Day and it equates to a vote for Donald Trump.”
Just imagine if 8 years ago, GWB told white voters: Stay at home on Election day and it equates to a vote for Hussein Obama !!!!
More accurately, Obama should have said “if you were going to vote for Hillary and you stay home on Election Day it equates to a vote for Donald Trump”