|
 Obama said both Sanders and Hillary Clinton, his former Secretary
of State, share similar views on core issues like income inequality,
but said Clinton faces the disadvantage of being well-known "in a
culture in which new is always better."
"I think Bernie came in with the luxury of being a complete long
shot and just letting loose," Obama told the political news website.
"I think Hillary came in with the both privilege and burden of being
perceived as the front-runner."
Obama, who won the Democratic nomination over Clinton in 2008,
lauded her experience, saying it will help her govern if she wins
but described her campaign as "cautious."
"Her strengths, which are the fact that she’s extraordinarily
experienced, and, you know, wicked smart and knows every policy
inside and out, sometimes could make her more cautious and her
campaign more prose than poetry," he said.
 The interview was the first time Obama discussed in detail the
Democratic race and comes just ahead of the first contests to pick a
nominee for the November election: Iowa, on Feb. 1, and New
Hampshire, on Feb. 9.
He did not explicitly endorse a candidate, and mentioned only once
in passing former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, who trails in
polls.
Sanders has surged in recent polls in Iowa and leads Clinton in New
Hampshire. Still, Clinton holds the edge nationally, with nearly 56
percent support to Sanders' 36 percent in the most recent
Reuters/Ipsos polling.
Still Obama, asked whether Sanders reminded him of himself, told
Politico: "I don’t think that's true."
[to top of second column] |
Sanders' campaign manager Jeff Weaver on Monday also rejected the
idea that Sanders is a repeat of Obama, although he pointed to
similarities in their campaigns' momentum and the large crowds their
rallies have attracted.
"They're obviously very different people," Weaver told CNN.
Obama said if Sanders wins Iowa or New Hampshire, he will face the
intense scrutiny the media has long given Clinton, subjecting him
and his policies "to a rigor that hasn't happened yet."
Obama also said Sanders would need to broaden his message to
continue to succeed.
"I will say that the longer you go in the process, the more you’re
going to have to pass a series of hurdles that the voters are going
to put in front of you, because the one thing everybody understands
is that [with] this job right here, you don’t have the luxury of
just focusing on one thing," he said.
(Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Additional reporting by Susan Heavey;
Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
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