Obama praises the “power of pluralism” while some Democrats urge to pass the torch

By Jeff Mason and Andrea Shalal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Former U.S. President Barack Obama, who has remained largely silent in the weeks since Vice President Kamala Harris’ election defeat, urged a new generation of American leaders on Thursday to talk to people they disagree with.

Speaking at a “democracy forum” sponsored by his foundation, the former president said he was convinced that a renewed commitment to pluralistic principles was essential to the survival of democracy.

“The alternative is what we have seen here in the United States and in many democracies around the world — not just more gridlock, not just public cynicism, but an increased willingness by politicians and their supporters to violate democratic norms.” do everything they can to get their way.

Obama discussed the “power of pluralism” with thousands of live and online participants at a deeply divided moment in U.S. history and a troubling time for Democrats as Republican Donald Trump returns to the White House.

Creating lasting majorities that support justice requires “framing our problems, our concerns and what we believe in in terms of ‘we’ and not just in terms of ‘us and them,'” he said .

But that doesn’t mean you have to retreat if your opponents abuse their power, he said. “That is a problem. And when that happens, we fight for what we believe in.”

While the 63-year-old Obama remains in high demand to campaign for his fellow Democrats, some in the party are calling for a group of younger leaders to take the baton after Harris lost all the battleground states and the popular vote to the Democrats Representatives have lost control of the House of Representatives and Senate.

“I think he would be the first to agree,” David Axelrod, a former Obama senior adviser, told Reuters. “I think he would say he has mastered his race and we need others to step up.”

“Time moves on, and I think he would say … we need a whole range of leaders, and there are young leaders in the Democratic Party who are dynamic and very much in tune with the times, who are standing up and playing a role can “big role.”

Disappointing results for Democrats in November, including dwindling support among working-class and Latino voters, led to a furious blame game within the party and an attempt by some to push for new talent.

“I’ve always been a proponent of a new generation of leadership in the party and I think that’s what people are yearning for,” Rep. Seth Moulton, a Democrat from Massachusetts, told Reuters.

“That doesn’t mean the Obama magic is completely gone, but Obama will not be a future president. Obama is not running for Senate. We need to hear from newer voices that can better represent the fears and struggles Americans face today.”

Obama and his wife, Michelle, have campaigned across the country and remain popular among the party’s base. Behind the scenes, they exert influence through fundraising and a deep network of allies and former employees.

But despite successful fundraising efforts and powerful speeches, Obama failed to help Harris win this year. Democratic candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also failed to win the presidency in 2016 despite his support.

Advisers from his former inner circle who joined Harris’ campaign after President Joe Biden resigned are drawing criticism for failing to acknowledge mistakes in managing the 2024 cycle.

A day after the Nov. 5 election, the Obamas issued a statement congratulating Trump and saying, “Progress requires that we show good faith and grace — even to people with whom we deeply disagree.”

Obama made history as the first black president of the United States, running comfortably over his Republican opponents: more than seven percentage points in 2008 and nearly four in 2012.

But American politics has changed since then, some strategists say.

“His two victories seem all the more remarkable in retrospect given how much of the coalition Republicans built around Trump revolved around racial politics,” said Jeff Timmer, chief operating officer of the Lincoln Project, a former Republican political consulting group. who opposed Trump, who had worked before her to elect Harris and Biden.

Obama campaigned hard for Biden, who won in 2020, but his words on the campaign trail this year backfired on at least one occasion. During a stop in Pennsylvania, he appeared to lecture black men about their reluctance to vote for a woman, sparking criticism from some black activists.

However, demand for the former president has been high this year. Democratic congressional candidates like Senator-elect Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, Senator-elect Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Senator-elect Ruben Gallego of Arizona sought Obama’s help, got it and won.

“Is this the ultimate end to the Obama years? Maybe,” said Michael Feldman, a communications consultant and former adviser to Al Gore, looking ahead to the 2024 election. “Will he and she (Mrs. Obama) still be the two most popular figures within the party for the foreseeable future? The answer is absolute.”

(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Andrea Shalal; Additional reporting by Heather Timmons; Editing by Heather Timmons, Deepa Babington and Diane Craft)