It’s good to be back. What a fun trip it’s been…
I went back to my notes from breakfast with Barack, as they seem relevant to the recent turn of events:
“I am a risky proposition. If you ask who will likely win the election, I’d consider myself still an underdog. The press may not think so, but I do. But the upside is enormous. The way the race is emerging, it’s between me and Hillary. In her attack on my experience, she is saying ‘I know how things are done. I can manage the existing system.’ I am saying the system needs to change. That’s my pitch. If you agree that more of the same is not sufficient, then I am your best bet. If the status quo is manageable, then you have other choices.”
“This will be a sequential race, like it was for Kerry in the primary. It’s all up for grabs in the early states. Democratic primary voters are not inspired by Hillary, but they respect her. I do better with Independents and Republicans. With Hillary, the Democrats know what they are going to get. They are not yet sure if they can hand me the keys to the car.”
And from an earlier dinner event, responding to a question on his qualifications and experience:
“Look, I’ve been on the national scene for two years. People in Washington think nothing outside Washington counts. I’m applying for the most powerful job on Earth, and in case you didn’t notice I’m a 45 year old black guy. So there are some hurdles to be overcome. Experience is a proxy for judgment. Sometimes the experienced have bad judgment. No one has a better resume than Dick Cheney. At every stage there are a set of hurdles. I like clearing hurdles.”
(earlier photos & quotes)
Surviving the next 200+days
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