Former President Barack Obama (D) appeared at a town hall event in Berlin on behalf of the Obama Foundation. One of the issues that came up with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and whether or not they're doing more harm than good, The Hill reported.
"One of the things I do worry about sometimes among progressives in the United States —maybe it’s true here as well — is a certain kind of rigidity where we say, 'Uh, I’m sorry, this is how it’s going to be,' and then we start sometimes creating what’s called a 'circular firing squad,' where you start shooting at your allies because one of them has strayed from purity on the issues. And when that happens, typically the overall effort and movement weakens," he explained.
With the continuous fighting the Democratic Party has, especially about whether or not to go hard left, Obama's words are rather insightful.
"So I think whether you are speaking as a citizen or as a political leader or as an organizer … you have to recognize that the way we structure democracy requires you to take into account people who don’t agree with you, and that by definition means you’re not going to get 100 percent of what you want," Obama said.
His time as a community organizer, United State senator and president provided him with a unique insight into how the political process works.
"You should take some time to think in your own mind and continually refine and reflect, 'What are my core principles?' Because the danger is if you don’t know what your principles are, that’s when you compromise your principles away," he explained. "You can’t set up a system in which you don't compromise on anything, but you also can’t operate in a system where you compromise on everything."
As we head into the 2020 election, the Democratic Party remains divided on a number of issues, including the Green New Deal, health care and immigration reform.
Now the question becomes: Will Democrats listen to Obama's worries or will the infighting continue to further divide the party? Only time will tell.
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