Obama encourages Democrats to focus on winning back House, not "tactical differences"

Former President Barack Obama urged Democrats to "meet the moment" astatine a Los Angeles fundraiser with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries connected Sunday. 

"The short-term strategy is, triumph the House of Representatives," stated the erstwhile president, garnering applause. "Because that's going to beryllium the circuit breaker that volition springiness america power of 1 large constituent of the national government. With that arsenic a bulwark, we're present capable to artifact immoderate of the worst impulses that are coming retired of this White House." 

The erstwhile president laid retired a two-pronged strategy for Democrats: to reclaim a House bulk adjacent year, and to enactment connected honing the party's messaging successful the coming years. 

"Long term, let's archer a story, a amended communicative astir who we are arsenic Americans and what we share," Obama said, according to excerpts shared with CBS News. "We person to archer the communicative that makes radical who consciousness extracurricular that process, we've got to bring them backmost in." 

He besides encouraged Democrats to stay unified. 

"The information is that AOC and Chuck Schumer and Bernie Sanders and Blue Dog, they really hold successful making definite that radical person a surviving wage, they tin enactment a family," Obama said, arguing that astir Americans aren't focused connected the party's "nerdy," "college seminar"-style interior debates. "Of people determination are going to beryllium immoderate tactical differences, but that shouldn't beryllium our superior interest due to the fact that we're warring a bigger fight."

The speech with Leader Jeffries, who helium alluded to arsenic the "soon-to-be Speaker," was portion of an lawsuit held by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the fundraising limb for House Democrats. It besides touched connected redistricting efforts crossed the state arsenic good arsenic however to code the affordability crisis.  

"If we bring vigor and clarity and committedness to talking astir things similar affordability and making definite radical person wellness attraction erstwhile they request it, and that they person the ability, if they enactment hard, to beryllium capable to enactment a household and make a amended aboriginal for their children and their grandchildren, … it resonates with people, and we person to person assurance successful that," Obama said. 

Most Democrats are keen to absorption connected economical frustrations successful the midterms. A late November CBS News canvass recovered nationalist sentiment astir the system deed its lowest level this twelvemonth with lone 32% of respondents describing it arsenic "good." Nearly two-thirds said prices are going up, portion 77% said President Trump is not spending capable clip connected the system and inflation. 

Mr. Trump traveled to Pennsylvania past week to tout his economical docket and beforehand a GOP taxation chopped measure passed earlier this year. In an interrogation with the Wall Street Journal connected Friday, the president wouldn't accidental if his policies would boost legislature Republicans' prospects astatine the ballot container adjacent fall. 

"I can't archer you. I don't cognize erstwhile each of this wealth is going to footwear in," helium told the paper.  

"We'll spot what happens," Mr. Trump added. "We should win. But, you know, statistically, it's precise pugnacious to win. Yeah, it doesn't marque sense." 

Obama described Mr. Trump's ascendance arsenic a "wake-up call," but said helium was "not wholly surprised" by caller off-year Democratic wins. 

The erstwhile president campaigned this autumn for gubernatorial candidates Mikie Sherill of New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, who both won their races successful November by double-digit margins. Obama pointed to Democrats' newfound optimism since those victories, noting that helium spent overmuch of his clip aft Mr. Trump's instrumentality to bureau "talking radical disconnected of ledges." 

"I deliberation we tin each consciousness a caller energy," Obama said.