Obama: I Worry About Progressives Forming ‘Circular Firing Squad’ and Going After Allies

Former President Barack Obama offered some criticism for progressives at an Obama Foundation event in Berlin on Saturday.

Obama spoke to young leaders in the audience about civic engagement and said at one point, “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, ‘Oh, I’m sorry. This is how it’s going to be.'”

He even said they end up forming a “circular firing squad” and going after allies because “one of them is straying from purity on the issues”:

“When that happens, typically the overall effort and movement weakens. So I think whether you are speaking as a citizen or as a political leader or as an organizer, whether you’re in the non-profit space or civic space, or you’re in the political arena, you have to recognize that the way we structure democracy requires you to take into account people who disagree with you.”

You can watch above, via the Washington Post.

[image via screengrab]

from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2D3BDvA