Returning to the place where his political career — and his first
presidential campaign — began, President Obama visited the Illinois
capital Wednesday, renewing his call for healing the nation's partisan
discord and building a better electoral system.
Bemoaning a "poisonous political climate" that made citizens cynical and disillusioned and leaders unable to achieve great goals, Obama posed the challenge: "What can we do all of us together to try to make our politics better?"
He outlined a few solutions, none of them new: limiting the influence of money in politics — including a Constitutional amendment, if necessary; reforming the congressional redistricting process; and making it easier to register and vote.
At the same time, Obama said, the political culture needed to change
so that there was less inclination to lie to voters, insult rivals or
propose policies unsupported by science."Rather than reward the most
extreme voices, or divisive voices, or who is best at launching
schoolyard taunts, we should be insisting on a higher form of discussion
in our political life," Obama said.
He didn't name culprits, but said the fractured media environment enabled it. "If I listened to some of these pundits, I wouldn't vote for me either — I sound like a scary guy," he said.
Looming in the background was the race to succeed him.
Obama didn't mention either of the Democratic candidates, his former rival and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. But his legacy depends on one of them winning the White House, with both promising to build upon Obama's work.
For more detail Obama Returns to Where It All Began With Speech in Springfield, Ill.
Bemoaning a "poisonous political climate" that made citizens cynical and disillusioned and leaders unable to achieve great goals, Obama posed the challenge: "What can we do all of us together to try to make our politics better?"
He outlined a few solutions, none of them new: limiting the influence of money in politics — including a Constitutional amendment, if necessary; reforming the congressional redistricting process; and making it easier to register and vote.
He didn't name culprits, but said the fractured media environment enabled it. "If I listened to some of these pundits, I wouldn't vote for me either — I sound like a scary guy," he said.
Looming in the background was the race to succeed him.
Obama didn't mention either of the Democratic candidates, his former rival and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. But his legacy depends on one of them winning the White House, with both promising to build upon Obama's work.
For more detail Obama Returns to Where It All Began With Speech in Springfield, Ill.
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