Obama to young progressives: Get over being woke

[Polybius]

Former President Barack Obama has a message for the "politically woke" crowd that has become prolific on social media in recent years: Get over it.

Obama called out young progressives for being too ideologically rigid and judgmental during an interview Tuesday moderated by "Grown-ish" star Yara Shahidi at the Obama Foundation Summit in Chicago.

"This idea of purity and you're never compromised and you're always politically woke and all that stuff, you should get over that quickly," the two-term Democrat said. " The world is messy. There are ambiguities. People who do really good stuff have flaws. People who you are fighting may love their kids and share certain things with you."

Obama said he has particularly noticed the trend on college campuses he has visited with his daughter Malia. He described it as a "danger" that is "accelerated by social media."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/10/30/barack-obama-tells-woke-youth-get-over-quickly/4095362002/

[rainy]

1. So this country is so far right that we have D f-ing

Trump for president and the barely left is still being told to compromise by our leaders. We should be told to shake up the establishment, get out in the streets. Be creative. Mock wall street, Zuckerberg and the like. We are losing our democracy while trying not to rock the greedy, corrupt, racist, xenophobic, child caging boat.

[emulatorloo]

2. That's not what he said though. Not sure why you read this as "pro-Trump" or saying we shouldn't

protest.

[stopdiggin]

6. thanks. you're right. not what he said.

and the reaction has been largely (and sadly) what we're seeing here .. "how dare he criticize MY people .. when THOSE people ...."

no where did Obama say that activism (or indeed criticism) is wrong. try reading the statement again.

[MarcA]

7. Centrist Purity never compromises.

And I actually like President Obama. You would have thought
with what he experienced with the Rethugs that he would know
what the real enemy is.

[ritapria]

3. Not so much "Hope and Change"

[LanternWaste]

9. Lots of hope and change, he's merely suggesting which tools are...

Lots of hope and change, merely suggesting which tools are most effective and efficient in realizing that hope and that change.

[phleshdef]

4. He didn't say a single thing that isn't 100% true.

[New Breed Leader]

5. He's right. The purity has got to stop.

[BeyondGeography]

10. Republicans got over the need to compromise when Obama won by 10 million votes

I'm more interested in his take on that and where we can supposedly compromise with them than his disappointment in doctrinaire student tweeters.