“He understands all his failings and flaws as a man, and you don’t seem to understand as well just exactly how messed up you are”
Former President Barack Obama has a new podcast with rock star Bruce Springsteen and the two sat for an interview with CBS today to promote it.
Obama explained that he thought one of the issues causing the political divide in America is that some want change to happen rapidly while others prefer a slower more cautious approach.
“You end up having, on the one hand, change happening very rapidly, too rapidly for a big portion of the population,” Obama said. “For another portion of the population, it’s like, ‘You know, how long are we gonna keep having to defer this dream?’”
CBS co-host Anthony Mason asked Springsteen if he saw himself as an “outsider” and the boss took the opportunity to bash Trump. He said:
“That’s the American story, you know? When I was young, I felt voiceless. I felt invisible, and I think we’re in trouble and that a lot of people do feel very voiceless.
“And Donald Trump was, you know, he had the cynicism and the carny ability to play on that part of our weakness.
“It’s just frightening, you know?
“We’re living in a frightening time.
“The stewardship of the nation has been thrown away to somebody who doesn’t have a clue as to what that means. And unfortunately, we have somebody who I feel doesn’t have a grasp of the deep meaning of what it means to be an American.
“I think we’re going to be in a lot of trouble if you can’t find a way to engage a lot of people who feel disaffected — whether it’s by technological change, whether it’s by the post-industrialization,” Springsteen said.
Obama said:
“I think that part of what we tried to do in the podcast was to get everybody to feel a little more willing to recognize, you know, our own faults.
“Michelle says, ‘You know, you need to spend more time with Bruce.
“I said, ‘Well, why’s that?’ She says, ‘Well, he understands all his failings and flaws as a man, and you don’t seem to understand as well just exactly how messed up you are.
“I said, ‘You’re right,’” Obama said laughing.
