# Obama on Iowa, Clinton, Sanders and 2016 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 25, 2016, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-on-iowa-clinton-sanders-and-2016/744201 "2016-01-25T20:26:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-on-iowa-clinton-sanders-and-2016/744201/1 "2016-01-25T20:26:12Z")
Obama is pretty candid in this interview. He doesn’t have a dog in this fight. I found his observations about the two candidates and the direction of the election very interesting. There’s a 40 min podcast too. I just read the excerpts. I’ll listen to the podcast when I have more time to focus on it. [http://www.politico.com/story/2016/01/obama-iowa-2016-sanders-off-message-218166](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/01/obama-iowa-2016-sanders-off-message-218166) > [@](#): > > “Bernie came in with the luxury of being a complete long shot and just letting loose,” he said. “I think Hillary came in with the both privilege — and burden — of being perceived as the front-runner. … You’re always looking at the bright, shiny object that people haven’t seen before — that’s a disadvantage to her.” > [@](#): > > And he gently suggested that his own ’08 message might be a pretty good mantle for his would-be successors to don. “My bet is that the candidate who can project hope still is the candidate who the American people, over the long term, will gravitate towards,” he said. ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2016, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-on-iowa-clinton-sanders-and-2016/744201/2 "2016-01-26T02:44:37Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > He doesn’t have a dog in this fight. Not officially, but I thought it was fairly obvious that he was promoting one over the other without coming out and saying it. And I think he’s absolutely right. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2016, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-on-iowa-clinton-sanders-and-2016/744201/3 "2016-01-26T03:29:53Z")
It sure is refreshing to have a politician speak in complete sentences. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2016, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-on-iowa-clinton-sanders-and-2016/744201/4 "2016-01-26T07:29:28Z")
Well, you’re in luck because this cycle they all can. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2016, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-on-iowa-clinton-sanders-and-2016/744201/5 "2016-01-26T08:35:44Z")
> [@Esox\_Lucius](#): > > Not officially, but I thought it was fairly obvious that he was promoting one over the other without coming out and saying it. And I think he’s absolutely right. Yea, “no dog in this fight” seems like a pretty big stretch. He won’t make an official endorsement, but as the article itself notes almost immediately, there isn’t any question who he’ll be voting for. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-on-iowa-clinton-sanders-and-2016/744201/6 "2016-01-26T14:14:31Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Well, you’re in luck because this cycle they all can. I agree with the caveat that complete sentences need not be sensible. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2016, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-on-iowa-clinton-sanders-and-2016/744201/7 "2016-01-26T14:15:07Z")
Or truthful, if you’re an Obama fan. ---
**Author:** ![Jayhawker\_Soule](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/57b2e6/32.png) [@Jayhawker\_Soule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayhawker_Soule)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2016, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-on-iowa-clinton-sanders-and-2016/744201/8 "2016-01-26T14:24:12Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Obama is pretty candid in this interview. He doesn’t have a dog in this fight. Nonsense. Clinton poses as continuity - as Phase II of a progressive yet practical Obama-Clinton leadership. Obama sees Clinton as validation. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-on-iowa-clinton-sanders-and-2016/744201/9 "2016-01-31T21:26:54Z")
I disagree, I think to some extent Obama’s future finances will be beholden to the Democratic establishment. Clinton is clearly the establishment candidate.