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(CNN)Former President Barack Obama said Tuesday that the rise in misinformation that led to the January 6 insurrection was apparent during his administration, but the speed and prevalence with which misinformation has increased in recent years "worries" him and should worry everyone.
Echoing some of what he wrote in his latest memoir, "A Promised Land," the former President argued that the only way the country's political institutions will work is if both parties agree to certain rules and key principles.
"I saw some of these trends happening during my presidency," Obama told moderator Lonnie Bunch, former secretary of the Smithsonian, as part of the closing session of the American Library Association annual conference.
Obama stresses protecting voting rights to avoid 'further delegitimizing' democracy
Obama stresses protecting voting rights to avoid 'further delegitimizing' democracy
"But to see not only a riot in the Capitol around what historically had been a routine process of certifying an election, but to know that one of our two major political parties, a strong majority of people in this party, actually believed in a falsehood about those election results, the degree to which misinformation is now disseminated at warp speed in coordinated ways that we haven't seen before, and that the guardrails I thought were in place around many of our democratic institutions really depend on the two parties agreeing to those ground rules and that one of them right now doesn't seem as committed to them as in previous generations, that worries me," Obama said. "And I think we should all be worried."
This is not the first time Obama has invoked the January 6 insurrection in an appearance since the publication of his latest memoir. Earlier this month, the former President mentioned the rebellion to push for a sweeping voting rights bill that was before the Senate. The bill was eventually blocked by Republicans.
The prevalence of misinformation was a staple of Obama's successor, former President Donald Trump, and his four years in the White House. The way that false stories made their way from social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to conservative media and then to the President became a Democratic focus around the 2020 election.
In his Tuesday appearance, Obama said that Trump "surfed" much of the anti-Obama sentiment during his own eight years in the White House.
"One of the perpetrators of that, not the originator of it, but somebody who surfed that for their own advantage was my successor, Donald Trump," he said. "And we saw how powerful the constellation of conservative media outlets, talk radio, and then, ultimately, all this gets turbo charged with social media, how powerful that is."
Trump, in the wake of the 2020 election and the January 6 insurrection, was banned from a number of social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter. And while the platforms are vowing to do more, misinformation persists on every platform and Democrats are worried the issue will continue into the 2022 and the 2024 election cycles.
"I think a central question ... how do we get back to a place where all of us, as citizens, at least agree on certain baseline facts and certain core principles around how elections work?" Obama said. "There are certain things like that, that right now, are frayed."
https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/29/politics/ob...
Tuesday, June 29th 2021 at 11:16PM
Steve Williams
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No. That's why it's interesting Ron. The TV liars were showing clips from this all day but not saying where it came from. I wanted to know more and when I found out, I decided it should be given wider exposure. What do you think? I think the most interesting part is what President Obama says at 20:27.
Wednesday, June 30th 2021 at 12:27AM
Steve Williams
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I do too. Steve, what is it that you find so interesting about what Obama had to say at 20:27 Steve? If you disagree with Obama, let’s talk about it.
Wednesday, June 30th 2021 at 12:41AM
Dea. Ron Gray Sr.
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Obama says, "But we are going to see a breakdown of the basic agreement that has held this magnificent, democratic experiment together all these years." Would this "basic agreement" be that ANYONE can grow up in America to be President? We've just witnessed that BREAKDOWN Ron.
Wednesday, June 30th 2021 at 1:12AM
Steve Williams
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As Always....thank you for any Blog with the Greatest USA President and Constitutionalist
...The Greatest Honorable Baraka Hussein Obama.....
Let us be REAL though......when in the South was there EVER a magnificently FAIR election?
More REALITY.................what state in USA EVER had a magnificently FAIR election?
...USA Citizens born in America can grow up to be President
Wednesday, June 30th 2021 at 8:16AM
robert powell
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Steve, the question about, If you disagree with Obama, let’s talk about it a not what you agree with. Get on the same page!
Wednesday, June 30th 2021 at 10:39AM
Dea. Ron Gray Sr.
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I agree Ron, let's get on the same page. What part of this posting do you want to talk about? Maybe I misunderstood the meaning of youur question, "Do you agree with your posting?" We now have THREE active American Presidents. That's never happened before, has it Ron?
Wednesday, June 30th 2021 at 10:59AM
Steve Williams
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Why are you talking Brand New Steve? You already know the topic is Obama, is that CORRECT?
I asked you do you AGREE with your posting? YOUR SAID: "No. That's why it's interesting Ron. The TV liars were showing clips from this all day but not saying where it came from. I wanted to know more and when I found out, I decided it should be given wider exposure. What do you think? I think the most interesting part is what President Obama says at 20:27."
You Do Remember that don't you Steve? Now with that said, what is the point that you disagree about what Obama said in your post, that is the question?
Wednesday, June 30th 2021 at 11:42AM
Dea. Ron Gray Sr.
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Obama says, "But we are going to see a breakdown of the basic agreement that has held this magnificent, democratic experiment together all these years."
I asked, what do you think Ron?
Wednesday, June 30th 2021 at 11:56AM
Steve Williams
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What is wrong about what Obama said?
Yes I think this will if the Republicans cannot break free from Trump grip on that party.
Do you agree what Trump said?
Wednesday, June 30th 2021 at 2:26PM
Dea. Ron Gray Sr.
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Let's leave Trump aside for a minute while I answer your first question Ron. That event Obama is talking about is not in the future, it"s in the past.
Wednesday, June 30th 2021 at 3:08PM
Steve Williams
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What is wrong about what Obama said?
Wednesday, June 30th 2021 at 4:48PM
Dea. Ron Gray Sr.
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The event that Obama has missed is January 6 itself. There was not a peaceful transfer of power Ron. There is no longer a "magnificent, democratic experiment." January 6 is the start of something not the end, but the fact the transfer of power was violent can't be undone. Our magnificent democracy is kaput.
Wednesday, June 30th 2021 at 5:50PM
Steve Williams
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Democracy is not a kaput idea.....It has been with the Family of Adaam(as)....a long time
...What some COLORED'whiteSupremist' men did on the land mass from Artic to Tierra del Fuego
was KAPUT from the beginning and always KAPUT.....it did not include WE THE PEOPLE......
....the 1/6/ 2021 criminals will be in JAIL/Prison .2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 NOT voting
WE THE PEOPLE .....2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 will VOTE, VOTE, VOTE...local, state, federal!!!
Wednesday, June 30th 2021 at 8:09PM
robert powell
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So, what are you saying Steve, all of a sudden you can’t find anything wrong about what Barack Obama said?
Wednesday, June 30th 2021 at 11:40PM
Dea. Ron Gray Sr.
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What part don't you understand Ron? I said our magnificent democracy is kaput. That's not what Obama said, not even close.
Thursday, July 1st 2021 at 12:37AM
Steve Williams
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I am not asking you about what you said, Obama words are the focus. now from what you posted, what is it that you disagreed with.
Can you do that?
Thursday, July 1st 2021 at 9:36AM
Dea. Ron Gray Sr.
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Did you not understand my explanation?
Sunday, July 4th 2021 at 10:49PM
Steve Williams
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No, what is it that you disagree with Steve. Now from what you posted, what is it that you disagreed with Obama on?
Monday, July 5th 2021 at 8:12AM
Dea. Ron Gray Sr.
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