Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images(PHILADELPHIA) — As he campaigned alone for the first time this election cycle, President Obama painted the Republican Party as a party promoting a “dark, pessimistic vision” during this presidential campaign.
“In election season you will often hear crazy stuff,” the president said as he campaigned solo for Hillary Clinton in Philadelphia on Tuesday. “This year we’ve been hearing a little more crazy than usual.”
He continued: “What we’ve seen from the other side in this election, this isn’t Abraham Lincoln’s Republican Party. This isn’t even the vision of freedom that Ronald Reagan talked about. They’re not offering serious solutions. They’re just fanning resentment and blame and anger and hate. And that is not the America we know. That’s not the America I know.”
The president offered a fiery rebuke of Donald Trump’s apparent affection for Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he described as the GOP’s nominee’s “role model.”
“He loves this guy,” the president said. “Think about the fact that that is Donald Trump’s role model. I have to do business with Putin, I have to do business with Russia, that’s part of foreign policy, but I don’t go around saying that’s my role model.”
The president also criticized Trump for his lack of transparency, citing his unwillingness to release his tax returns.
“You want to debate transparency, you have one candidate in this debate who’s released decades worth of her tax returns. The other candidate is the first in decades who refuses to release any at all,” he said. “You want to debate foundations and charities? One candidate’s family foundation has saved countless lives around the world. The other candidate’s foundation took money other people gave to his charity and then bought a 6-foot-tall painting of himself.”
The president’s first solo campaign appearance came as Clinton remained at home in Chappaqua, New York, as she recovers from a bout of pneumonia. Obama made no reference to Clinton’s health incident over the weekend, but defended her against suggestions she’s less fit to be president.
“You want to debate who’s more fit to be our president? One candidate who’s traveled to more countries than any secretary of state ever has, has more qualifications than pretty much anyone who’s ever run for this job and the other who isn’t fit in any way, shape or form to represent this country abroad and be its commander-in-chief,” he said.
“This is not reality TV. Democracy is not a spectator sport. You don’t tweet in your vote,” he later added. “The time has come for me to pass the baton on but Hillary Clinton will run that race and she will finish that race and that’s why I’m with her, that’s why I’m fired up, that’s why I’m ready to go.”
Later Tuesday, Obama will raise money for the Democratic National Committee at a private fundraiser in Philadelphia before stopping at a fundraiser in New York City to raise money on behalf of House Democrats.
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