(CBS/AP) Admonishing his own party, President Barack Obama says it would be "inexcusable" and "irresponsible" for unenthusiastic Democratic voters to sit out the midterm elections, warning that the consequences could be a squandered agenda for years.
"People need to shake off this lethargy. People need to buck up," Mr. Obama told Rolling Stone in an interview to be published Friday. The president told Democrats that making change happen is hard and "if people now want to take their ball and go home, that tells me folks weren't serious in the first place."
The midterm elections are in five weeks and polling shows that Republicans, out of power at the White House and on Capitol Hill, have a much more excited base of supporters than Democrats. Mr. Obama, campaigning this week in four states, is in a sprint to restore the voter passion that helped him win office.
Yet in his attempt to light a fire under supporters, Mr. Obama comes across as fired up himself about how many backers fail to acknowledge the progress he sees. He said the glass-half-empty view among many progressive voters can be a debilitating force that distracts them from the real worry: Republicans.
The GOP is poised to win seats in the House, if not control of the chamber, and gain ground in the Senate, too.
"It is inexcusable for any Democrat or progressive right now to stand on the sidelines in this midterm election," Mr. Obama said.
The president has been telling Democrats to "wake up" and recognize that he and the Democratic-run Congress have delivered on promises, from a new health care law to tougher rules for Wall Street to more aid for college students. Mr. Obama wants disenchanted supporters to see that Republican wins in November would undermine the ability of Democrats to get the unfinished business done, from climate change legislation to allowing gays to serve openly in the military.
What emerges in the magazine story is a stern, lecturing tone from Mr. Obama. - CBS News Story
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