'Our most important battle'
'Our most important battle’: Obama privately urges freshman Dems to fight cynicism
By Adam Wren
11/20/2025 04:59 PM EST
Former President Barack Obama is embracing his role as mentor-in-chief, huddling with nearly three dozen freshman House Democrats at the Capitol Hill home of Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) at a Wednesday night event hosted by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The event — moderated by Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.) — saw Obama buck up Democrats and offer insights on surviving Republican majorities.
“I get feeling discouraged sometimes,” Obama told the room over soda, water, crackers and crudite, according to excerpts provided by his office to POLITICO. “I get feeling worn out, tired, and embattled. But in our second term, Denis McDonough, my chief of staff, used to pass out stickers based on a conversation that he and I had had that talked about, ‘we do not succumb to cynicism — cynicism is our enemy.’ And it’s pervasive in this town.”
“And that, I think, is our most important battle, right?” Obama said. “We don’t give into that, and then we’re going to be able to figure out the same stuff.”
More at: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/20/obama-meets-freshman-lawmakers-congress-00663615
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Uplifting article and worth the read.