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Axelrod: Obama address a 'call for country to come together'

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    Former senior strategist for Obama campaign weighs in

  • Duration 4:14
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We want to toss our own Chris Wallace who's got a very special guest crest.

Thanks so much -- we are joined by former senior strategist at the Obama campaign and the Obama White House now the head of the institute of politics.

At the University of Chicago David Axelrod David welcome on this very special -- congratulations thank you good to be in sudden warming up -- -- here and Fox News.

Let's talk about warmed up here let's talk about the inaugural address and I think the general reviews from people.

Here at fox has been that it was a very assertive even aggressive call to arms for a liberal agenda fair.

No I think it was a call for the country to come together and act on these big challenges that we have to face in ordered him to two to perpetuate.

Opportunity in this country to perpetuate an economy in which people can work hard and get ahead.

So.

It was -- actually -- -- I mean there was almost no talk about.

Budget and deficits in fact he said -- -- -- one sentence about -- we need to deal with the controlling health care cause but I'm not got.

That -- very.

Prolonged defense of entitlements.

And also this line which a lot of us noticed we cannot mistake absolutism for principal or substitute spectacle for politics.

Portrait name calling -- reasoned debate.

An awful lot of the folks here at fox took umbrage with us.

Well didn't take -- -- it simply thought that it was on the part of the president kind of name calling and saying that's what the Republican opposition.

I don't think he specified that.

That that that is applies to anybody now the fact is that the Republicans in congress have been.

Defined by their actions and that's why they're polling numbers are.

So poor right now and why the congress is polling numbers are so poor right now but I don't think absolutism.

And I'm sure the president would say the same.

On the part of either party or any politician is helpful in terms of solving problems and obviously if we're gonna move forward we're gonna have to.

Find a way to come together to solve these problems where we -- active obstructionism though because.

That that's self defeating path.

-- is speech did he reach out.

Two Republicans to the John Boehner is in the -- McConnell some say in this searching for common ground.

I hear what you guys are site.

Look I think that the whole theme of the speech was.

That throughout our history we've had very very significant differences and we've been able to work through those differences.

And of course.

You know when we you're a student of history you know we've gone through.

More significant.

Eras of dissent and disagreement on this his point was we can come together the point on absolutism though as we can come together if we unyielding and unbending in our points of view.

Why so little talk about jobs and the economy.

Well I think that -- if you looked at the opening passages of the president's speech -- talked about.

Building an economy in which.

Opportunity abounds in which people can get ahead.

That's that's the fundamental question.

And obviously jobs as is that it is is.

And essential issue for our country.

But also building an economy which those jobs pay and which people get you can get ahead that is fundamental so now we have a state of the union speech in three weeks.

In which he'll have an opportunity to lay out in greater detail.

His proposal on all these issues.

We have less than a minute left and I hate to ask you to do this and in such a short time but.

Ten years ago ten years ago you met state senator Barack Obama and now you were there today at his second inauguration as president.

It's been quite a ride for you I -- just -- -- what are your emotions as he is out there on this on the inaugural.

-- well I looked at him and I looked at the faces from his past and my past who'd been -- -- on the journey and it's it is an extraordinary thing to think about that.

The incredible.

Path we've taken.

Together and you could see it in his face and -- hit her as well who has been made it challenging one but.

And incredibly invigorating one as well and -- I was very proud very very proud David Axelrod.

Good reason for you to be proud thank you so much you threatening him back to.

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