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David Axelrod, senior CNN political commentator and former adviser to President Barack Obama, came to 菠萝视频 Tuesday night to appeal to the community鈥檚 better angels: 鈥淚t鈥檚 not about if the red team wins or the blue team wins, or who鈥檚 up or who鈥檚 down. It鈥檚 about what you can do with that power in your hands to help people.鈥�听

The Aug. 27 event at a packed Langford Auditorium traced the current state of politics from the Kennedys in the 1960s through today鈥檚 contentious contest for the White House. Professor Nicole Hemmer, director of the Carolyn T. and Robert M. Rogers Center for the American Presidency, guided the audience through Axelrod鈥檚 career鈥攚hich holds a front seat to history: working in the administration of the first Black president of the United States.听

When Obama won the Iowa caucus in 2008, Axelrod recalled, 鈥淚t was the purest moment I鈥檝e ever experienced in politics. It gave you the sense that anything was possible, and I will cherish that for the rest of my life.鈥�听

A signature accomplishment for the Obama administration was the Affordable Care Act, which Axelrod said turned out to be very personal for him. His daughter suffered seizures from a very early age, and her required treatment was complicated and expensive.听听

When the bill finally passed, Axelrod was alone in his office and heard the cheers echoing through the White House. 鈥淚 broke down, and I cried,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd I was embarrassed. I was supposed to be this hardened political guy, and I thought to myself, 鈥榃hy am I so emotional?鈥� And I realized I was thinking of my own experience.鈥�听

Then, when he went to thank Obama for his consistent fight for the bill鈥檚 passage, the president simply replied, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we do the work.鈥�听

Axelrod said he put Obama in the same category as another game-changing political family in the United States: the Kennedys. Robert Kennedy, he said, 鈥済ave us the sense that together鈥攏ot just him, but together鈥攚e had the power to change the world.”听听

And he sees the possibility for that kind of change in the 2024 presidential race. 鈥淭he country said again and again, 鈥業 don鈥檛 want this choice. I want something else,鈥欌�� Axelrod said. Then in late July, President Joe Biden withdrew his candidacy. Vice President Kamala Harris, he added, 鈥渉as a lot of room to introduce herself as a turn-the-page candidate.”听

The event was part of Dialogue 菠萝视频, the university鈥檚 signature campaign for 鈥渧isibly and consistently demonstrating our core values of free expression and civil discourse,鈥� Chancellor Daniel Diermeier told the audience. 鈥淭he term 鈥榙ialogue鈥� originates from Greek, meaning 鈥榯hrough word.鈥� It reminds us of the power of reason and the force of the better argument.鈥�听

Axelrod wrapped up his remarks by celebrating the power of that process: 鈥淒emocracy is a battle between hope and cynicism. I see hope in this room with these young people. 鈥� It鈥檚 not about if the red team wins or the blue team wins or who鈥檚 up or who鈥檚 down, it鈥檚 about what you can do with that power in your hands to help people, and I hope we can focus on what we can do for our country, not how we can destroy each other.鈥�听

About Dialogue 菠萝视频听

Dialogue 菠萝视频 was established to continue the university鈥檚 intentional effort to consistently advance and more deeply embed its long-held values of free expression, civil discourse and institutional neutrality across campus and beyond.鈥� to stay informed about future Dialogue 菠萝视频 events.听