Politics

Flashback: Axelrod called Bush ‘out of touch’ for playing golf in bad economy

Alex Pappas Political Reporter
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Video from 1994 has surfaced of David Axelrod, President Obama’s chief campaign strategist, calling former President George H.W. Bush “out of touch” for “tastelessly” playing golf while trying to convince voters that the economy is improving.

“Bush tastelessly did it, often from the ninth hole, and from the cigar boat and other places,” Axelrod said.

Added the adviser: “The impression you got was that he was out of touch.”

Throughout his presidency, Obama has been known to hit the links nearly every week.

Axelrod explained in the 1994 interview that if “you cite these statistics that say the economy is improving, you almost do political damage to yourself.”

“If you stand up and claim great progress, you are only frustrating this alienated middle class more,” he said.



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