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Bernie Sanders disagrees with Obama, says he is not too old or white to be president

Obama, during an event last week, had called women better leaders than men, adding it was time for old men to make way for other leaders

BY NAMRATA TRIPATHI

PUBLISHED DEC 20, 2019

Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) with former president Barack Obama (R) at the White House on June 9, 2016. (Getty Images)

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), on December 19, said that he disagreed with former president Barack Obama's assertion that old men, who cling to power and refused to make way for others, play a key role in several of the issues the world is facing today. The former president also praised women leaders, stating that they were better than their male counterparts.

Sanders, during December 19's Democratic debate, was asked by Politico's Tim Alberta about Obama's remarks he made during an event in Singapore. The Democratic leader had called women "indisputably" better leaders and said that there would be "significant improvement" across the board if more women led countries across the globe.

"If you look at the world and look at the problems, it’s usually old people, usually old men, not getting out of the way," Obama had said, according to BBC.

"Now women, I just want you to know; you are not perfect, but what I can say pretty indisputably is that you’re better than us (men). I’m absolutely confident that for two years if every nation on earth was run by women, you would see significant improvement across the board on just about everything… living standards and outcomes,” he added.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks during the Democratic Presidential Debate at Otterbein University on October 15, 2019, in Westerville, Ohio. A record 12 presidential hopefuls participated in the debate hosted by CNN and The New York Times. (Getty Images)

Alberta, while addressing Sanders, 78, during the debate, said: "Senator Sanders, you are the oldest candidate on stage," to which the senator replied with: "And I'm white as well!"

Sanders added that although he respects Obama, he disagreed with the former president on his general assessment.

"Here is the issue. The issue is where power resides in America,” Sanders said, explaining that it is not a white, black, male or female issue. "We are living in a nation increasingly becoming an oligarchy,” he said as he lamented billionaires who think they can buy election in an apparent dig to the likes of Michael Bloomberg and President Donald Trump.

The 2020 presidential contender argued that the main issue in the country is rooted in wealth inequality instead. "The issue is not old or young, male or female. This issue is working people standing up, taking on the billionaire class, and creating a government and economy that works for all, not just the 1 percent,” Sanders added.