Obama bucks up supporters after poll loss
AFP
WASHINGTON- US President Barack Obama urged his supporters Wednesday not to be discouraged as they tasted the bitterness of defeat, following the Republican triumph in mid-term elections.
Obama asked members of the Organizing for America network that grew out of his 2008 election campaign to keep up the fight as a tough period of divided government looms in Washington.
"I know I can count on you. You guys now how to turn 'Yes We Can' into 'Yes We Did,'" he said, crediting his supporters for helping enact healthcare reform, Wall Street reform and new credit card protections for consumers.
"You have done it before and you are going to do it again."
Obama added, "Had we not taken the actions that we took, this country would have been in far worse shape and we might have been in a Great Depression.
"Now we are seeing recovery, and I know it is not coming as fast as we want it to, but it is coming."
Reconstituting the grassroots network will be a key step for Obama as he starts to plan his 2012 reelection campaign.
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