Obama decries ‘politics of fear’ on return to campaign trail

Washington, Oct 20 (IANS) Former US President Barack Obama has returned to the campaign trail for the first time since leaving the White House, urging Americans to reject the politics of "division" and "fear" seen as a veiled rebuke of Donald Trump's leadership.

Obama, 56, was speaking at a rally in New Jersey on Thursday to support Democratic candidate for Governor Phil Murphy, CNN reported.

Voicing concern about the current political climate in the US, the former President said: "Some of the politics we see now, we thought we'd put that to bed. I mean, that's folks looking 50 years back. It's the 21st century, not the 19th century."

"We are rejecting a politics of division. We are rejecting a politics of fear," Obama said.

"We are embracing a politics that says everybody counts, a politics that says everybody deserves a chance, a politics that says everybody has dignity and worth -- a politics of hope."

The 44th President did not mention his successor by name in his remarks, which were interrupted with chants of "four more years" from the crowd.

Trump actively took steps to attack Obama's legacy in recent weeks, including on Iran, immigration and healthcare.

Obama also stressed the importance of the US remaining a leader on the world stage. "The world counts on America having its act together. The world is looking to us as an example," he told the crowd.

"The world asks what our values and ideals are, and are we living up to our creed."

The appearance for Murphy, who served as Obama's Ambassador to Germany from 2009 to 2013, marked the first foray onto the campaign trail for the former President since he left office in January.

Despite public polls showing Murphy with a comfortable lead in the contest with Republican Kim Guadagno, the state's Lieutenant Governor, Obama urged those in attendance not to rest until Election Day.

Speaking at another rally in Richmond, Obama said: "We're at our best not when we're trying to put people down, but when we're trying to lift everybody up."

"Folks don't feel good right now about what they see. They don't feel as if our public life reflects our best. Instead of politics reflecting our values, we have politics infecting our communities."

Obama also touched on the violent clashes that occurred at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville over the summer.

"We don't rise up by repeating the past. We rise up by learning from the past," he said.