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Those job numbers are the same as they were in 2015 and 2016 and -- anyway. [ applause ] i digress. so we made progress, but -- and this is the truth -- my administration couldn't reverse 40-year trends in only eight years. especially once republicans took over the house of representatives in 2010 and decided to block everything we did. even things they used to support. so we pulled the economy out of crisis, but to this day, too many people who once felt solidly middle class still feel

Do get better. and let me tell you something, particularly young people here. better is good. i used to have to tell my young staff this all the time in the white house. better is good. that's the history of progress in this country. not perfect, better. the civil rights act didn't end racism, but it made things better. social security didn't eliminate all poverty for seniors, but it made things better for millions of people. do not let people tell you the fight's not worth it because you won't get everything that you want. the idea that, well, you know, there's racism in america, so i'm not g...

Stayed on the sidelines. today, though, begins a flurry of campaign activity. this speech framing the stakes, then campaigning in california this weekend, ohio next week. cnn's jeff zeleny is at the white house. jeff, it has been some time since we have seen president obama in such a political setting. what do we expect, and how direct do we look for here in the confrontations with the current president? >> reporter: john, it has been some time. of course we saw president obama delivering one of the eulogies at senator john mccain's funeral over the weekend, last weekend. there were political ...

Were still subject to shame and still had to at least give lip service to the idea, and that provided a lever to continually improve the prospects for people around the world. that's the story of america. a story of progress, fitful progress, incomplete progress, but progress. and that progress wasn't achieved by just a handful of famous leaders making speeches. it was won because of countless acts of quiet heroism and dedication by citizens, by ordinary people, many of them not much older than you.

Offered by too many congressional republicans right now. we will be polite so long as we get 100% of what we want and you don't call us out on the various ways we're sticking it to people. and we'll click our tongues and issue vague statements of disappointment when the president does something outrageous, but we won't actually do anything about it. that's not civility. that's abdicating your responsibilities. but again, i digress. making democracy work means holding on to our principles, having clarity about our principles, and then having the confidence to get in the arena and have a serious...