Democrats Have 'Ceded Too Much Territory' To Republicans In Local Races | Morning Edition | NPR

President Obama told NPR that he disagreed with suggestions the Democratic Party should change its policy platforms, instead attributing losses to messaging and strategy.

"I don't think there's something wrong with the core argument that the Democratic Party has made for years," the president said. "And the reason we know that is because on the individual issues that Democrats talk about there's strong support. For example, the minimum wage. In every survey across the country, people support a higher minimum wage. There are clearly, though, failures on our part to give people in rural areas or in ex-urban areas, a sense day-to-day that we're fighting for them or connected to them."

The president said his party has "ceded too much territory" to Republicans in local races. "I am a proud Democrat," he said, "but I do think that we have a bias towards national issues and international issues."

• Read "To Rehabilitate Democratic Party, Obama Plans To 'Coach' Young Talent" at

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