Obama: ‘I would’ve enjoyed campaigning against Trump — that would’ve been fun’

President Obama is on the cover of GQ’s upcoming “Men of the Year” issue. (GQ)

President Barack Obama says he would have relished the opportunity to run against 2016 Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.

“I would’ve enjoyed campaigning against Trump,” Obama said in an interview with sportswriter Bill Simmons for GQ’s upcoming “Men of the Year” issue. “That would’ve been fun.”

Obama, a noted sports fan, compared himself to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

“I’m able to stay focused even when there’s a lot of stuff going on around me,” Obama said. “Maybe [like] Aaron Rodgers in the pocket, in the sense of you can’t be distracted by what’s around you, you’ve got to be looking downfield.”

But like professional athletes, Obama said, he has learned to accept his mistakes and move past them.

“One thing you learn as president is you’re not always going to perform flawlessly and you have to be able to put that out of your mind and then look at the next problem coming down the pipe,” the president said. “If I’m working out in the gym, sometimes I’ll go to NBA Classics and watch some of these old classic games. … A thing that you’re reminded of, watching those old Bulls games, is Jordan had some stinker games in the playoffs. But he would get that out of his mind, and then the next moment comes and he’s right there.”

He continued: “Part of what I try to do — not at the level that Jordan did on the basketball court — but part of what you aspire to as president or any of these positions of leadership is to try to figure out how to be in the moment, make the best decision you can, know that you’re going to get a bunch of them right, but a bunch of times you’re also not going to get it exactly the way you want it.”

 

Read More..