 a 202-748-8003 political publishing after the interview and some of the reaction that they learned from Democratic operatives, saying many were shocked by the president's blatant denial about his standing in the race and his repeated dismissal of the party's widespread concerns. It's an approach some Democrats described as, quote, dangerous. Quote, he was more animated and made the strong case for what he's done, but the question the debate raised is about the fitness for the next four years, not his performance in the past four years.