Obama dramatically tells North Carolina voters the 'fate of the republic' rests on them - and mocks Republicans talking impeachment for Hillary: 'She hasn't even been elected yet!'

  • 'The fate of the republic is teetering, and you, North Carolina, are going to have make sure that we push it in the right direction,' Obama declared 
  • He went off on GOP lawmakers for their eagerness to impeach Clinton if she does win. 'She hasn't even been elected yet,' a bemused Obama said
  • Admitted Clinton's not 'flashy' but argued she has 'grit' and called her an 'outstanding public servant' 
  • 'It doesn't matter what evidence, they'll find something,' he said of the embattled presidential candidate. 'That's what they're saying already'
  • Obama said it's 'troubling' that North Carolina's incumbent Senator Richard Burr said there's not a separation between himself and Trump
  • Referenced the Republican's ill-fated joke about shooters putting a 'bulls eye' on Clinton's face and said 'that's not something we do'

President Barack Obama dramatically told attendees of the Chapel Hill rally this afternoon that the 'fate of the republic rests on their shoulders' as he campaigned for Hillary Clinton.

'The fate of the republic is teetering, and you, North Carolina, are going to have make sure that we push it in the right direction,' Obama declared, chuckling as he delivered the grand prognosis. 

He also went off on GOP lawmakers for their eagerness to impeach Clinton - who he called an 'outstanding public servant' if she does win. 'She hasn't even been elected yet,' a bemused Obama said.

President Barack Obama dramatically told attendees of the Chapel Hill rally this afternoon that the 'fate of the republic rests on their shoulders' as he campaigned for Hillary Clinton

'It doesn't matter what evidence, they'll find something,' the sitting president said of the embattled Oval Office candidate. 'That's what they're saying already.'

Obama warned them that if they sent North Carolina's incumbent Senator Richard Burr, back to Washington they could look forward to years of investigations into and hearings on Clinton and even more obstructionism and gridlock. 

'Gridlock is not some mysterious fog that just kind of descends on Washington, it's not like some apparition, that shows up. It's not like a monster movie - gridlock's coming,' Obama said. 'That's not how it works.'

Nothing is happening in Washington because Republicans are being 'unreasonable,' he contended. 

'I know it's hard to view me as objective here, but I'm about to leave. I'm just letting you know the truth.'

Burr is a 'decent guy,' Obama said of his former Senate colleague. 'But when I hear him say there is not a separation between me and Donald Trump, that's troubling.'

'Either he actually means it, in which case he agrees with everything Donald Trump says...or he doesn't mean it, and he's just saying it to get elected. That's not good either way,' Obama added.

The Democratic president said Burr has been 'mimicking' Trump lately. 

He referenced the Republican's ill-fated joke about shooters putting a 'bulls eye' on Clinton's face and said, 'Last week he actually joked about violence against Hillary - that's not something we do.' 

'I tell you, if I heard a Democrat saying that, I would condemn them in a hot second. You don’t talk about violence against public officials, even in a joke.'  

The president also accused Republicans of trying to keep American Americans from voting.

'That is not my opinion. Earlier this year, a federal judge said that, based on the evidence, those who voted for these laws targeted black voters with..."surgical precision,' he said.

Trump is asking his supporters to monitor 'certain areas,' Obama said. 'Where are those certain areas he’s talking about? They are groups that are not even making secret plans. They’re just out in public saying we’re going to try and suppress the African American vote on Election Day, or the youth vote on Election Day.' 

Obama told rally goers, 'It was not that long ago that folks had to guess the number of jellybeans in a jar, or bubbles on a bar of soap, or recite the Constitution in Chinese in order to vote.'

Republicans can try to suppress those voters but 'they’re going to fail,' Obama said.

Sitting GOP Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina is a 'decent guy,' Obama said  today, 'But when I hear him say there is not a separation between me and Donald Trump, that's troubling'

'But if you don’t vote, then you’ve done the work of those who would suppress your vote without them having to lift a finger. Come on.' 

Clinton could lose if North Carolina doesn't go blue, he pointed out. 

'So, I hate to put a little pressure on you, but the fate of the republic rests on your shoulders,' he proclaimed. 

Trump is 'a con-artist and a know-nothing' who is 'not equipped' to be president, Obama testified.

'We have had a Republican senator...say we can't afford to give the nuclear codes to someone so erratic. Now, if a Republican senator says that about the guy, why would we consider giving him the nuclear codes?' Obama said, hitting a note Clinton's emphasized in the home stretch of the election. 

The exiting president told his audience the 'nice thing' about this election is 'you don’t just have to vote against that guy, because you’ve got a candidate who is actually worthy of your vote.'

Clinton is 'smart...steady...tested' and 'probably the most qualified person ever to run for this office,' he asserted.

'She’s not flashy. She’s not going around spending all her time giving big stem-winders,' he acknowledged. 'And as a consequence, sometimes she’s underappreciated here at home.'

COOL FACTOR: Hillary Clinton's 'not flashy. She’s not going around spending all her time giving big stem-winders,' Obama acknowledged today. 'And as a consequence, sometimes she’s underappreciated here at home,' he assessed

Obama said his former secretary of state, who's under investigation by the FBI for routing sensitive government information through a private email address and server is an 'outstanding public servant.'

'And she knows her stuff,' he said to applause. 'And she understands the challenges we face. And she is tough. And when things don’t go her way, she doesn’t whine, and she doesn’t complain. She doesn’t blame others, suggesting everything is rigged.'

Continuing, Obama said Clinton's 'got grit and she’s got resilience. And if she gets knocked down, she just comes back up and she goes back at it.'  

Voters have the opportunity to elect 'our first female president,' who will be an example for the nation's children and 'shape history,' he said. 'What an amazing thing that is.'

'Keep in mind, North Carolina, all the progress that we've made over the last eight years, all the progress we hope to make over the next eight years. All of that goes out the window if we don't win this election,' Obama said in the speech. 

Obama recalled that he won the state by a mere 14,000 votes in 2008. 

If Hillary wins North Carolina, 'she wins,' he said to cheers. 'And that means that when I said the fate of the republic rests on you, I wasn't joking. But that shouldn't make you fearful, that should make you excited.'

'It's not often where you can move the arc of history. Don't let that chance slip away,' he urged.

Obama encouraged young people specifically to make their voices heard.

'Don't let it slip away; don't give away your power,' he told them.  

The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now