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U.S. NEWS Thursday 7 March 2019

Obama says he based decisions on ‘facts, reason and logic’

By BRADY McCOMBS including Richard Branson,
Associated Press who went on stage before
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Obama and delighted
Former President Barack the audience with stories
Obama said Wednesday about how started his air-
that he tried to build a line company and came
culture centered around up with the name for his
problem-solving and not brands, Virgin.
personal gain while in the He lit up about his “ridicu-
White House — an effec- lously exciting” Virgin Ga-
tive strategy for any orga- lactic’s venture that is
nization that also prevents working toward commer-
“big scandals and indict- cial operations that will
ments.” take passengers on super-
Obama’s comments drew sonic thrill rides to the lower
applause from a crowd of reaches of space to ex-
about 9,000 people at a perience a few minutes of
business conference in Salt weightlessness and a view
Lake City. of the Earth below. He said
Obama didn’t mention he hopes to go up in one of
President Donald Trump his ships in July.
and wasn’t asked about “It’s making them so ab-
him during a question- sorbed with what is the
and-answer session, but he world thinking about them
made several comments in a way that we just weren’t
that seemed to allude to This Feb. 19, 2019 file photo shows former President Barack Obama speaking at the My Brother’s subject to when we were
the state of the country Keeper Alliance Summit in Oakland, Calif. kids,” said Obama, who
and the Trump administra- Associated Press has two daughters. “Some
tion. always agree with him. ing their opinions around Management Summit. of this is figuring out, what’s
“Things like rule of law, de- He said he strived to get facts,” Obama said. The company, which was the filter you set up that al-
mocracy and you know, all perspectives about the He answered questions bought last year by SAP for lows critical information
competence and facts; topic at hand. from Ryan Smith, CEO of $8 billion, makes technol- and effective feedback ...
those things are not par- Calling himself “old-fash- Qualtrics International Inc., ogy that helps companies but just shutting yourself off
tisan, but they also don’t ioned,” he said he believed a Provo, Utah-based sur- get feedback from em- from the narcissistic con-
happen automatically,” in “things like facts and vey-software provider that ployees and customers. sumption of, ‘What does
Obama said. “There has reason and logic,” Obama hosted the conference, The conference brings sev- he think about me? Am I
to be citizens who insist on said. the Qualtrics Experience eral big-name speakers, liked?’”q
it and participate to make The remark triggered loud
sure it happens. Democra- applause and laughter be-
cy is a garden that has to fore Obama responded:
be tended.” “Thank you. We have a
Obama said he felt con- fact-based crowd here.
fident he was making the That’s good.”
best possible decisions dur- He lamented the “polar-
ing his presidency about ized time” we live in in
difficult problems such as which people get “frac-
Osama Bin Laden and the tured” information.
U.S. banking crisis because “People want their own
he surrounded himself with facts that are suited to their
smart people who didn’t opinions rather than shap-