Nicholas Wu | USA TODAY

USA TODAY

Author and activist Marianne Williamson wasn't on the stage for the Democratic presidential debate Thursday, but she still offered some pithy commentary on the evening.

"When I listened tonight, I felt like it was like eating leftovers. It was not as excited as it needed to be" she told a group at a Beverly Hills, California, party, criticizing the "political media industrial complex."

Williamson failed to qualify for the Democratic debate but was still hopeful about continuing in the race.

She told her supporters to keep faith in the founding ideals of the United States and democracy.

"We forgot that democracy is supposed to be in the hands of the people. But it’s not in your hands if it’s not in your heart. It’s not in your hands if it’s not in your mind."

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Democratic candidates debate in Houston

Williamson slammed her critics and made the case for herself too.