Story highlights Obama listed every major economic achievement of his presidency

A White House source said Obama was chomping at the bit to get out and "get people fired up"

(CNN) President Barack Obama on Wednesday delivered a fervent appeal for a Democratic successor, wading deeper into the race to replace him even as his party has yet to produce a presumptive nominee.

Without mentioning any presidential candidates by name -- Democrat or Republican -- Obama lambasted what he said were economic myths peddled by the GOP, insisting any clear-eyed assessment shows the country better off now then when he took office.

Speaking in Elkhart, Indiana, a city he frequented at the beginning of his term as he worked to stave off an economic depression, Obama listed every major economic achievement of his presidency, from expanding overtime rules to tightening regulations on big banks.

And while he made clear, specific references to presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, Obama steered away from lauding the economic plans being offered by the two Democrats vying for the party's nomination.

"If we turn against each other based on divisions of race or religion, if we fall for a bunch of 'okey-doke,' just because it sounds funny or the tweets are provocative, then we're not going to build on the progress we started," Obama said. "If we get cynical and just vote our fears, or if we don't vote at all, we won't build on the progress that we started."

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