President Barack Obama suggested that he probably worked harder than Hillary Clinton to win the state of Iowa in 2008, casting an unusual veil of criticism on her campaign.

Obama didn’t mention Clinton by name, but touted the historic nature of his 2008 campaign, reminding reporters that he grew a giant grassroots campaign into a movement that swept him to victory. He also hinted that the campaign took certain demographics for granted.

“You know, I won Iowa not because the demographics dictated that I would win Iowa,” he said. “It was because I spent 87 days going to every small town and fair and fish fry and VFW hall,” he said.

Obama admitted that he lost some counties in Iowa, but managed to win the state because he reached more voters and created a built-in organization.

He urged Democrats who were devastated by the election results to remember how they felt in 2005, after Sen. John Kerry lost against George W. Bush.

“Everybody remembers my Boston speech in 2004,” he said, but he reminded them that when he came to Washington, Republicans swept into power. He reminded Democrats that just two years later, their party managed to beat Republicans for control of the Congress.

“Four years later, I was president of the United States,” he said. “Things change pretty rapidly, but they don’t change inevitably. They change because you work for it.”