"For those who get stressed about robust primaries, I just have to remind you that I had a very robust primary," Obama said, according to a transcript of the event. "Not only did I win ultimately a remarkably tough and lengthy primary process with Hillary Clinton, but people forget that even before that we had a big field of really serious, accomplished people."

The former president encouraged Democrats to think practically about policies that will appeal to regular voters. “I think it is very important for all the candidates who are running at every level to pay some attention to where voters actually are and how they can actually think about their lives,” Obama said.

“The average American doesn't think we have to completely tear down the system and remake it,” Obama said. “They just don't want to see crazy stuff.”

Obama said he’s cognizant his “name comes up and stuff” during the primary, but he told the crowd: “I wouldn't run the same campaign today in this environment as I ran in 2008 in part because we made enough progress since 2008, of which I am very proud.”

Obama urged Democrats to not stick too closely to his work while in office, saying the Affordable Care Act was “a good starter home,” but “historically the way social programs get built in our country just like Social Security and Medicare, they start modestly and then you build.”

“I want proposals that are bolder with respect to reducing inequality and giving people more opportunity and allowing us to make more investments in our infrastructure and our education systems and others,” Obama continued, to applause from the group.

But he also offered a note of caution: “We also have to be rooted in reality and the fact that voters, including the Democratic voters and certainly persuadable independents or even moderate Republicans are not driven by the same views that are reflected on certain, you know, left-leaning Twitter feeds. Or the activist wing of our party,” Obama said.