--- title: "10 Better off Quotes By Barack Obama" description: "10 Better off quotes by Barack Obama. Plus more from Barack Obama and more Better off sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/barack-obama-17_better-off_the-more-we-can-encourage-participation_1063936.jpg" --- > [The more we can encourage participation, I think the better off we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-more-we-can-encourage-participation-i-think-the-better-off-we-are/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/barack-obama-17_better-off_the-more-we-can-encourage-participation_1063936.jpg) > [I became a lightning rod for some partisan battles. I could not be prouder of the track record we've put together. By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-became-a-lightning-rod-for-some-partisan-battles-i-could-not-be/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8e/barack-obama-17_battle_i-became-a-lightning-rod-for-some-partis_535608.jpg) > [I don't think there's a lot of dispute for this. You can argue that we didn't get everything done that we wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-lot-of-dispute-for-this-you-can-argue-that-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c35/barack-obama-17_arguing_i-don-t-think-there-s-a-lot-of-dispute-f_1097260.jpg) > [I think there are hard-liners inside of Iran that think it is the right thing to do to oppose us, to seek…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-there-are-hard-liners-inside-of-iran-that-think-it-is-the/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c65/barack-obama-17_better-off_i-think-there-are-hard-liners-inside-of_1957839.jpg) > [We think about the enormous costs of homelessness, or the enormous cost of HIV/AIDS, over the long term, as people visit emergency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-think-about-the-enormous-costs-of-homelessness-or-the-enormous/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/barack-obama-17_aids_we-think-about-the-enormous-costs-of-hom_1234381.jpg) > [While we may not live to see the full realization of our ambition, we will have the satisfaction of knowing that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/while-we-may-not-live-to-see-the-full-realization-of-our-ambition-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82b/barack-obama-17_ambition_while-we-may-not-live-to-see-the-full-re_2863193.jpg) > [I applaud the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act. This was discrimination enshrined in law. It treated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-applaud-the-supreme-court-s-decision-to-strike-down-the-defense-of/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/barack-obama-17_better-off_i-applaud-the-supreme-court-s-decision-t_71339.jpg) > [I could never be a politician. But as uncomfortable as I would be doing so, I have no problem with Obama's long-planned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-could-never-be-a-politician-but-as-uncomfortable-as-i-would-be/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/735/barack-obama-17_better-off_i-could-never-be-a-politician-but-as-unc_2222604.jpg) > [Of course, there is no question that Libya - and the world - will be better off with Gaddafi out of power.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/of-course-there-is-no-question-that-libya-and-the-world-will-be/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/600/barack-obama-17_better_of-course-there-is-no-question-that-liby_1023589.jpg) > [Now let me be clear - I suffer no illusions about Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal man. A ruthless man. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/now-let-me-be-clear-i-suffer-no-illusions-about-saddam-hussein-he-is/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71f/barack-obama-17_bad-guy_now-let-me-be-clear-i-suffer-no-illusion_3017433.jpg) ## Other authors on Better off ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-off/barack-obama/#itemlist", "name": "10 Better off Quotes By Barack Obama", "numberOfItems": 10, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The more we can encourage participation, I think the better off we are.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-more-we-can-encourage-participation-i-think-the-better-off-we-are/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/barack-obama-17_better-off_the-more-we-can-encourage-participation_1063936.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/barack-obama-17_better-off_the-more-we-can-encourage-participation_1063936.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/barack-obama-17_better-off_the-more-we-can-encourage-participation_1063936.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The more we can encourage participation, I think the better off we are.” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I became a lightning rod for some partisan battles. I could not be prouder of the track record we've put together. By almost every measure, the country is significantly better off than when I came in.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-became-a-lightning-rod-for-some-partisan-battles-i-could-not-be/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8e/barack-obama-17_battle_i-became-a-lightning-rod-for-some-partis_535608.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8e/barack-obama-17_battle_i-became-a-lightning-rod-for-some-partis_535608.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8e/barack-obama-17_battle_i-became-a-lightning-rod-for-some-partis_535608.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I became a lightning rod for some partisan battles. 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You can argue that we didn't get everything done that we wanted to get done, but I can make a really strong argument, and I think prove, that by almost every measure the country's better off now than when I started.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-lot-of-dispute-for-this-you-can-argue-that-we/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c35/barack-obama-17_arguing_i-don-t-think-there-s-a-lot-of-dispute-f_1097260.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c35/barack-obama-17_arguing_i-don-t-think-there-s-a-lot-of-dispute-f_1097260.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c35/barack-obama-17_arguing_i-don-t-think-there-s-a-lot-of-dispute-f_1097260.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't think there's a lot of dispute for this. 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This was discrimination enshrined in law. It treated loving, committed gay and lesbian couples as a separate and lesser class of people. The Supreme Court has righted that wrong, and our country is better off for it. We are a people who declared that we are all created equal - and the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-applaud-the-supreme-court-s-decision-to-strike-down-the-defense-of/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/barack-obama-17_better-off_i-applaud-the-supreme-court-s-decision-t_71339.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/barack-obama-17_better-off_i-applaud-the-supreme-court-s-decision-t_71339.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/barack-obama-17_better-off_i-applaud-the-supreme-court-s-decision-t_71339.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I applaud the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act. This was discrimination…” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I could never be a politician. But as uncomfortable as I would be doing so, I have no problem with Obama's long-planned 'change of heart.' This dude's made huge, measurable strides for gay rights, and if being coy about his plans for gay marriage for a few years was needed to get him elected, then so be it. LGBT persons will be better off, and federal same-sex marriage recognition will come sooner because of it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-could-never-be-a-politician-but-as-uncomfortable-as-i-would-be/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/735/barack-obama-17_better-off_i-could-never-be-a-politician-but-as-unc_2222604.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/735/barack-obama-17_better-off_i-could-never-be-a-politician-but-as-unc_2222604.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/735/barack-obama-17_better-off_i-could-never-be-a-politician-but-as-unc_2222604.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I could never be a politician. But as uncomfortable as I would be doing so, I have no problem with Obama's…” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Of course, there is no question that Libya - and the world - will be better off with Gaddafi out of power. I, along with many other world leaders, have embraced that goal, and will actively pursue it through non-military means. But broadening our military mission to include regime change would be a mistake.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/of-course-there-is-no-question-that-libya-and-the-world-will-be/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/600/barack-obama-17_better_of-course-there-is-no-question-that-liby_1023589.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/600/barack-obama-17_better_of-course-there-is-no-question-that-liby_1023589.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/600/barack-obama-17_better_of-course-there-is-no-question-that-liby_1023589.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Of course, there is no question that Libya - and the world - will be better off with Gaddafi out of power…” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 10, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Now let me be clear - I suffer no illusions about Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal man. A ruthless man. A man who butchers his own people to secure his own power. He has repeatedly defied UN resolutions, thwarted UN inspection teams, developed chemical and biological weapons, and coveted nuclear capacity. He's a bad guy. The world, and the Iraqi people, would be better off without him.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/now-let-me-be-clear-i-suffer-no-illusions-about-saddam-hussein-he-is/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71f/barack-obama-17_bad-guy_now-let-me-be-clear-i-suffer-no-illusion_3017433.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71f/barack-obama-17_bad-guy_now-let-me-be-clear-i-suffer-no-illusion_3017433.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71f/barack-obama-17_bad-guy_now-let-me-be-clear-i-suffer-no-illusion_3017433.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Now let me be clear - I suffer no illusions about Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal man. A ruthless man. A man…” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-off/barack-obama/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-off/barack-obama/", "name": "Better off Quotes by Barack Obama", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-off/barack-obama/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/barack-obama-17_better-off_the-more-we-can-encourage-participation_1063936.jpg" }, "description": "10 Better off quotes by Barack Obama. 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