--- title: "10 Candidates Quotes By Barack Obama" description: "10 Candidates quotes by Barack Obama. Plus more from Barack Obama and more Candidates sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9b/barack-obama-17_candidate_i-m-not-just-a-candidate-i-m-the-preside_2612866.jpg" --- > [I'm not just a candidate, I'm the President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-m-not-just-a-candidate-i-m-the-president/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9b/barack-obama-17_candidate_i-m-not-just-a-candidate-i-m-the-preside_2612866.jpg) > [ I think \[ unpopular presidential candidates \] indicates, at least on the Democratic side, that we've got more work to do to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-unpopular-presidential-candidates-indicates-at-least-on-the/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/barack-obama-17_candidates_i-think-unpopular-presidential-candidate_1051239.jpg) > [ \[Two of the most unpopular presidential candidates selected by the two parties in history\] indicates that there is a lot of cynicism… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/two-of-the-most-unpopular-presidential-candidates-selected-by-the-two/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a58/barack-obama-17_advertising_two-of-the-most-unpopular-presidential-c_1791315.jpg) > [ I was able to do that \[showing up of Democratic benefits\] when I was the candidate. But I've not seen or presided… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-was-able-to-do-that-showing-up-of-democratic-benefits-when-i-was/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bc/barack-obama-17_able_i-was-able-to-do-that-showing-up-of-demo_2722837.jpg) > [When you're a candidate and you say something that is inaccurate or controversial, it has less impact than it does when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/when-you-re-a-candidate-and-you-say-something-that-is-inaccurate-or/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b6/barack-obama-17_around-the-world_when-you-re-a-candidate-and-you-say-some_2927378.jpg) > [When you see a Donald Trump and a Bernie Sanders, very unconventional candidates, have considerable success, then obviously there's something there that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/when-you-see-a-donald-trump-and-a-bernie-sanders-very-unconventional/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eea/barack-obama-17_candidates_when-you-see-a-donald-trump-and-a-bernie_317652.jpg) > [I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you. I was never the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-will-never-forget-who-this-victory-truly-belongs-to-it-belongs-to-2/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e5/barack-obama-17_backyards_i-will-never-forget-who-this-victory-tru_2886919.jpg) > [Race is still a powerful force in this country. Any African American candidate, or any Latino candidate, or Asian candidate or woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/race-is-still-a-powerful-force-in-this-country-any-african-american/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e57/barack-obama-17_african-american_race-is-still-a-powerful-force-in-this-c_1834393.jpg) > [ I think that \[Donald Trump\] clearly was able to tap into a lot of grievances. And he has a talent for making… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-that-donald-trump-clearly-was-able-to-tap-into-a-lot-of/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ab/barack-obama-17_able_i-think-that-donald-trump-clearly-was-ab_1784390.jpg) > [The day I'm inaugurated, this country looks at itself differently and the world looks at America differently. If you believe that we've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-day-i-m-inaugurated-this-country-looks-at-itself-differently-and/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc4/barack-obama-17_america_the-day-i-m-inaugurated-this-country-loo_2822445.jpg) ## Other authors on Candidates ## 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/candidates/barack-obama/#itemlist", "name": "10 Candidates Quotes By Barack Obama", "numberOfItems": 10, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm not just a candidate, I'm the President", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-m-not-just-a-candidate-i-m-the-president/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9b/barack-obama-17_candidate_i-m-not-just-a-candidate-i-m-the-preside_2612866.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9b/barack-obama-17_candidate_i-m-not-just-a-candidate-i-m-the-preside_2612866.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9b/barack-obama-17_candidate_i-m-not-just-a-candidate-i-m-the-preside_2612866.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm not just a candidate, I'm the President” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think [ unpopular presidential candidates ] indicates, at least on the Democratic side, that we've got more work to do to strengthen our grassroots networks.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-unpopular-presidential-candidates-indicates-at-least-on-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/barack-obama-17_candidates_i-think-unpopular-presidential-candidate_1051239.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/barack-obama-17_candidates_i-think-unpopular-presidential-candidate_1051239.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/barack-obama-17_candidates_i-think-unpopular-presidential-candidate_1051239.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think [ unpopular presidential candidates ] indicates, at least on the Democratic side, that we've got…” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "[Two of the most unpopular presidential candidates selected by the two parties in history] indicates that there is a lot of cynicism out there. It indicates that the corrosive nature of everything from talk radio to fake news to negative advertising has made people lack confidence in a lot of our existing institutions.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/two-of-the-most-unpopular-presidential-candidates-selected-by-the-two/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a58/barack-obama-17_advertising_two-of-the-most-unpopular-presidential-c_1791315.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a58/barack-obama-17_advertising_two-of-the-most-unpopular-presidential-c_1791315.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a58/barack-obama-17_advertising_two-of-the-most-unpopular-presidential-c_1791315.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“[Two of the most unpopular presidential candidates selected by the two parties in history] indicates that…” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was able to do that [showing up of Democratic benefits] when I was the candidate. But I've not seen or presided over that kind of systematic outreach that I think needs to happen.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-was-able-to-do-that-showing-up-of-democratic-benefits-when-i-was/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bc/barack-obama-17_able_i-was-able-to-do-that-showing-up-of-demo_2722837.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bc/barack-obama-17_able_i-was-able-to-do-that-showing-up-of-demo_2722837.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bc/barack-obama-17_able_i-was-able-to-do-that-showing-up-of-demo_2722837.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was able to do that [showing up of Democratic benefits] when I was the candidate. But I've not seen or…” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you're a candidate and you say something that is inaccurate or controversial, it has less impact than it does when you're president of the United States. Everybody around the world's paying attention. Markets move. National security issues require a level of precision in order to make sure that you don't make mistakes.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/when-you-re-a-candidate-and-you-say-something-that-is-inaccurate-or/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b6/barack-obama-17_around-the-world_when-you-re-a-candidate-and-you-say-some_2927378.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b6/barack-obama-17_around-the-world_when-you-re-a-candidate-and-you-say-some_2927378.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b6/barack-obama-17_around-the-world_when-you-re-a-candidate-and-you-say-some_2927378.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you're a candidate and you say something that is inaccurate or controversial, it has less impact than…” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 6, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you see a Donald Trump and a Bernie Sanders, very unconventional candidates, have considerable success, then obviously there's something there that's being tapped into; a suspicion on globalization, a desire to reign in it's excesses, a suspicion of elites and governing institutions that people feel may not be responsive to their immediate needs. And that sometimes gets wrapped up in issues of ethnic identify or religious identity or cultural identity, and that can be a volatile mix.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/when-you-see-a-donald-trump-and-a-bernie-sanders-very-unconventional/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eea/barack-obama-17_candidates_when-you-see-a-donald-trump-and-a-bernie_317652.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eea/barack-obama-17_candidates_when-you-see-a-donald-trump-and-a-bernie_317652.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eea/barack-obama-17_candidates_when-you-see-a-donald-trump-and-a-bernie_317652.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you see a Donald Trump and a Bernie Sanders, very unconventional candidates, have considerable success…” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you. I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-will-never-forget-who-this-victory-truly-belongs-to-it-belongs-to-2/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e5/barack-obama-17_backyards_i-will-never-forget-who-this-victory-tru_2886919.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e5/barack-obama-17_backyards_i-will-never-forget-who-this-victory-tru_2886919.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e5/barack-obama-17_backyards_i-will-never-forget-who-this-victory-tru_2886919.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you. I was never the…” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Race is still a powerful force in this country. Any African American candidate, or any Latino candidate, or Asian candidate or woman candidate confronts a higher threshold in establishing himself to the voters ... Are some voters not going to vote for me because I'm African American? Those are the same voters who probably wouldn't vote for me because of my politics.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/race-is-still-a-powerful-force-in-this-country-any-african-american/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e57/barack-obama-17_african-american_race-is-still-a-powerful-force-in-this-c_1834393.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e57/barack-obama-17_african-american_race-is-still-a-powerful-force-in-this-c_1834393.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e57/barack-obama-17_african-american_race-is-still-a-powerful-force-in-this-c_1834393.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Race is still a powerful force in this country. Any African American candidate, or any Latino candidate, or…” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think that [Donald Trump] clearly was able to tap into a lot of grievances. And he has a talent for making a connection with his supporters that overrode some of the traditional benchmarks of how you'd run a campaign or conduct yourself as a presidential candidate. What will be interesting to see is how that plays out during the course of his presidency.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-that-donald-trump-clearly-was-able-to-tap-into-a-lot-of/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ab/barack-obama-17_able_i-think-that-donald-trump-clearly-was-ab_1784390.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ab/barack-obama-17_able_i-think-that-donald-trump-clearly-was-ab_1784390.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ab/barack-obama-17_able_i-think-that-donald-trump-clearly-was-ab_1784390.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think that [Donald Trump] clearly was able to tap into a lot of grievances. And he has a talent for making…” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 10, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The day I'm inaugurated, this country looks at itself differently and the world looks at America differently. If you believe that we've got to heal America and we've got to repair our standing in the world, then I think my supporters believe that I am a messenger who can deliver that message around the world in a way that no other candidate can do.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-day-i-m-inaugurated-this-country-looks-at-itself-differently-and/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc4/barack-obama-17_america_the-day-i-m-inaugurated-this-country-loo_2822445.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc4/barack-obama-17_america_the-day-i-m-inaugurated-this-country-loo_2822445.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc4/barack-obama-17_america_the-day-i-m-inaugurated-this-country-loo_2822445.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The day I'm inaugurated, this country looks at itself differently and the world looks at America…” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candidates/barack-obama/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candidates/barack-obama/", "name": "Candidates Quotes by Barack Obama", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candidates/barack-obama/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9b/barack-obama-17_candidate_i-m-not-just-a-candidate-i-m-the-preside_2612866.jpg" }, "description": "10 Candidates quotes by Barack Obama. 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