--- title: "8 Direct Quotes By Barack Obama" description: "8 Direct quotes by Barack Obama. Plus more from Barack Obama and more Direct sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07f/barack-obama-17_action_how-we-think-about-terrorism-has-to-be-d_162218.jpg" --- > [How we think about terrorism has to be defined and specific enough that it doesn't lead us to think that any horrible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/how-we-think-about-terrorism-has-to-be-defined-and-specific-enough/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07f/barack-obama-17_action_how-we-think-about-terrorism-has-to-be-d_162218.jpg) > [My life story is something obviously that belongs to me very personally. And the fact of the matter is that I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/my-life-story-is-something-obviously-that-belongs-to-me-very/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/155/barack-obama-17_ability_my-life-story-is-something-obviously-tha_181050.jpg) > [When any kind of military action is popular it's because either there's been a very clear, direct threat to us - 9/11…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/when-any-kind-of-military-action-is-popular-it-s-because-either-there/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f10/barack-obama-17_action_when-any-kind-of-military-action-is-popu_927409.jpg) > [Because of the internet and communications, the clash of cultures is much more direct. People feel, I think, less certain about their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/because-of-the-internet-and-communications-the-clash-of-cultures-is/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fa/barack-obama-17_certain_because-of-the-internet-and-communicatio_1176846.jpg) > [I changed those things that were in direct - my direct control. I mean, I - look, I'm proud of the fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-changed-those-things-that-were-in-direct-my-direct-control-i-mean-i/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f4/barack-obama-17_administration_i-changed-those-things-that-were-in-dire_2007003.jpg) > [Climate change poses a direct threat to the infrastructure of America that we need to stay competitive in this 21st-century economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/climate-change-poses-a-direct-threat-to-the-infrastructure-of-america/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/164/barack-obama-17_21st-century_climate-change-poses-a-direct-threat-to_2161679.jpg) > [On the one hand information is moving quick or the way in which people consume information is changing so fast. Clearly this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/on-the-one-hand-information-is-moving-quick-or-the-way-in-which/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c5/barack-obama-17_connections_on-the-one-hand-information-is-moving-qu_2246612.jpg) > [I don’t believe it is possible to transcend race in this country. Race is a factor in this society. The legacy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-don-t-believe-it-is-possible-to-transcend-race-in-this-country-race/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d03/barack-obama-17_accidents_i-don-t-believe-it-is-possible-to-transc_2406360.jpg) ## Other authors on Direct ## 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/direct/barack-obama/#itemlist", "name": "8 Direct Quotes By Barack Obama", "numberOfItems": 8, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "How we think about terrorism has to be defined and specific enough that it doesn't lead us to think that any horrible actions that take place around the world that are motivated in part by an extremist Islamic ideology is a direct threat to us or something that we have to wade into.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/how-we-think-about-terrorism-has-to-be-defined-and-specific-enough/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07f/barack-obama-17_action_how-we-think-about-terrorism-has-to-be-d_162218.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07f/barack-obama-17_action_how-we-think-about-terrorism-has-to-be-d_162218.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07f/barack-obama-17_action_how-we-think-about-terrorism-has-to-be-d_162218.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“How we think about terrorism has to be defined and specific enough that it doesn't lead us to think that any…” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My life story is something obviously that belongs to me very personally. 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Clearly this worked for [Donald Trump], and it gives him a direct connection to a lot of the people that voted for him.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/on-the-one-hand-information-is-moving-quick-or-the-way-in-which/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c5/barack-obama-17_connections_on-the-one-hand-information-is-moving-qu_2246612.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c5/barack-obama-17_connections_on-the-one-hand-information-is-moving-qu_2246612.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c5/barack-obama-17_connections_on-the-one-hand-information-is-moving-qu_2246612.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“On the one hand information is moving quick or the way in which people consume information is changing so…” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don’t believe it is possible to transcend race in this country. Race is a factor in this society. The legacy of Jim Crow and slavery has not gone away. It is not an accident that African-Americans experience high crime rates, are poor, and have less wealth. It is a direct result of our racial history.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-don-t-believe-it-is-possible-to-transcend-race-in-this-country-race/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d03/barack-obama-17_accidents_i-don-t-believe-it-is-possible-to-transc_2406360.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d03/barack-obama-17_accidents_i-don-t-believe-it-is-possible-to-transc_2406360.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d03/barack-obama-17_accidents_i-don-t-believe-it-is-possible-to-transc_2406360.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don’t believe it is possible to transcend race in this country. Race is a factor in this society. 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