--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When the president during the campaign…" description: "\"When the president during the campaign said he was against nation building, I didn't realize he meant our nation.\" — Al Franken" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/al-franken-1407_building_when-the-president-during-the-campaign-s_1176452.png" --- # When the president during the campaign said he was against… ![“When the president during the campaign said he was against nation building, I didn't realize he meant our nation.” quote by Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/al-franken-1407_building_when-the-president-during-the-campaign-s_1176452.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/al-franken-1407_building_when-the-president-during-the-campaign-s_1176452.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/al-franken-1407_building_when-the-president-during-the-campaign-s_1176452.png) > “When the president during the campaign said he was against nation building, I didn't realize he meant our nation.” [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The statement plays on words to critique a political stance, implying that opposing nation‑building can paradoxically harm the nation itself. **In simple terms:** Opposing nation‑building harms the nation. Key Takeaway Question political rhetoric. Themes politics irony nationalism Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical satirical When to use this quote - policy debates - public speeches - media analysis Key Concepts political science rhetoric Questions to Reflect On - What does "nation‑building" truly mean? - How can leaders balance security and development? A Different Perspective The quote may oversimplify complex policy issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Nation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nation/) [Nation building](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nation-building/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) ## Related quotes > [ \[Barack\] Obama doesn't disappoint me, because all during the campaign he said, I'm a pragmatic, middle-of-the-road, compromising politician. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/barack-obama-doesn-t-disappoint-me-because-all-during-the-campaign-he/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [We are not engaged in domestic politics, in church building or in social uplift work, but we are engaged in nation building.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-garvey/we-are-not-engaged-in-domestic-politics-in-church-building-or-in/) [Marcus Garvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-garvey/) > [“The idea is to change the nature and value system of the nation as whole”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/the-idea-is-to-change-the-nature-and-value-system-of-the-nation-as/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [What makes a nation in the beginning is a good piece of geography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frost/what-makes-a-nation-in-the-beginning-is-a-good-piece-of-geography/) [Robert Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-frost/) > [Nation-building is never a 'done deal' confined to history already established.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aberjhani/nation-building-is-never-a-done-deal-confined-to-history-already/) [Aberjhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aberjhani/) > [What we need now is a nation of great people who live to positively impact others and build enduring legacies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-we-need-now-is-a-nation-of-great-people-who-live-to-positively/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I was growing up in Iraq, there was an unbroken belief in progress and a great sense of optimism. It was a moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zaha-hadid/when-i-was-growing-up-in-iraq-there-was-an-unbroken-belief-in/) [Zaha Hadid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zaha-hadid/) > [President Obama and Democrats won a mandate to move us forward with jobs, healthcare reform, equality, and nation building here at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-pelosi/president-obama-and-democrats-won-a-mandate-to-move-us-forward-with/) [Christine Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-pelosi/) > [Economic growth is not sustainable without nation-building and, even of greater importance, state building.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yemi-osinbajo/economic-growth-is-not-sustainable-without-nation-building-and-even/) [Yemi Osinbajo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yemi-osinbajo/) > [Part of American leadership is making sure that we're doing nation building here at home. 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He would be closer to John McCain's foreign policy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-think-the-problem-with-john-bolton-is-he-disagrees-with-president/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [“If the Trump White House was as unsettling as any in American history, the president’s views of foreign policy and the world at large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/if-the-trump-white-house-was-as-unsettling-as-any-in-american-history/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [The job of nation building, the job of nation leadership in a difficult, complex coalition has worked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azim-premji/the-job-of-nation-building-the-job-of-nation-leadership-in-a/) [Azim Premji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azim-premji/) > [There are a growing number of conservatives and Republicans who, while they support the president and support the war in Iraq wonder how many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-alexander/there-are-a-growing-number-of-conservatives-and-republicans-who-while/) [Lamar Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-alexander/) > [Many of the ethnic and other parochial tensions that have tended to create insecurity and outright conflict, time and time again, are largely as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yemi-osinbajo/many-of-the-ethnic-and-other-parochial-tensions-that-have-tended-to/) [Yemi Osinbajo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yemi-osinbajo/) ## More by Al Franken > [I want to reclaim 'liberal.' I'm a liberal, and I think most Americans are liberals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-want-to-reclaim-liberal-i-m-a-liberal-and-i-think-most-americans/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [“The Democratic Senator’s Serenity Prayer God Grant Me the Serenity to Accept the Things I Cannot Legislate The Courage to Legislate the Things I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/the-democratic-senator-s-serenity-prayer-god-grant-me-the-serenity-to/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I'm for Israel's right to exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-m-for-israel-s-right-to-exist/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [You have to love your country like an adult loves somebody, not like a child loves its mommy. And right-wing Republicans tend to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/you-have-to-love-your-country-like-an-adult-loves-somebody-not-like-a/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Antitrust law isn't about protecting competing businesses from each other, it's about protecting competition itself on behalf of the public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/antitrust-law-isn-t-about-protecting-competing-businesses-from-each/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Putin has had many positive experiences working with Western political leaders whose business interests made them more disposed to deal with Russia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/putin-has-had-many-positive-experiences-working-with-western/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I'm crushed by the responsibility of writing a satirical book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-m-crushed-by-the-responsibility-of-writing-a-satirical-book/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [“right wing’s most common techniques—including the deceptive use of statistics.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/right-wing-s-most-common-techniques-including-the-deceptive-use-of/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I know I have an awful lot to learn from the people of Minnesota.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-know-i-have-an-awful-lot-to-learn-from-the-people-of-minnesota/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Apple has long been a leading innovator of mobile technology; I myself own an iPhone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/apple-has-long-been-a-leading-innovator-of-mobile-technology-i-myself/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I am a Minnesotan, and not just because I root for the Vikings and the Twins. 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My mom sold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/my-dad-didn-t-graduate-from-high-school-ended-up-being-a-printing/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [“As the polls began closing in the East, with states like New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Virginia going for Barack Obama, it was quickly becoming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/as-the-polls-began-closing-in-the-east-with-states-like-new-hampshire/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Net neutrality isn't a government takeover of the Internet, as many of my Republican colleagues have alleged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/net-neutrality-isn-t-a-government-takeover-of-the-internet-as-many-of/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Demagoguery sells. And therefore, radio stations will put it on. But that doesn't mean that you can't do something else and also make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/demagoguery-sells-and-therefore-radio-stations-will-put-it-on-but/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) [Explore all 245 Al Franken quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) ## More Building quotes > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. 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It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I'd like to play Ian Paisley, actually. I'd need building up, though he's very frail now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-neeson/i-d-like-to-play-ian-paisley-actually-i-d-need-building-up-though-he/) [Liam Neeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-neeson/) > [Death is but an aspect of life, and the destruction of one material form is but a prelude to building up of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/death-is-but-an-aspect-of-life-and-the-destruction-of-one-material/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some architects have a preconceived notion of what a building should be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-w-fentress/some-architects-have-a-preconceived-notion-of-what-a-building-should/) [Curtis W. 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I need to act and keep building.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dillian-whyte/i-m-30-i-m-about-to-hit-my-prime-now-i-need-to-act-and-keep-building/) [Dillian Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dillian-whyte/) > [The essential functions of the mind consist in understanding and in inventing, in other words, in building up structures by structuring reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/the-essential-functions-of-the-mind-consist-in-understanding-and-in/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [Practically every time I speak up at a school conference, a political event, or my apartment building association's annual meeting, I'm met with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/practically-every-time-i-speak-up-at-a-school-conference-a-political/) [Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/) Browse all 5,974 Building quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When the president during the campaign said he was against nation building, I didn't realize he meant our nation.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Al Franken" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/when-the-president-during-the-campaign-said-he-was-against-nation/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Building" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/when-the-president-during-the-campaign-said-he-was-against-nation/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/al-franken-1407_building_when-the-president-during-the-campaign-s_1176452.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/al-franken-1407_building_when-the-president-during-the-campaign-s_1176452.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/al-franken-1407_building_when-the-president-during-the-campaign-s_1176452.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When the president during the campaign said he was against nation building, I didn't realize he meant our…” — Al Franken", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Al Franken", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When the president during the campaign...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/when-the-president-during-the-campaign-said-he-was-against-nation/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/when-the-president-during-the-campaign-said-he-was-against-nation/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```