--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Barack Obama was first elected after a…" description: "\"Barack Obama was first elected after a period of profound failure by elite and government institutions, from finance to foreign policy to Hurricane Kat..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fed/ari-melber-6528_elected_barack-obama-was-first-elected-after-a-p_3031167.jpg" --- # Barack Obama was first elected after a period of profound… ![“Barack Obama was first elected after a period of profound failure by elite and government institutions, from finance to foreign policy to Hurricane Katrina, and his first term immediately and unapologetically enacted a flurry of government solutions.” quote by Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fed/ari-melber-6528_elected_barack-obama-was-first-elected-after-a-p_3031167.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fed/ari-melber-6528_elected_barack-obama-was-first-elected-after-a-p_3031167.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fed/ari-melber-6528_elected_barack-obama-was-first-elected-after-a-p_3031167.jpg) > “Barack Obama was first elected after a period of profound failure by elite and government institutions, from finance to foreign policy to Hurricane Katrina, and his first term immediately and unapologetically enacted a flurry of government solutions.” [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Obama’s first term responded to crises with many government actions after prior institutional failures. **In simple terms:** Obama acted swiftly after systemic failures. Key Takeaway Recognize the role of crisis in policy change. Themes politics crisis government response leadership Mood analytical critical Type political historical When to use this quote - analyzing policy - teaching crisis management - debating government size - writing op‑eds Key Concepts policy making institutional reform public administration Questions to Reflect On - What crises trigger policy shifts? - How effective were those solutions? A Different Perspective May overstate effectiveness of actions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Elected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elected/) [Elected Period](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elected-period-4952311/) [Elite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elite/) [Elite Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elite-government-3888178/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Finance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finance/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Hurricane katrina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurricane-katrina/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Obama Elected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obama-elected-1719677/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) ## Related quotes > [You know with Obama being elected, we had a wonderful opportunity. I hope it's not blown, and we have forms of government that don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-feiffer/you-know-with-obama-being-elected-we-had-a-wonderful-opportunity-i/) [Jules Feiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-feiffer/) > [I don't think Obama will get re-elected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-demint/i-don-t-think-obama-will-get-re-elected/) [Jim DeMint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-demint/) > [ I think that \[Barack\] Obama was elected because young people are starting to get interested in their country and I think that's a very… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/i-think-that-barack-obama-was-elected-because-young-people-are/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [“On Obama: “He was elected by a majority, but the majority doesn’t get to decide who we execute.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/on-obama-he-was-elected-by-a-majority-but-the-majority-doesn-t-get-to/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [Obama was elected on the shoulders of an incipient movement that he allowed to languish once he became president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/obama-was-elected-on-the-shoulders-of-an-incipient-movement-that-he/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [The biggest accomplishment, in racial terms, for Barack Obama was being elected. He had to overcome his blackness to be elected. He climbed the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-kennedy/the-biggest-accomplishment-in-racial-terms-for-barack-obama-was-being/) [Randall Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-kennedy/) > [Obama was elected by the people, and I was glad that barrier was broken down. I did, along with my wife, campaign for him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-brown/obama-was-elected-by-the-people-and-i-was-glad-that-barrier-was/) [Jim Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-brown/) > [Obama was elected on a slogan of hope and change because both were in short supply: the military exhausted by two wars, the banks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/obama-was-elected-on-a-slogan-of-hope-and-change-because-both-were-in/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [On the night of 4 November 2008, Barack Obama was elected on a platform of 'hope' and 'change.' He was hailed as a 'uniter'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/on-the-night-of-4-november-2008-barack-obama-was-elected-on-a/) [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) > [After Obama was elected president, the same day Proposition 8 was passed, there was this fire in our belly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-creel/after-obama-was-elected-president-the-same-day-proposition-8-was/) [Gavin Creel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-creel/) > [Even among the elite, in government circles, technological culture is somewhat deficient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-virilio/even-among-the-elite-in-government-circles-technological-culture-is/) [Paul Virilio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-virilio/) > [The basic issue is whether the financial elite or the government on behalf of the people should have the profit from creating money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-mcquaig/the-basic-issue-is-whether-the-financial-elite-or-the-government-on/) [Linda McQuaig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-mcquaig/) > [The elite government does have devices that can create earthquakes anywhere in the world that they want. I was just in Russia and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drunvalo-melchizedek/the-elite-government-does-have-devices-that-can-create-earthquakes/) [Drunvalo Melchizedek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drunvalo-melchizedek/) > [In the news, Chinese president Hu Jintao says that now that Barack Obama has been elected, he is looking forward to taking the relationship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/in-the-news-chinese-president-hu-jintao-says-that-now-that-barack/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [When Barack Obama was elected, it immediately brought out all the differences in society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wadada-leo-smith/when-barack-obama-was-elected-it-immediately-brought-out-all-the/) [Wadada Leo Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wadada-leo-smith/) ## More by Ari Melber > [It always rankled me - in law school and the legal profession - when lawyers would speak to each other in their own exclusive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/it-always-rankled-me-in-law-school-and-the-legal-profession-when/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) > [Progressive bloggers should not only write on behalf of the members of America's underclass but also empower them to join the discussion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/progressive-bloggers-should-not-only-write-on-behalf-of-the-members/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) > [Law and politics are often overly complicated because there are people that don't want the rest of us to know what's going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/law-and-politics-are-often-overly-complicated-because-there-are/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) > [News may not be very profitable anymore, but it sure is popular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/news-may-not-be-very-profitable-anymore-but-it-sure-is-popular/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) > [The president's powers are always open to being questioned by the co-equal branches of government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/the-president-s-powers-are-always-open-to-being-questioned-by-the-co/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) > [Like any good lawyer, I'm going to maintain a confidentiality of advice offered in confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/like-any-good-lawyer-i-m-going-to-maintain-a-confidentiality-of/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) > [The Tea Party movement's economic agenda is a matter of emphasis, not exclusion. This is not a single-issue group.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/the-tea-party-movement-s-economic-agenda-is-a-matter-of-emphasis-not/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) > [Why do Tea Party backers oppose abortion at higher rates than their traditional GOP cohort? Religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/why-do-tea-party-backers-oppose-abortion-at-higher-rates-than-their/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) > [Companies like YouTube will continue to be tested on their commitment to the mission that made them such popular and profitable websites - providing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/companies-like-youtube-will-continue-to-be-tested-on-their-commitment/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) > [Navigating a battle between partisan, progressive organizing and decentralized petition drives is, at bottom, like trying to choose between the Democratic Party and democracy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/navigating-a-battle-between-partisan-progressive-organizing-and/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) > [Politics has certainly changed a lot in an era of micro-targeting, Super PACs, and Twitter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/politics-has-certainly-changed-a-lot-in-an-era-of-micro-targeting/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) > [Political operatives don't tend to be existentialists. They do know, however, that if a supporter doesn't vote, then his or her opinion does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/political-operatives-don-t-tend-to-be-existentialists-they-do-know/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) > [I do listen to Drake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/i-do-listen-to-drake/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) > [Only in Washington can the pursuit of a conservative agenda, with centrist policies, be depicted as liberal reform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/only-in-washington-can-the-pursuit-of-a-conservative-agenda-with/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) > [My job is to be accurate and clear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/my-job-is-to-be-accurate-and-clear/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) [Explore all 99 Ari Melber quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) ## More Elected quotes > [No matter how unusual a personality may be who gets elected to office, there are constraints in this country. You don't get to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/no-matter-how-unusual-a-personality-may-be-who-gets-elected-to-office/) [Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/) > [Realizing that they can't get their agenda across: against religious liberty, against a culture of life, they can't get those issues across through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-parsley/realizing-that-they-can-t-get-their-agenda-across-against-religious/) [Rod Parsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-parsley/) > [When I was elected governor of my state, I had a legislature 87 percent Democrat. It was not lost on me that to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/when-i-was-elected-governor-of-my-state-i-had-a-legislature-87/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [When you're running, when you're in elected office, you're surrounded with power. And, so every single day, you have to remind yourself why you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-rasoul/when-you-re-running-when-you-re-in-elected-office-you-re-surrounded/) [Sam Rasoul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-rasoul/) > [We hope that the elected officials will respond positively to a ground swell of letters, phone calls, e-mails and visits from parents. The law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-hope-that-the-elected-officials-will-respond-positively-to-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I came into office to do what was correct, not to see what was politically expedient to get re-elected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-fortuno/i-came-into-office-to-do-what-was-correct-not-to-see-what-was/) [Luis Fortuno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-fortuno/) > [The American people, in their own families, they understand that you have to do that. You have to make the tough decisions. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-mcmorris-rodgers/the-american-people-in-their-own-families-they-understand-that-you/) [Cathy McMorris Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-mcmorris-rodgers/) > [You now have the potential of 200 people deciding who ends up being elected president every single time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/you-now-have-the-potential-of-200-people-deciding-who-ends-up-being/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [If elected, I shall see to it that every man has a square deal, no less and no more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/if-elected-i-shall-see-to-it-that-every-man-has-a-square-deal-no-less/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Others will have opinions on how I do and that's just fine... I've been elected four times, delivered results for my constituents and delivered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-poilievre/others-will-have-opinions-on-how-i-do-and-that-s-just-fine-i-ve-been/) [Pierre Poilievre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-poilievre/) > [I was elected to Parliament as a Conservative three times, most recently in 2017.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-boles/i-was-elected-to-parliament-as-a-conservative-three-times-most/) [Nick Boles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-boles/) > [My goal was never to get re-elected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mccallum/my-goal-was-never-to-get-re-elected/) [Scott McCallum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mccallum/) > [I was elected because I believed in what we call "grassroots politics," politics from the bottom up, not the top down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-was-elected-because-i-believed-in-what-we-call-grassroots-politics/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [There are many Israelis who are not keen on Barack Obama - they did not want to see him elected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/there-are-many-israelis-who-are-not-keen-on-barack-obama-they-did-not/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) > [Now we have black and white elected officials working together. Today, we have gone beyond just passing laws. Now we have to create a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/now-we-have-black-and-white-elected-officials-working-together-today/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) [Browse all 542 Elected quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elected/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Barack Obama was first elected after a period of profound failure by elite and government institutions, from finance to foreign policy to Hurricane Katrina, and his first term immediately and unapologetically enacted a flurry of government solutions.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ari Melber" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/barack-obama-was-first-elected-after-a-period-of-profound-failure-by/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Elected" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/barack-obama-was-first-elected-after-a-period-of-profound-failure-by/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fed/ari-melber-6528_elected_barack-obama-was-first-elected-after-a-p_3031167.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fed/ari-melber-6528_elected_barack-obama-was-first-elected-after-a-p_3031167.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fed/ari-melber-6528_elected_barack-obama-was-first-elected-after-a-p_3031167.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Barack Obama was first elected after a period of profound failure by elite and government institutions, from…” — Ari Melber", "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": "Ari Melber", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Barack Obama was first elected after...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/barack-obama-was-first-elected-after-a-period-of-profound-failure-by/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/barack-obama-was-first-elected-after-a-period-of-profound-failure-by/#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 } } ] } ```