--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: America, we are better than these last…" description: "\"America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this.\" — Barack Obama" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a74/barack-obama-17_america_america-we-are-better-than-these-last-ei_2348141.jpg" --- # America, we are better than these last eight years. We are… ![“America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a74/barack-obama-17_america_america-we-are-better-than-these-last-ei_2348141.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a74/barack-obama-17_america_america-we-are-better-than-these-last-ei_2348141.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a74/barack-obama-17_america_america-we-are-better-than-these-last-ei_2348141.jpg) > “America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. America is improving compared to the previous eight years and is a better nation now. **In simple terms:** America is getting better than before. Key Takeaway Acknowledge progress and continue improvement. Themes politics optimism national identity Mood hopeful reflective Type inspirational persuasive When to use this quote - campaign speeches - policy debates - media analysis - civic education Key Concepts governance policy public sentiment Questions to Reflect On - Which areas have improved most? - Where does inequality persist? A Different Perspective Progress may be uneven across groups. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) ## Related quotes > [If they can play eight more years, then I can too. I'm in better shape than they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teemu-selanne/if-they-can-play-eight-more-years-then-i-can-too-i-m-in-better-shape/) [Teemu Selanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teemu-selanne/) > [During the last 17 years... I have been working at the restoration of a once exhausted hillside. Its scars are now healed over, though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/during-the-last-17-years-i-have-been-working-at-the-restoration-of-a/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [What's good for America better damn well be good for General Motors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-s-good-for-america-better-damn-well-be-good-for-general-motors/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [General Motors has no bad years, only good years and better years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harlow-curtice/general-motors-has-no-bad-years-only-good-years-and-better-years/) Harlow Curtice > [It can take you days, months, even years to better your life but it only takes a second for you to ruin someone else's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-can-take-you-days-months-even-years-to-better-your-life-but-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have many years to get better and better, and that has to be my ambition. The day you think there is no improvements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-messi/i-have-many-years-to-get-better-and-better-and-that-has-to-be-my/) [Lionel Messi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-messi/) > [Over the years, you get better at timing because you've been through the situations thousands of times. The ball goes over your head; he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-boateng/over-the-years-you-get-better-at-timing-because-you-ve-been-through/) [Jerome Boateng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-boateng/) > [After 14 years, it better be a real marriage, you know? We do have a great time together. We are really lucky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyra-sedgwick/after-14-years-it-better-be-a-real-marriage-you-know-we-do-have-a/) [Kyra Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyra-sedgwick/) > [A love that lasts for twenty years may be better than love, but it isn't love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/a-love-that-lasts-for-twenty-years-may-be-better-than-love-but-it-isn/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [If you're only making an album every 10 years, it better be good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/if-you-re-only-making-an-album-every-10-years-it-better-be-good/) [Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/) > [I tell my students, if you are going to spend days and months and years with someone, you had better like that person!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-nagel/i-tell-my-students-if-you-are-going-to-spend-days-and-months-and/) Susan Nagel > [We’re going to have good years again. Our bad years are not that bad. Take a school like Missouri. Our bad years are better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deloss-dodds/we-re-going-to-have-good-years-again-our-bad-years-are-not-that-bad/) DeLoss Dodds > [I like England more than I did when I left. It's become a bit of a better country in the last ten years, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-thompson/i-like-england-more-than-i-did-when-i-left-it-s-become-a-bit-of-a/) [Teddy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-thompson/) > [We've had enough of your pretending to be God. We'll take our chances getting out of the city. Things have to be better in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-nix/we-ve-had-enough-of-your-pretending-to-be-god-we-ll-take-our-chances/) [Garth Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-nix/) > [I love my country better than my family; but I love humanity better than my country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/i-love-my-country-better-than-my-family-but-i-love-humanity-better/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) ## 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/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [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/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "America, we are better than these last eight years. 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