--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that the Democrats can be…" description: "\"I think that the Democrats can be successful nationally in the future if we are able to capture some of the complexity of people's lives right now.\" — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/barack-obama-17_able_i-think-that-the-democrats-can-be-succes_349778.jpg" --- # I think that the Democrats can be successful nationally in… ![“I think that the Democrats can be successful nationally in the future if we are able to capture some of the complexity of people's lives right now.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/barack-obama-17_able_i-think-that-the-democrats-can-be-succes_349778.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/barack-obama-17_able_i-think-that-the-democrats-can-be-succes_349778.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/barack-obama-17_able_i-think-that-the-democrats-can-be-succes_349778.jpg) > “I think that the Democrats can be successful nationally in the future if we are able to capture some of the complexity of people's lives right now.” [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. Obama argues that Democrats must understand and reflect the complex realities of people's lives to succeed nationally. **In simple terms:** Capture people's complexity to win. Key Takeaway Understand real lives, shape policy. Themes politics empathy complexity strategy Mood hopeful strategic Type political motivational When to use this quote - campaign planning - community outreach - policy design Key Concepts social dynamics policy relevance voter engagement Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of daily life are most overlooked? - How can parties simplify complexity without losing nuance? A Different Perspective Complexity can be hard to translate into clear platforms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-successful/) [Complexity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexity/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democrat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democrat/) [Democrats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democrats/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [So, you know, I think that Democrats are being more successful in Congress and I'm really going to be proud of the role I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-harman/so-you-know-i-think-that-democrats-are-being-more-successful-in/) [Jane Harman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-harman/) > [I don't think the Democrats should think in narrow tactical terms about mid-term elections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-don-t-think-the-democrats-should-think-in-narrow-tactical-terms/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I think that what is always true when you run against an incumbent president is, is that you end up talking more about that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-that-what-is-always-true-when-you-run-against-an-incumbent/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I think that sometimes the Democrats have to run upstream or swim upstream because we've got the Republicans making it out as if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-that-sometimes-the-democrats-have-to-run-upstream-or-swim/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Rather, my perceptions about how we solve problems in health care or education span across a whole range of areas. And I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/rather-my-perceptions-about-how-we-solve-problems-in-health-care-or/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Find somebody to be successful for. Raise their hopes. Think of their needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/find-somebody-to-be-successful-for-raise-their-hopes-think-of-their/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Find somebody to be successful for. Raise their hopes. Rise to their needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/find-somebody-to-be-successful-for-raise-their-hopes-rise-to-their/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The Democrats are as concerned about raising our kids and making sure that the values of empathy and hard work and discipline and self-respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-democrats-are-as-concerned-about-raising-our-kids-and-making-sure/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The American people are a non-ideological people. They very much are looking for common-sense, practical solutions to the problems that they face. Oftentimes they've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-american-people-are-a-non-ideological-people-they-very-much-are/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ \[American Citizenship\] captures the enduring idea that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/american-citizenship-captures-the-enduring-idea-that-this-country/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [If we're not there making the argument then the cultural gulf that Republicans try to exploit saying, "Ah, these city slickers: they're all looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/if-we-re-not-there-making-the-argument-then-the-cultural-gulf-that/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We have to be successful at the cutting-edge industries of the future like Twitter. But we also have always been a country that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-have-to-be-successful-at-the-cutting-edge-industries-of-the-future/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [But I will say, I think there are some Democrats that don't want to address pension reform. I have taken on the issue of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-villaraigosa/but-i-will-say-i-think-there-are-some-democrats-that-don-t-want-to/) [Antonio Villaraigosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-villaraigosa/) > [I think Democrats are right. We fight for the American dream, for the environment, for privacy rights, a woman's right to choose, a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-boxer/i-think-democrats-are-right-we-fight-for-the-american-dream-for-the/) [Barbara Boxer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-boxer/) > [I think what Democrats need to do is they need to work for the country and make sure that not only the southern border…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-tester/i-think-what-democrats-need-to-do-is-they-need-to-work-for-the/) [Jon Tester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-tester/) ## 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 Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. 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I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. 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