--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In fact, the American people did decide…" description: "\"In fact, the American people did decide, back in 2012, when they elected me president of the United States.\" — Barack Obama" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6f/barack-obama-17_american-people_in-fact-the-american-people-did-decide-b_1494078.jpg" --- # In fact, the American people did decide, back in 2012… ![“In fact, the American people did decide, back in 2012, when they elected me president of the United States.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6f/barack-obama-17_american-people_in-fact-the-american-people-did-decide-b_1494078.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6f/barack-obama-17_american-people_in-fact-the-american-people-did-decide-b_1494078.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6f/barack-obama-17_american-people_in-fact-the-american-people-did-decide-b_1494078.jpg) > “In fact, the American people did decide, back in 2012, when they elected me president of the United States.” [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. The American people chose him as president in 2012. **In simple terms:** He claims democratic legitimacy. Key Takeaway Acknowledge public mandate. Themes politics democracy legitimacy Mood formal confident Type political historical When to use this quote - elections - policy making - leadership Key Concepts government public opinion Questions to Reflect On - How does public trust shape leadership? - What responsibilities follow electoral victory? A Different Perspective Election outcomes can be contested. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [2012 Elected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/2012-elected-5463451/) [American people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) [Decide 2012](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decide-2012-5463452/) [Did Decide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did-decide-1366866/) [Elected President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elected-president/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [United](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) ## Related quotes > [I did decide that you have to put your name about a bit, and so, although I would have preferred to have never done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-northam/i-did-decide-that-you-have-to-put-your-name-about-a-bit-and-so/) [Jeremy Northam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-northam/) > [I asked my mother I said, "You divorced my dad, how did you decide? She said, "I decided twelve years before he knew it."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-asked-my-mother-i-said-you-divorced-my-dad-how-did-you-decide-she/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [“At what point in your life did you decide you were the sort of guy who wanted to be fisted?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-henry/at-what-point-in-your-life-did-you-decide-you-were-the-sort-of-guy/) [Lisa Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-henry/) > [She looks up at me, still rocking. “Henry . . . why did me decide to do this again?” “Supposedly when it’s over they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/she-looks-up-at-me-still-rocking-henry-why-did-me-decide-to-do-this/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [I did not decide to love you, it is just happened,but I decide to wait for you and be only with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-did-not-decide-to-love-you-it-is-just-happened-but-i-decide-to-wait/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [How you looked was not important. It was what you did and how you did it. Decide to do it and then do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nana-mouskouri/how-you-looked-was-not-important-it-was-what-you-did-and-how-you-did/) [Nana Mouskouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nana-mouskouri/) > [...I believe deeply that we canot solve the challenges of your time unless we solve them together - unless we perfect our union by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-believe-deeply-that-we-canot-solve-the-challenges-of-your-time/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I face the world as it is and cannot stand idle in the face of threats to the American people. For make no mistake,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-face-the-world-as-it-is-and-cannot-stand-idle-in-the-face-of/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I think the American people have a generous instinct. They understand that we're a nation of immigrants. But if those folks are going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-the-american-people-have-a-generous-instinct-they-understand/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The American people reminded us while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long. We have picked ourselves up, we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-american-people-reminded-us-while-our-road-has-been-hard-while/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The other thing is going to be me being able to show not just the American people or the Israeli people but the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-other-thing-is-going-to-be-me-being-able-to-show-not-just-the/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [My first job as commander in chief is to keep the American people safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/my-first-job-as-commander-in-chief-is-to-keep-the-american-people-safe/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The American people recognize that their careers or their kids' careers are going to have to be more dynamic. That they might not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-american-people-recognize-that-their-careers-or-their-kids/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [When I ran for the U.S. Senate the assumption was that anyone's name that was close to "Osama" doesn't stand a chance. So if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/when-i-ran-for-the-u-s-senate-the-assumption-was-that-anyone-s-name/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The American people intuitively understand this, which is why the majority of Catholics practice birth control and some of those opposed to gay marriage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-american-people-intuitively-understand-this-which-is-why-the/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## 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 American people quotes > [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/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-as-much-as-government-can-do-and-must-do-it-is-ultimately-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Given a choice between two bald political candidates, the American people will vote for the less bald of the two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-gold/given-a-choice-between-two-bald-political-candidates-the-american/) [Victor Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-gold/) > [When the American people saw the LA riots and crowds of Blacks cheering O.J. Simpson (who was acquitted by the almost all Black jury),…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-duke/when-the-american-people-saw-the-la-riots-and-crowds-of-blacks/) [David Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-duke/) > [In any event, it is one thing to assert, then or now, that the Iraq war was ill-advised. It is quite another to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-silberman/in-any-event-it-is-one-thing-to-assert-then-or-now-that-the-iraq-war/) [Laurence Silberman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-silberman/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [I don't know a politician who enjoys fundraising. The system is such that the American people have lost faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-don-t-know-a-politician-who-enjoys-fundraising-the-system-is-such/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Probably the greatest single obstacle to the progress and happiness of the American people lies in the willingness of so many men to invest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/probably-the-greatest-single-obstacle-to-the-progress-and-happiness/) [John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) > [If a financial institution has business operations in the United States, hires people in the United States, if they are clogged with illiquid assets,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/if-a-financial-institution-has-business-operations-in-the-united/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [The American people reject the idea of giving Washington a blank check to increase the debt limit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-roby/the-american-people-reject-the-idea-of-giving-washington-a-blank/) [Martha Roby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-roby/) > [The coronavirus has yet again exposed the strong contrast between President Trump - who is working ardently for the American people - and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayleigh-mcenany/the-coronavirus-has-yet-again-exposed-the-strong-contrast-between/) [Kayleigh McEnany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kayleigh-mcenany/) > [The American people demand results, not rhetoric, especially when it comes to national security issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-hayworth/the-american-people-demand-results-not-rhetoric-especially-when-it/) [J. D. Hayworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-hayworth/) > [Hillary Clinton truly is sincere, but she has to connect more with the American people in terms of what she believes in and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/hillary-clinton-truly-is-sincere-but-she-has-to-connect-more-with-the/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [The American people are incredibly generous and even playful when you open yourself up and feed the media beast until it goes away satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krystal-ball/the-american-people-are-incredibly-generous-and-even-playful-when-you/) [Krystal Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krystal-ball/) [Browse all 2,233 American people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In fact, the American people did decide, back in 2012, when they elected me president of the United States.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/in-fact-the-american-people-did-decide-back-in-2012-when-they-elected/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American people" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/in-fact-the-american-people-did-decide-back-in-2012-when-they-elected/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6f/barack-obama-17_american-people_in-fact-the-american-people-did-decide-b_1494078.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6f/barack-obama-17_american-people_in-fact-the-american-people-did-decide-b_1494078.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6f/barack-obama-17_american-people_in-fact-the-american-people-did-decide-b_1494078.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In fact, the American people did decide, back in 2012, when they elected me president of the United States.” — Barack Obama", "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": "Barack Obama", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In fact, the American people did...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/in-fact-the-american-people-did-decide-back-in-2012-when-they-elected/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/in-fact-the-american-people-did-decide-back-in-2012-when-they-elected/#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 } } ] } ```