--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Presidential elections always turn on…" description: "\"Presidential elections always turn on personalities, they turn on how campaigns are run, they turn on natural desires for change.\" — Barack Obama" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/barack-obama-17_campaigns_presidential-elections-always-turn-on-pe_1734940.jpg" --- # Presidential elections always turn on personalities, they… ![“Presidential elections always turn on personalities, they turn on how campaigns are run, they turn on natural desires for change.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/barack-obama-17_campaigns_presidential-elections-always-turn-on-pe_1734940.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/barack-obama-17_campaigns_presidential-elections-always-turn-on-pe_1734940.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/barack-obama-17_campaigns_presidential-elections-always-turn-on-pe_1734940.jpg) > “Presidential elections always turn on personalities, they turn on how campaigns are run, they turn on natural desires for change.” [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. Elections hinge on candidate personalities, campaign strategy, and public desire for change. **In simple terms:** Elections depend on people, tactics, and desire for change. Key Takeaway Focus on relatable image and clear strategy. Themes politics election leadership Mood strategic analytical Type political inspirational When to use this quote - candidate debates - media interviews - grassroots mobilization - policy announcements Key Concepts public opinion campaign management social change Questions to Reflect On - How can a campaign balance personality with policy? - What drives voter desire for change? A Different Perspective Charisma alone cannot win without substance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Campaigns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaigns/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election/) [Elections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elections/) [Personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personality/) [Presidential election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presidential-election/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) ## Related quotes > [These are party-sanctioned debates. This is a presidential election, you show up at the debates. These are the rules. We have a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-grim/these-are-party-sanctioned-debates-this-is-a-presidential-election/) [Ryan Grim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-grim/) > [I have no more campaigns to run. I know because I won both of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-have-no-more-campaigns-to-run-i-know-because-i-won-both-of-them/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [From 1976, Judy to 1996, we had six presidential elections. And it was run under the Campaign Finance Reform Act of 1974. In all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/from-1976-judy-to-1996-we-had-six-presidential-elections-and-it-was/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [It seems to me that our presidential elections have turned more into a popularity contest than a real analysis about who really should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-strong/it-seems-to-me-that-our-presidential-elections-have-turned-more-into/) [Danny Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-strong/) > [In most presidential elections, the taller candidate wins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-estrich/in-most-presidential-elections-the-taller-candidate-wins/) [Susan Estrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-estrich/) > [“only Mubarak could stand for presidential election on a yes or no vote. Elections were more of a selection process since most of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amiso-m-george/only-mubarak-could-stand-for-presidential-election-on-a-yes-or-no/) Amiso M. George > [As is always the case with American presidential elections, nobody's talking about the fact that the empire will be ruled from Washington, and foreign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashid-khalidi/as-is-always-the-case-with-american-presidential-elections-nobody-s/) [Rashid Khalidi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashid-khalidi/) > [The pattern of American presidential elections is that the more optimistic candidate, whether it's John Kennedy and let's get America moving again, Ronald Reagan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/the-pattern-of-american-presidential-elections-is-that-the-more/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [Federal elections happen every two years in this country. Presidential elections every four years. And four years just isn't long enough to dismantle all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/federal-elections-happen-every-two-years-in-this-country-presidential/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [ Barack Obama was elected President in 2008 and re-elected in 2012. The natural thing would be to suggest money on the right \[wing\] doesn't… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/barack-obama-was-elected-president-in-2008-and-re-elected-in-2012-the/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [Each film does bring a new set of personalities and it can turn out great or it can turn out not great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christophe-beck/each-film-does-bring-a-new-set-of-personalities-and-it-can-turn-out/) [Christophe Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christophe-beck/) > [“Sandman had two personalities. One could turn a female into his angel for the night in a blink, and the other could make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/sandman-had-two-personalities-one-could-turn-a-female-into-his-angel/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Well, I mean, I think all campaigns run negative and positive ads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-parscale/well-i-mean-i-think-all-campaigns-run-negative-and-positive-ads/) [Brad Parscale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-parscale/) > [Analysts may be correct that the presidential election won't primarily turn on entitlements reform, but by choosing Paul Ryan as his running mate, Mitt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-limbaugh/analysts-may-be-correct-that-the-presidential-election-won-t/) [David Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-limbaugh/) > [You mentioned the Navy, for example, and that we have fewer ships than we did in 1916. Well, Governor, we also have fewer horses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/you-mentioned-the-navy-for-example-and-that-we-have-fewer-ships-than/) [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 Campaigns quotes > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [If you put everything, your heart and soul into a campaign, it might take you a while to come around to the realization that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/if-you-put-everything-your-heart-and-soul-into-a-campaign-it-might/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [MAC allowed me to have complete freedom on the collaborations—from the shades, the look-and-feel, to the campaign visuals. I have to admit that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-treacy/mac-allowed-me-to-have-complete-freedom-on-the-collaborations-from/) [Philip Treacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-treacy/) > [My wife and daughters work. My campaign manager in 2005 was a working mother. I appointed 5 women to my senior staff as Attorney General.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mcdonnell/my-wife-and-daughters-work-my-campaign-manager-in-2005-was-a-working/) [Bob McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mcdonnell/) > [I would like to have campaign spending limits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/i-would-like-to-have-campaign-spending-limits/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [The reason that minorities and women don't have a better shot at getting elected to the Senate or to statewide office is because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-moseley-braun/the-reason-that-minorities-and-women-don-t-have-a-better-shot-at/) [Carol Moseley Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-moseley-braun/) > [We need to be more precise in how we talk about these issues. People around the word follow our presidential campaigns so closely, trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-need-to-be-more-precise-in-how-we-talk-about-these-issues-people/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I did it once, and National Geographic recruited me. I did it primarily out of curiosity. A lot of legendary photographers had worked on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-abell/i-did-it-once-and-national-geographic-recruited-me-i-did-it-primarily/) [Sam Abell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-abell/) > [Social media has become a primary factor in political campaigns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/social-media-has-become-a-primary-factor-in-political-campaigns/) [Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/) > [We in the Hispanic community are truly tired of both the Democrats and the Republicans promising all of these things during the campaigns and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-ramos/we-in-the-hispanic-community-are-truly-tired-of-both-the-democrats/) [Jorge Ramos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-ramos/) > [I measure the amount of shows I should do by my hair. If my hair isn't good for campaigns and editorials, then obviously I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-wixson/i-measure-the-amount-of-shows-i-should-do-by-my-hair-if-my-hair-isn-t/) [Lindsey Wixson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-wixson/) > [I think that, you know, this is a different year than most years. We've got to tell the American people that we have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-buck/i-think-that-you-know-this-is-a-different-year-than-most-years-we-ve/) [Ken Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-buck/) > [When you have the Chief of Staff of the Republican National Committee and the political director of the Romney campaign, and their two companies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-caddell/when-you-have-the-chief-of-staff-of-the-republican-national-committee/) [Patrick Caddell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-caddell/) > [What 'eminent domain' laws mean in practice is that politicians have a right to seize your property and turn it over to someone else,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/what-eminent-domain-laws-mean-in-practice-is-that-politicians-have-a/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [After Donald Trump wrote Lindsey Graham's cellphone number on a piece of paper and showed it to everybody, Graham said he's getting a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/after-donald-trump-wrote-lindsey-graham-s-cellphone-number-on-a-piece/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) [Browse all 1,797 Campaigns quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaigns/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Presidential elections always turn on personalities, they turn on how campaigns are run, they turn on natural desires for change.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/presidential-elections-always-turn-on-personalities-they-turn-on-how/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Campaigns" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/presidential-elections-always-turn-on-personalities-they-turn-on-how/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/barack-obama-17_campaigns_presidential-elections-always-turn-on-pe_1734940.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/barack-obama-17_campaigns_presidential-elections-always-turn-on-pe_1734940.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/barack-obama-17_campaigns_presidential-elections-always-turn-on-pe_1734940.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Presidential elections always turn on personalities, they turn on how campaigns are run, they turn on…” — 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": "Presidential elections always turn on personalities,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/presidential-elections-always-turn-on-personalities-they-turn-on-how/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/presidential-elections-always-turn-on-personalities-they-turn-on-how/#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 } } ] } ```