--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Undecided,\" while running for re-election…" description: "\"Undecided,\" while running for re-election to state Senate in 1998, in response to an Outlines questionnaire asking, \"Do you favor legalizing same-sex m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/barack-obama-17_asking_undecided-while-running-for-re-election_1344311.jpg" --- # Undecided," while running for re-election to state Senate… ![“Undecided," while running for re-election to state Senate in 1998, in response to an Outlines questionnaire asking, "Do you favor legalizing same-sex marriage?” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/barack-obama-17_asking_undecided-while-running-for-re-election_1344311.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/barack-obama-17_asking_undecided-while-running-for-re-election_1344311.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/barack-obama-17_asking_undecided-while-running-for-re-election_1344311.jpg) > “Undecided," while running for re-election to state Senate in 1998, in response to an Outlines questionnaire asking, "Do you favor legalizing same-sex marriage?” [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. He expressed uncertainty on a contentious social issue during a political questionnaire. **In simple terms:** He was undecided about legalizing same-sex marriage. Key Takeaway Acknowledge uncertainty when lacking full information. Themes politics social issues leadership Mood tentative reflective Type political personal When to use this quote - campaign speech - media interview - policy discussion Key Concepts public opinion ethical deliberation Questions to Reflect On - How should politicians handle evolving social issues? - What are the risks of public indecision? A Different Perspective His stance may have alienated both supporters and opponents. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [1998 Response](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/1998-response-4551890/) [Asking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asking/) [Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election/) [Election State](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election-state-1322203/) [Favors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/favors/) [Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay/) [Gay rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay-rights/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Outlines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outlines/) [Questionnaires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questionnaires/) [Response](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/response/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Senate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senate/) [Senate 1998](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senate-1998-4551889/) [Sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sex/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Undecided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/undecided/) [Undecided Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/undecided-running-4551888/) ## Related quotes > [There's a lot of work to be done if you're going to run for president or if you're going to run for re-election in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/there-s-a-lot-of-work-to-be-done-if-you-re-going-to-run-for-president/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Those who would send out thousands of questionnaires asking the unconverted what they would desire most in a worship service should realize that ten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-washer/those-who-would-send-out-thousands-of-questionnaires-asking-the/) [Paul Washer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-washer/) > [The Pivot Questionnaire that I ask other people, when I have on rare occasion answered it, the answer to the question, "What turns you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lipton/the-pivot-questionnaire-that-i-ask-other-people-when-i-have-on-rare/) [James Lipton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lipton/) > [When the students were asked to identify their race on a pretest questionnaire, that simple act was sufficient to prime them with all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/when-the-students-were-asked-to-identify-their-race-on-a-pretest/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [I went to Columbia University because they were doing a study on people who suffered from panic attacks, and because I suffered from panic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/i-went-to-columbia-university-because-they-were-doing-a-study-on/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) > [If you have 15 minutes per visit, and you spend the first 9 minutes just collecting information from them, before you do anything else,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-davis/if-you-have-15-minutes-per-visit-and-you-spend-the-first-9-minutes/) [William Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-davis/) > [ Libraries should be open to all - except the censor. \[Response to questionnaire in Saturday Review, October 29 1960\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/libraries-should-be-open-to-all-except-the-censor-response-to/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Random search for data on ... off-chance is hardly scientific. A questionnaire on 'Intellectual Immoralities' was circulated by a well-known institution. 'Intellectual Immorality No.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/random-search-for-data-on-off-chance-is-hardly-scientific-a/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [Iceland sets a world-record. The United Nations asked people from all over the world a series of questions. Iceland stuck out on one thing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bjork/iceland-sets-a-world-record-the-united-nations-asked-people-from-all/) [Bjork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bjork/) > [A 1977 poll of American astronomers, published in JSE, showed the following. Out of 2611 questionnaires 1356 were returned. In response to whether the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-haisch/a-1977-poll-of-american-astronomers-published-in-jse-showed-the/) [Bernard Haisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-haisch/) > [No aphorism is more frequently repeated in connection with field trials, than that we must ask Nature few questions, or, ideally, one question, at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-fisher/no-aphorism-is-more-frequently-repeated-in-connection-with-field/) [Ronald Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-fisher/) > [The questionnaire is a simple first step toward becoming more self-aware.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-morgan/the-questionnaire-is-a-simple-first-step-toward-becoming-more-self/) [Nick Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-morgan/) > [Thou shalt not answer questionnaires Or quizzes upon world affairs, Nor with compliance Take any test. Thou shalt not sit with statisticians nor commit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/thou-shalt-not-answer-questionnaires-or-quizzes-upon-world-affairs/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [Bobby and I went through some old questionnaires about customer requirements for languages, then we compiled a new one and sent it out to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frank/bobby-and-i-went-through-some-old-questionnaires-about-customer/) [James Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frank/) > [If every day a man takes orders in silence from an incompetent superior, if every day he solemnly performs ritual acts which he privately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/if-every-day-a-man-takes-orders-in-silence-from-an-incompetent/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) ## 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 Asking quotes > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/) [Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/) > [And in your new lives you'll have to live entirely for that one sensation-that of imminent truth. And you're going to have to holler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/and-in-your-new-lives-you-ll-have-to-live-entirely-for-that-one/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“Stop asking yourself how or why and tell yourself you can." - Charmainism”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charmaine-smith-ladd/stop-asking-yourself-how-or-why-and-tell-yourself-you-can-charmainism/) [Charmaine Smith Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charmaine-smith-ladd/) > [Closing his eyes, he sent up a prayer to anyone who was listening, asking please, for God's sake, stop sending him signals that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/closing-his-eyes-he-sent-up-a-prayer-to-anyone-who-was-listening/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [People will identify with a persecuted minority without asking themselves what they are identifying with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/people-will-identify-with-a-persecuted-minority-without-asking/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [If you're having a bad day already and everybody is just asking you petty questions, it drives people to the edge, or something really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-weixler/if-you-re-having-a-bad-day-already-and-everybody-is-just-asking-you/) [Jess Weixler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-weixler/) > [You never give away your heart; you lend it from time to time. If it were not so, how could we take it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/you-never-give-away-your-heart-you-lend-it-from-time-to-time-if-it/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I'm not asking people to feel sorry for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-abramoff/i-m-not-asking-people-to-feel-sorry-for-me/) [Jack Abramoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-abramoff/) > [The boldness of asking deep questions may require unforeseen flexibility if we are to accept the answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/the-boldness-of-asking-deep-questions-may-require-unforeseen/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [Use Google Before Asking A Stupid Question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muskaan/use-google-before-asking-a-stupid-question/) [Muskaan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muskaan/) > [There were people asking 'Can women be funny?' People still ask that. It's like asking: 'Can women breathe in and out?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/there-were-people-asking-can-women-be-funny-people-still-ask-that-it/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/) [Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/) > [Love cannot be had for the asking; it comes only as a gift from the heart of another](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/love-cannot-be-had-for-the-asking-it-comes-only-as-a-gift-from-the/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [The Baseball Hall of Fame is something every player dreams about, but being a member of God's Hall of Fame is the greatest achievement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/the-baseball-hall-of-fame-is-something-every-player-dreams-about-but/) [Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/) > [“In such a regime, I say you died a good death if your life had inspired someone to come forward and shoot your murdered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/in-such-a-regime-i-say-you-died-a-good-death-if-your-life-had/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) [Browse all 3,313 Asking quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asking/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Undecided,\" while running for re-election to state Senate in 1998, in response to an Outlines questionnaire asking, \"Do you favor legalizing same-sex marriage?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/undecided-while-running-for-re-election-to-state-senate-in-1998-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Asking" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/undecided-while-running-for-re-election-to-state-senate-in-1998-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/barack-obama-17_asking_undecided-while-running-for-re-election_1344311.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/barack-obama-17_asking_undecided-while-running-for-re-election_1344311.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/barack-obama-17_asking_undecided-while-running-for-re-election_1344311.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Undecided,\" while running for re-election to state Senate in 1998, in response to an Outlines questionnaire…” — 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": "Undecided,\" while running for re-election to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/undecided-while-running-for-re-election-to-state-senate-in-1998-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/undecided-while-running-for-re-election-to-state-senate-in-1998-in/#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 } } ] } ```