Barack Quote by Bill Ayers
![“You can be disappointed but only if you thought [Barack Obama] was something that he said he wasn't!” quote by Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d3e/bill-ayers-1848_barack_you-can-be-disappointed-but-only-if-you_1138424.jpg)
“You can be disappointed but only if you thought [Barack Obama] was something that he said he wasn't!”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Public Lecture, 2009
Disappointment arises only when expectations conflict with reality, especially regarding political figures.
In simple terms: Disappointment is about unmet expectations.
Key Takeaway
Align expectations with reality.
Themes
politics
expectations
disappointment
truth
Mood
skeptical
thoughtful
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- voter expectations
- media analysis
- political discourse
Key Concepts
cognitive dissonance
public perception
political rhetoric
Questions to Reflect On
- What expectations do you hold about leaders?
- How can you verify claims before forming opinions?
A Different Perspective
People may overidealize leaders, leading to disillusionment.
![“I've always thought of him [Barack Obama] and from conversations know him to be a guy who takes the long view, who doesn't get too high, doesn't get too low and seizes the opportunities when they're there and knows how to ride the wave. I ascribe that to Hawaii. He's a body surfer, so he knows how…” quote by Howard Fineman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/93e/howard-fineman-25647_barack_i-ve-always-thought-of-him-barack-obama_396298.jpg)
![“Everybody thought Barack Obama was going to [inspire people] when he came to Washington, but, you know, the Senate seems like the place where smart people go to die.” quote by Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5ff/jon-stewart-455_barack_everybody-thought-barack-obama-was-going_738803.jpg)
![“I'm not disappointed in [Barack] Obama. He said who he is; he's doing what he said he would do.” quote by Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a2d/bill-ayers-1848_barack_i-m-not-disappointed-in-barack-obama-he_2036331.jpg)
![“The president [Barack Obama] himself has said he thought part of his job was to remind the American people that being president and commander in chief is a serious responsibility.” quote by Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/99a/hillary-clinton-51_american-people_the-president-barack-obama-himself-has-s_622999.jpg)
![“Speaking of [Colin] Kaepernick, did you see what [Barack] Obama said about Kaepernick? I mean this was the biggest dodge I have ever seen. This may have been the most vacuous or empty statement on anything, because Obama clearly wanted to agree with Kaepernick but couldn't.” quote by Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/46a/rush-limbaugh-28_agree_speaking-of-colin-kaepernick-did-you-see_251090.jpg)
![“It wasn't [Barack] Obama per se; it was the feeling on the ground; it was seeing an old black woman in a wheelchair being wheeled by her son waving a big American flag, and then seeing a guy with his baby in his arms saying, "I didn't want her to miss tonight! I wanted to be able to tell her!" And…” quote by Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/806/bill-ayers-1848_able_it-wasn-t-barack-obama-per-se-it-was-the_20409.jpg)
![“One of the great crimes of the Bloomberg/Klein administration [in New York City] is that they've removed themselves from communities, as if communities have nothing to say about what their needs and aspirations are for themselves and for their children.” quote by Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cfb/bill-ayers-1848_administration_one-of-the-great-crimes-of-the-bloomberg_36172.jpg)
![“[Lyndon ] Johnson was responding to a black freedom movement that was tearing the country open and he did what he had to do as a conservative politician.” quote by Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4e4/bill-ayers-1848_black_lyndon-johnson-was-responding-to-a-black_39317.jpg)
![“I'm wary of government. Part of [the Tea Party] impulse is to dislike and be worried about the rich. I'm that way too. So I don't find them to be as atrocious as most people do, as your liberals do. I'm not a liberal.” quote by Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f9a/bill-ayers-1848_dislike_i-m-wary-of-government-part-of-the-tea-p_60556.jpg)
![“I'd been arrested many times by then. I'd been an organizer, so many things had changed over those three years [from 1965 till 1968].” quote by Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0f8/bill-ayers-1848_arrested_i-d-been-arrested-many-times-by-then-i-d_88658.jpg)
![“[The whole first year at university] was a great time for me and great time of awakening.” quote by Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/37e/bill-ayers-1848_awakening_the-whole-first-year-at-university-was-a_193300.jpg)
![“I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect [Donald Trump], or then-president [Barack Obama]. But it's - I'm very clear. I voted for the change that put the Army Field Manual in place as a member of Congress. I understand that law very, very quickly and am also deeply aware…” quote by James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/761/james-mattis-9515_army_i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-th_3990.jpg)
![“The president [Barack Obama] asked for a commitment of, I think, 100,000 jobs for veterans and military spouses over the next couple of years. And we announced during the tour last week that we have gotten more than 60,000 jobs, and we're well on our way to just crashing that goal out of the…” quote by Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/83d/michelle-obama-518_barack_the-president-barack-obama-asked-for-a-c_15651.jpg)
![“I think the president's [Barack Obama] position has been very clear on Syria. He wants more aggressive, he's put the Special Ops on the ground, in fact one of the Republican criticisms is he's got thousands of Americans there. We just don't call them troops on the ground, we don't admit to it. But…” quote by Juan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f9c/juan-williams-7909_aggressive_i-think-the-president-s-barack-obama-pos_17086.jpg)
![“It cannot be an American fight. And I think what the president [Barack Obama] has consistently said - which I agree with - is that we will support those who take the fight to ISIS. That is why we have troops in Iraq that are helping to train and build back up the Iraqi military, why we have…” quote by Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f1e/hillary-clinton-51_agree_it-cannot-be-an-american-fight-and-i-thi_19737.jpg)
