--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can be disappointed but only if you…" description: "\"You can be disappointed but only if you thought [Barack Obama] was something that he said he wasn't!\" — Bill Ayers" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/bill-ayers-1848_barack_you-can-be-disappointed-but-only-if-you_1138424.png" --- # You can be disappointed but only if you thought \[Barack… ![“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/i/d3e/bill-ayers-1848_barack_you-can-be-disappointed-but-only-if-you_1138424.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/bill-ayers-1848_barack_you-can-be-disappointed-but-only-if-you_1138424.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/bill-ayers-1848_barack_you-can-be-disappointed-but-only-if-you_1138424.png) > “You can be disappointed but only if you thought \[Barack Obama\] was something that he said he wasn't!” [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. 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. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Barack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barack/) [Disappointed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointed/) [Disappointed Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointed-thought-779412/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Obama Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obama-said/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Said Wasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-wasn-798851/) [Thought Barack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-barack-232485/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) ## Related quotes > [ 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… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-fineman/i-ve-always-thought-of-him-barack-obama-and-from-conversations-know/) [Howard Fineman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-fineman/) > [ Everybody thought Barack Obama was going to \[inspire people\] when he came to Washington, but, you know, the Senate seems like the place where… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/everybody-thought-barack-obama-was-going-to-inspire-people-when-he/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [“Though it hadn’t been in his mind, and even though he would not entertain such an offer, he was nevertheless disappointed to find she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/though-it-hadn-t-been-in-his-mind-and-even-though-he-would-not/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [You're not disappointed in what it is. You're disappointed in what you thought it would be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/you-re-not-disappointed-in-what-it-is-you-re-disappointed-in-what-you/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [The Yardbirds sort of disbanded, and I was disappointed because I thought what we were doing was really good. I thought we were really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-page/the-yardbirds-sort-of-disbanded-and-i-was-disappointed-because-i/) [Jimmy Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-page/) > [ I'm not disappointed in \[Barack\] Obama. He said who he is; he's doing what he said he would do. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/i-m-not-disappointed-in-barack-obama-he-said-who-he-is-he-s-doing/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [ The president \[Barack Obama\] himself has said he thought part of his job was to remind the American people that being president and commander… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/the-president-barack-obama-himself-has-said-he-thought-part-of-his/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [ Speaking of \[Colin\] Kaepernick, did you see what \[Barack\] Obama said about Kaepernick? I mean this was the biggest dodge I have ever seen.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/speaking-of-colin-kaepernick-did-you-see-what-barack-obama-said-about/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [President Obama , I guess, is starting to confess to some of his anxieties. In a recent interview, President Obama said, 'I miss being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/president-obama-i-guess-is-starting-to-confess-to-some-of-his/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [Barack Obama has not only said that he is out to 'change the United States of America,' the people he has been associated with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/barack-obama-has-not-only-said-that-he-is-out-to-change-the-united/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [I've never thought that I would see any man of color, not just a black president, but any man of color, I never thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donte-stallworth/i-ve-never-thought-that-i-would-see-any-man-of-color-not-just-a-black/) [Donte Stallworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donte-stallworth/) > [I wasn't burdened by a personal history of prejudice. It's part of why I thought Barack could win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-jarrett/i-wasn-t-burdened-by-a-personal-history-of-prejudice-it-s-part-of-why/) [Valerie Jarrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-jarrett/) > [Jesse Jackson also said he thought Barack Obama was talking down to black people by lecturing them on things like fatherhood and being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/jesse-jackson-also-said-he-thought-barack-obama-was-talking-down-to/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [I thought for a while, Barack Obama, although he wanted comprehensive reform had less a good chance of getting it than Donald Trump because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-halperin/i-thought-for-a-while-barack-obama-although-he-wanted-comprehensive/) [Mark Halperin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-halperin/) > [I actually never thought that Barack Obama was anything but a typical Democratic party politician, which to me meant that he was probably in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/i-actually-never-thought-that-barack-obama-was-anything-but-a-typical/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) ## More by Bill Ayers > [ 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… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/it-wasn-t-barack-obama-per-se-it-was-the-feeling-on-the-ground-it-was/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [I didn't respond to people thrusting microphones at me and asking me questions that were unanswerable in a sound bite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/i-didn-t-respond-to-people-thrusting-microphones-at-me-and-asking-me/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [I haven't been silent. I teach, I lecture at universities, I write, I'm not silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/i-haven-t-been-silent-i-teach-i-lecture-at-universities-i-write-i-m/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [ 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… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/one-of-the-great-crimes-of-the-bloomberg-klein-administration-in-new/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [I was involved in the anti-war movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/i-was-involved-in-the-anti-war-movement/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [ \[Lyndon \] Johnson was responding to a black freedom movement that was tearing the country open and he did what he had to do… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/lyndon-johnson-was-responding-to-a-black-freedom-movement-that-was/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [ 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… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/i-m-wary-of-government-part-of-the-tea-party-impulse-is-to-dislike/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [ I'd been arrested many times by then. I'd been an organizer, so many things had changed over those three years \[from 1965 till 1968\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/i-d-been-arrested-many-times-by-then-i-d-been-an-organizer-so-many/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [You cannot live a political life, you cannot live a moral life if you're not willing to open your eyes and see the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/you-cannot-live-a-political-life-you-cannot-live-a-moral-life-if-you/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [I was a good liberal in some sense at that point. I wanted to end a war. I wanted to support the civil rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/i-was-a-good-liberal-in-some-sense-at-that-point-i-wanted-to-end-a/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [The fact is that in my prep school, I went to a boarding school, 39 young men graduated from that prep school. Five years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/the-fact-is-that-in-my-prep-school-i-went-to-a-boarding-school-39/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [ \[The whole first year at university\] was a great time for me and great time of awakening. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/the-whole-first-year-at-university-was-a-great-time-for-me-and-great/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [The truth is that the antiwar movement was powered by the working class. The students were the ones that got the media and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/the-truth-is-that-the-antiwar-movement-was-powered-by-the-working/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [There was one moment when J. Edgar Hoover and us had the same distorted lens about who we were - "a real threat," you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/there-was-one-moment-when-j-edgar-hoover-and-us-had-the-same/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [Every politician - FDR, Lyndon Johnson, Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama - they're all conservative by nature. They are part of the big thing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/every-politician-fdr-lyndon-johnson-abraham-lincoln-barack-obama-they/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) [Explore all 204 Bill Ayers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) ## More Barack quotes > [ 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.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-that-by-the-president-elect/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [We know the candidate Barack Obama, what he was like - the anti-war government nig... America was a source for division around the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/we-know-the-candidate-barack-obama-what-he-was-like-the-anti-war/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [We're in more wars today under Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton than under George W. Bush or Ronald Reagan. Yet they tell you that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-re-in-more-wars-today-under-barack-obama-and-hillary-clinton-than/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I can tell you who's planning terroris attacks. The leaders of ISIL. And I can tell you where they're at. They're in Raqqa, Syria.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-can-tell-you-who-s-planning-terroris-attacks-the-leaders-of-isil/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [ 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.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/the-president-barack-obama-asked-for-a-commitment-of-i-think-100-000/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [The big story today, Barack Obama was accused of insulting Sarah Palin when he criticized Republican policies by saying, you can put lipstick on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/the-big-story-today-barack-obama-was-accused-of-insulting-sarah-palin/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [ 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… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-williams/i-think-the-president-s-barack-obama-position-has-been-very-clear-on/) [Juan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-williams/) > [ It cannot be an American fight. And I think what the president \[Barack Obama\] has consistently said - which I agree with - is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/it-cannot-be-an-american-fight-and-i-think-what-the-president-barack/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [It doesn't matter to me where Barack Obama goes. If he wants to go to Hawaii because it's his home state, fine! Hunky-dory. Plastic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/it-doesn-t-matter-to-me-where-barack-obama-goes-if-he-wants-to-go-to/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [ 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… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/it-wasn-t-barack-obama-per-se-it-was-the-feeling-on-the-ground-it-was/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [I don't think that we really know a whole lot about Barack Obama at all that you would really call distinctive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-mcwhorter/i-don-t-think-that-we-really-know-a-whole-lot-about-barack-obama-at/) [John H. McWhorter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-mcwhorter/) > [Just like Barack Obama, my views on gay marriage have evolved, and now I am a reluctant groom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/just-like-barack-obama-my-views-on-gay-marriage-have-evolved-and-now/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [I think President Barack Obama has been an extraordinarily successful president, and that this period will record that with a bunch of exclamation points.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-sunstein/i-think-president-barack-obama-has-been-an-extraordinarily-successful/) [Cass Sunstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-sunstein/) > [The archives recall not one single incriminating incident, not one drunken escapade, not one reported affair, not one spat with a team-mate or reporter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-atherton/the-archives-recall-not-one-single-incriminating-incident-not-one/) [Michael Atherton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-atherton/) > [In public, Barack Obama's giving the simple version of his beliefs for the mass public. In private, he can discuss it at a really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/in-public-barack-obama-s-giving-the-simple-version-of-his-beliefs-for/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) [Browse all 1,672 Barack quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barack/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You can be disappointed but only if you thought [Barack Obama] was something that he said he wasn't!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bill Ayers" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/you-can-be-disappointed-but-only-if-you-thought-barack-obama-was/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Barack" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/you-can-be-disappointed-but-only-if-you-thought-barack-obama-was/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/bill-ayers-1848_barack_you-can-be-disappointed-but-only-if-you_1138424.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/bill-ayers-1848_barack_you-can-be-disappointed-but-only-if-you_1138424.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/bill-ayers-1848_barack_you-can-be-disappointed-but-only-if-you_1138424.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can be disappointed but only if you thought [Barack Obama] was something that he said he wasn't!” — Bill Ayers", "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": "Bill Ayers", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You can be disappointed but only...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/you-can-be-disappointed-but-only-if-you-thought-barack-obama-was/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/you-can-be-disappointed-but-only-if-you-thought-barack-obama-was/#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 } } ] } ```