--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never voted for a president until I…" description: "\"I never voted for a president until I felt Obama had a dream and might pull it off, and that was the first time I ever voted for a president.\" — Bruce ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/bruce-dern-23901_dream_i-never-voted-for-a-president-until-i-fe_587773.png" --- # I never voted for a president until I felt Obama had a… ![“I never voted for a president until I felt Obama had a dream and might pull it off, and that was the first time I ever voted for a president.” quote by Bruce Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/bruce-dern-23901_dream_i-never-voted-for-a-president-until-i-fe_587773.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/bruce-dern-23901_dream_i-never-voted-for-a-president-until-i-fe_587773.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/bruce-dern-23901_dream_i-never-voted-for-a-president-until-i-fe_587773.png) > “I never voted for a president until I felt Obama had a dream and might pull it off, and that was the first time I ever voted for a president.” [Bruce Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dern/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker decided to vote only when a candidate seemed to embody a hopeful vision that felt achievable. **In simple terms:** Voting when a candidate’s vision feels real. Key Takeaway Vote for leaders with credible, inspiring visions. Themes politics hope civic engagement Mood reflective optimistic Type political personal narrative When to use this quote - election campaigns - community meetings - political discussions - civic education Key Concepts democratic participation leadership credibility political optimism Questions to Reflect On - What qualities make a political vision credible? - How do you balance hope with policy substance? A Different Perspective Idealistic expectations may overlook practical policies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I voted for President Bush, I voted for President Clinton, and, although I do want my vote back, I voted for President Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-simmons/i-voted-for-president-bush-i-voted-for-president-clinton-and-although/) [Gene Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-simmons/) > [There has been an awful lot of time and money spent looking at the president over the last four years The American people saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephanopoulos/there-has-been-an-awful-lot-of-time-and-money-spent-looking-at-the/) [George Stephanopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephanopoulos/) > [ We\[with Jordan Peele\] wanted to do something with \[Barack\] Obama because we actually felt that Obama was kind of responsible for us even getting… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keegan-michael-key/we-with-jordan-peele-wanted-to-do-something-with-barack-obama-because/) [Keegan-Michael Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keegan-michael-key/) > [I don't think I would have made 'A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood' had Trump not been president. I felt so desperately like we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marielle-heller/i-don-t-think-i-would-have-made-a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood/) [Marielle Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marielle-heller/) > [I'm a kid from Chicago. I know what it was like to see Obama become president. We felt the tectonic plates of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil-abloh/i-m-a-kid-from-chicago-i-know-what-it-was-like-to-see-obama-become/) [Virgil Abloh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-abloh/) > [The president felt that it was important to send an ordinary citizen to experience the excitement of space travel as a representative for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-mcauliffe/the-president-felt-that-it-was-important-to-send-an-ordinary-citizen/) [Christa McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-mcauliffe/) > [People talked about my weight for an entire year. Being famous for gaining 10lbs is ridiculous! I didnt feel as fat as everybody was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-simpson/people-talked-about-my-weight-for-an-entire-year-being-famous-for/) [Jessica Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-simpson/) > [We wouldn't even be where we are had it not been that 70% of Hispanics voted for President Obama, voted Democratic in the last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-wouldn-t-even-be-where-we-are-had-it-not-been-that-70-of-hispanics/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I'll ask the writers' room who they voted for Emmy awards, but I'll never ask who they voted for president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-murphy/i-ll-ask-the-writers-room-who-they-voted-for-emmy-awards-but-i-ll/) [Ryan Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-murphy/) > [The American people voted for a president, Donald Trump, who's very tough, very strong, very aggressive on terrorism, but at the same time smart.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-miller/the-american-people-voted-for-a-president-donald-trump-who-s-very/) [Stephen Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-miller/) > [As a Republican, I voted with President Clinton consistently in our efforts to bail out our European friends in Kosovo to stop genocide. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-smith/as-a-republican-i-voted-with-president-clinton-consistently-in-our/) [Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-smith/) > [I can't quite remember who I voted for president. It wasn't Trump or Hillary, though. I didn't like either one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burr/i-can-t-quite-remember-who-i-voted-for-president-it-wasn-t-trump-or/) [Bill Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burr/) > [“We are approaching a very historical event in the history of our nation, the United States of America. For the first time in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aladdin-elaasar/we-are-approaching-a-very-historical-event-in-the-history-of-our/) Aladdin Elaasar > [Brian Stann is a great guy. I voted him in for the President of the United States in 2008, and I will write him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/brian-stann-is-a-great-guy-i-voted-him-in-for-the-president-of-the/) [Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) > [The people who voted for President Obama are just beginning to wake up to exactly what they brought in. The 'change' they envisioned is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-voight/the-people-who-voted-for-president-obama-are-just-beginning-to-wake/) [Jon Voight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-voight/) ## More by Bruce Dern > [I'm not good at living in the grim places...when we did Gatsby, I lived in Claridges, that's where I wanted to live. I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/i-m-not-good-at-living-in-the-grim-places-when-we-did-gatsby-i-lived/) [Bruce Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dern/) > [I'm curious about what makes people do things that they do, unless it's absolutely terrifying to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/i-m-curious-about-what-makes-people-do-things-that-they-do-unless-it/) [Bruce Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dern/) > [When I was starting to get noticed as an actor in the 1970s for something other than the third cowboy on the right who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/when-i-was-starting-to-get-noticed-as-an-actor-in-the-1970s-for/) [Bruce Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dern/) > [I'm not a good reader. I had to take remedial reading in school. I was a slow reader and therefore it's tough for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/i-m-not-a-good-reader-i-had-to-take-remedial-reading-in-school-i-was/) [Bruce Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dern/) > [The difference between my generation of actors and their generation is that they were bigger than life. We are not bigger than life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/the-difference-between-my-generation-of-actors-and-their-generation/) [Bruce Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dern/) > [I tried to make the Olympics team in 1956](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/i-tried-to-make-the-olympics-team-in-1956/) [Bruce Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dern/) > [Since I've started to star in pictures I have always managed to retain my singularity of purpose when I got into the business, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/since-i-ve-started-to-star-in-pictures-i-have-always-managed-to/) [Bruce Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dern/) > [Everybody can't be like Redford and pop out there and make big bucks right away because you look like a Greek god... The guy's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/everybody-can-t-be-like-redford-and-pop-out-there-and-make-big-bucks/) [Bruce Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dern/) > [I'm totally sports-oriented; I relate a lot of my career and everything to sports.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/i-m-totally-sports-oriented-i-relate-a-lot-of-my-career-and/) [Bruce Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dern/) > [I took Laura on a trip once where we followed the Immigrant Trail for about six hundred miles. She really learned a lesson. People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/i-took-laura-on-a-trip-once-where-we-followed-the-immigrant-trail-for/) [Bruce Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dern/) > [I'm a big wilderness, mountain guy. I love to go up in the mountains and I can just sit for hours and just look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/i-m-a-big-wilderness-mountain-guy-i-love-to-go-up-in-the-mountains/) [Bruce Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dern/) > [In Hitchcocks eyes the movement was dramatic, not the acting. When he wanted the audience to be moved, he moved the camera. He was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/in-hitchcocks-eyes-the-movement-was-dramatic-not-the-acting-when-he/) [Bruce Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dern/) > [If the film isn't in some way going to study behavior then I'm not interested, but the reason why I'm not interested in directing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/if-the-film-isn-t-in-some-way-going-to-study-behavior-then-i-m-not/) [Bruce Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dern/) > [I've always thought that if Israel really wanted to solve the problem, they'd just start tomorrow and push right to the Jordan River, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/i-ve-always-thought-that-if-israel-really-wanted-to-solve-the-problem/) [Bruce Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dern/) > [I always made a living as an actor when I came to California. I never had to do anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/i-always-made-a-living-as-an-actor-when-i-came-to-california-i-never/) [Bruce Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dern/) [Explore all 25 Bruce Dern quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dern/) ## More Dream quotes > [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/) [Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“I had a dream. I had an awesome dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-i-had-an-awesome-dream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Browse all 26,527 Dream quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I never voted for a president until I felt Obama had a dream and might pull it off, and that was the first time I ever voted for a president.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bruce Dern" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/i-never-voted-for-a-president-until-i-felt-obama-had-a-dream-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dream" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/i-never-voted-for-a-president-until-i-felt-obama-had-a-dream-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/bruce-dern-23901_dream_i-never-voted-for-a-president-until-i-fe_587773.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/bruce-dern-23901_dream_i-never-voted-for-a-president-until-i-fe_587773.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/bruce-dern-23901_dream_i-never-voted-for-a-president-until-i-fe_587773.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I never voted for a president until I felt Obama had a dream and might pull it off, and that was the first…” — Bruce Dern", "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": "Bruce Dern", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dern/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I never voted for a president...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/i-never-voted-for-a-president-until-i-felt-obama-had-a-dream-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/i-never-voted-for-a-president-until-i-felt-obama-had-a-dream-and/#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 } } ] } ```