--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you think about it, candidate Obama…" description: "\"If you think about it, candidate Obama, Sen. Obama, was running on sort of long-run economic issues, like restoring prosperity to the middle class, dea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/christina-romer-16059_budget_if-you-think-about-it-candidate-obama-se_2919672.jpg" --- # If you think about it, candidate Obama, Sen. Obama, was… ![“If you think about it, candidate Obama, Sen. Obama, was running on sort of long-run economic issues, like restoring prosperity to the middle class, dealing with the perennial problem of health care in the United States. He talked a lot about the budget deficit, about the need to transition to…” quote by Christina Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/christina-romer-16059_budget_if-you-think-about-it-candidate-obama-se_2919672.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/christina-romer-16059_budget_if-you-think-about-it-candidate-obama-se_2919672.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/christina-romer-16059_budget_if-you-think-about-it-candidate-obama-se_2919672.jpg) > “If you think about it, candidate Obama, Sen. Obama, was running on sort of long-run economic issues, like restoring prosperity to the middle class, dealing with the perennial problem of health care in the United States. He talked a lot about the budget deficit, about the need to transition to clean energy.” [Christina Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-romer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Obama emphasized economic revitalization, middle‑class prosperity, health‑care reform, deficit reduction, and clean‑energy transition as central policy goals. **In simple terms:** He focused on jobs, health, debt, and clean power. Key Takeaway Prioritize policies that boost middle‑class income and sustainable energy. Themes economics politics public policy energy healthcare Mood determined optimistic serious Type political policy inspirational When to use this quote - campaign speeches - policy debates - legislative proposals Key Concepts progressive economics fiscal responsibility clean energy transition Questions to Reflect On - How can clean energy be funded without increasing deficits? - What strategies can protect middle‑class growth? A Different Perspective Implementation faces partisan gridlock and funding constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Budget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/budget/) [Budget deficit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/budget-deficit/) [Candidate Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candidate-obama-1765015/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Clean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clean/) [Clean energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clean-energy/) [Deficit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deficit/) [Economic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic/) [Economic issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic-issues/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Health care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health-care/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Middle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle/) [Middle class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-class/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Obama Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obama-running-690875/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Prosperity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prosperity/) [Restoring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/restoring/) [Run Economic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/run-economic-1418570/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Think Candidate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-candidate-1190943/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Transition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transition/) [United](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) ## Related quotes > [Should we continue to run our economic affairs or be managed by people in Brussels?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/should-we-continue-to-run-our-economic-affairs-or-be-managed-by/) [Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/) > [When Barack Obama was running for president, he committed to leading the United Nations and other countries towards a common global goal. Obama believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/when-barack-obama-was-running-for-president-he-committed-to-leading/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) > [For four years, Barack Obama has been running from the nation's problems. He hasn't been working to earn reelection. He's been working to earn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/for-four-years-barack-obama-has-been-running-from-the-nation-s/) [Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/) > [Obama is running again for spite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mort-sahl/obama-is-running-again-for-spite/) [Mort Sahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mort-sahl/) > [I was with - he wasn't the president then, but - Barack Obama, when he was running, in Washington, during Black Congressional Caucus Weekend,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/i-was-with-he-wasn-t-the-president-then-but-barack-obama-when-he-was/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [I've been looking at some video clips on YouTube of President Obama, then candidate Obama, going through Iowa making promises. I think the gap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/i-ve-been-looking-at-some-video-clips-on-youtube-of-president-obama/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [African-Americans who might have disagreed with candidate Obama's left-of-center politics voted for him in 2008 because electing a candidate with brown skin was too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alveda-king/african-americans-who-might-have-disagreed-with-candidate-obama-s/) [Alveda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alveda-king/) > [Candidate Obama promised to fundamentally transform America and that's one promise he has kept. Turning a shining city on a hill into a sinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/candidate-obama-promised-to-fundamentally-transform-america-and-that/) [Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/) > [Often President Obama's worst critics are Senator Obama and candidate Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/often-president-obama-s-worst-critics-are-senator-obama-and-candidate/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [As a candidate, Obama projected himself as a new Reagan, above narrow party politics. He wanted to please all but has ended up annoying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/as-a-candidate-obama-projected-himself-as-a-new-reagan-above-narrow/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [Candidate Obama was either exceptionally naive or willfully disingenuous when he vowed to change the way Washington works. The very promise of Hope and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reince-priebus/candidate-obama-was-either-exceptionally-naive-or-willfully/) [Reince Priebus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reince-priebus/) > [Obama the President needs to stand up for what Obama the candidate and what Obama the Senator and what Obama the Chicago community organizer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-gutierrez/obama-the-president-needs-to-stand-up-for-what-obama-the-candidate/) [Luis Gutierrez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-gutierrez/) > [As a candidate, Obama disdained the game of politics, a self-conscious contrast to all the tireless political athletes named Clinton.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/as-a-candidate-obama-disdained-the-game-of-politics-a-self-conscious/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [Through the potent example of his own life, President Obama enabled us to believe the best about America, and, therefore, about ourselves. That uplifting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-p-schneider/through-the-potent-example-of-his-own-life-president-obama-enabled-us/) [Cynthia P. Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-p-schneider/) > [I think if a candidate ran for office in most states in the country, if his opponent, or her opponent was an effective advocate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sessions/i-think-if-a-candidate-ran-for-office-in-most-states-in-the-country/) [Jeff Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sessions/) ## More by Christina Romer > [I think something that forces financial institutions to write down underwater mortgages, I think, would be a sensible thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-romer/i-think-something-that-forces-financial-institutions-to-write-down/) [Christina Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-romer/) > [I think where I differ a little bit, we absolutely have to think about the deficit looking down the road. And certainly that's something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-romer/i-think-where-i-differ-a-little-bit-we-absolutely-have-to-think-about/) [Christina Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-romer/) > [You care about the deficit because it allows you to do things you need to do to help people who are suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-romer/you-care-about-the-deficit-because-it-allows-you-to-do-things-you/) [Christina Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-romer/) > [The central question is whether Medicare and Medicaid should remain entitlement programs guaranteeing a certain amount of care, as Democrats believe, or become defined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-romer/the-central-question-is-whether-medicare-and-medicaid-should-remain/) [Christina Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-romer/) > [The stock market crash in October 1929 didn't destroy a particularly large amount of wealth or make people highly pessimistic. Rather, it made companies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-romer/the-stock-market-crash-in-october-1929-didn-t-destroy-a-particularly/) [Christina Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-romer/) > [Tax increases appear to have a very large sustained and highly significant negative impact on output. Since most of our exogenous tax changes are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-romer/tax-increases-appear-to-have-a-very-large-sustained-and-highly/) [Christina Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-romer/) > [The most effective way to shake an economy out of a terrible downturn when we're at the zero lower bound is an aggressive change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-romer/the-most-effective-way-to-shake-an-economy-out-of-a-terrible-downturn/) [Christina Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-romer/) > [Thanks to former President George W. Bush - remember the compassionate conservative? - I have a good name for the fundamental principle that should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-romer/thanks-to-former-president-george-w-bush-remember-the-compassionate/) [Christina Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-romer/) > [President Obama has repeatedly urged Congress to let the Bush tax cuts expire for those earning more than $250,000 a year. Increasing rates on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-romer/president-obama-has-repeatedly-urged-congress-to-let-the-bush-tax/) [Christina Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-romer/) > [If every other store in town is paying workers $9 an hour, one offering $8 will find it hard to hire anyone - perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-romer/if-every-other-store-in-town-is-paying-workers-9-an-hour-one-offering/) [Christina Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-romer/) > [There's a joke in economics about the drunk who loses his keys in the street but only looks for them under the lightposts. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-romer/there-s-a-joke-in-economics-about-the-drunk-who-loses-his-keys-in-the/) [Christina Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-romer/) > [If increasing income equality is the goal, it might be wiser to put money into infrastructure than to subsidize manufacturing. Construction also pays good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-romer/if-increasing-income-equality-is-the-goal-it-might-be-wiser-to-put/) [Christina Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-romer/) > [Recovery measures work better when they raise confidence - as Franklin D. Roosevelt understood. His fireside chats, and his inaugural address proclaiming he would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-romer/recovery-measures-work-better-when-they-raise-confidence-as-franklin/) [Christina Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-romer/) > [Making labor less expensive helps firms hire people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-romer/making-labor-less-expensive-helps-firms-hire-people/) [Christina Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-romer/) > [The stimulus legislation, technically known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, was a mixture of tax cuts for families and businesses;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-romer/the-stimulus-legislation-technically-known-as-the-american-recovery/) [Christina Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-romer/) [Explore all 41 Christina Romer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-romer/) ## More Budget quotes > [I don't like just traveling in for a short time. I've done that before, because sometimes you work for magazines and they have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-sacco/i-don-t-like-just-traveling-in-for-a-short-time-i-ve-done-that-before/) [Joe Sacco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-sacco/) > [When we stop running up huge budget deficits and start acting responsibly in Washington, we will provide small-business owners with the certainty they need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-graves/when-we-stop-running-up-huge-budget-deficits-and-start-acting/) [Sam Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-graves/) > [Many developing nations have such severe debt and budget problems that the money given by developed nations will never be spent the way it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/many-developing-nations-have-such-severe-debt-and-budget-problems/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) > [We will make government more accountable. We will cut fraud, waste and abuse in our budget. But we will not do it by leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-james/we-will-make-government-more-accountable-we-will-cut-fraud-waste-and/) [John E. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-james/) > [Defense spending as a share of the economy dropped significantly during the early 1990s, and that was one of the things, along with other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-orszag/defense-spending-as-a-share-of-the-economy-dropped-significantly/) [Peter Orszag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-orszag/) > [I firmly believe that if members of Congress fail to perform their most basic duty in passing a budget, then they do not deserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-schrader/i-firmly-believe-that-if-members-of-congress-fail-to-perform-their/) [Kurt Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-schrader/) > [They offered me $1,500 to do a week of 'The Golden Girls.' Can you imagine that? A big show with a big budget, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soupy-sales/they-offered-me-1-500-to-do-a-week-of-the-golden-girls-can-you/) [Soupy Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soupy-sales/) > [In my mid-20s I worked at the White House Office of Management and Budget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-hoover/in-my-mid-20s-i-worked-at-the-white-house-office-of-management-and/) [Margaret Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-hoover/) > ['The Librarians' is a show that really needs to have ten days, but we shoot it in seven, so the workload is really tremendous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-wyle/the-librarians-is-a-show-that-really-needs-to-have-ten-days-but-we/) [Noah Wyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-wyle/) > [In a budget this massive, there are certainly areas where I think we could do much better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-thornberry/in-a-budget-this-massive-there-are-certainly-areas-where-i-think-we/) [Mac Thornberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-thornberry/) > [As soon as you're at the higher levels of budgeting, you've got to get the film made, and the only way to support the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ridley-scott/as-soon-as-you-re-at-the-higher-levels-of-budgeting-you-ve-got-to-get/) [Ridley Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ridley-scott/) > [I don't want to revisit history or try to re-interpret it, you know, but starting from where we are now, given the experience that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/i-don-t-want-to-revisit-history-or-try-to-re-interpret-it-you-know/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [If we're going to have an unconventional budget, we probably need an unconventional process to get there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-foxx/if-we-re-going-to-have-an-unconventional-budget-we-probably-need-an/) [Anthony Foxx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-foxx/) > [The American people, in their own families, they understand that you have to do that. You have to make the tough decisions. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-mcmorris-rodgers/the-american-people-in-their-own-families-they-understand-that-you/) [Cathy McMorris Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-mcmorris-rodgers/) > [There is no excuse for waste, fraud, and abuse in the Defense Department budget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bolton/there-is-no-excuse-for-waste-fraud-and-abuse-in-the-defense/) [John Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bolton/) [Browse all 855 Budget quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/budget/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you think about it, candidate Obama, Sen. Obama, was running on sort of long-run economic issues, like restoring prosperity to the middle class, dealing with the perennial problem of health care in the United States. 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