--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was a real choice when [Barack…" description: "\"There was a real choice when [Barack Obama] became president. It was a very difficult choice - to say, \"We're not going to hold senior officials to acc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/edward-snowden-555_accounts_there-was-a-real-choice-when-barack-obam_27838.jpg" --- # There was a real choice when \[Barack Obama\] became… ![“There was a real choice when [Barack Obama] became president. It was a very difficult choice - to say, "We're not going to hold senior officials to account with the same laws that every other citizen in the country is held to," or "This is a nation that believes in the rule of law."” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/edward-snowden-555_accounts_there-was-a-real-choice-when-barack-obam_27838.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/edward-snowden-555_accounts_there-was-a-real-choice-when-barack-obam_27838.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/edward-snowden-555_accounts_there-was-a-real-choice-when-barack-obam_27838.jpg) > “There was a real choice when \[Barack Obama\] became president. It was a very difficult choice - to say, "We're not going to hold senior officials to account with the same laws that every other citizen in the country is held to," or "This is a nation that believes in the rule of law."” [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights a pivotal decision about whether leaders are subject to the same legal standards as ordinary citizens, emphasizing the principle of rule of law versus selective accountability. **In simple terms:** Choosing between equal legal accountability and privileged immunity for officials. Key Takeaway Rule of law vs. elite exemption. Themes rule of law accountability political ethics leadership justice Mood serious concerned reflective Type political philosophical When to use this quote - government policy debates - public discourse on executive power - legislative hearings - media analysis Key Concepts legal equality government transparency political decision-making Practical Applications - policy formulation - civic education Questions to Reflect On - How does unequal legal treatment affect public trust? - What mechanisms can ensure accountability without compromising security? A Different Perspective Some argue that certain officials require special legal protections to ensure national security and effective governance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accounts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accounts/) [Barack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barack/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Choice Barack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice-barack-417366/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Citizens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Difficult Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-choice-417368/) [Difficult choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-choices/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Obama President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obama-president/) [Officials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/officials/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [President Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president-difficult-417369/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Rule of law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rule-of-law/) [Senior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senior/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) ## Related quotes > [If you'd given me the choice of going out and beating four men and smashing a goal in from thirty yards against Liverpool or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-best/if-you-d-given-me-the-choice-of-going-out-and-beating-four-men-and/) [George Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-best/) > [There came a point when I wanted to do television, and I didn't think the Afro was going to play, so I made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jami-floyd/there-came-a-point-when-i-wanted-to-do-television-and-i-didn-t-think/) [Jami Floyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jami-floyd/) > [Unfortunately, to succeed in business, organizations need to make difficult choices all the time-what to do and, more important, what not to do. 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Always a Reckoning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/being-president-is-as-difficult-as-writing-the-perfect-poem-and-being/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [Being Vice President is difficult. Don't make it tougher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/being-vice-president-is-difficult-don-t-make-it-tougher/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [There are just some things about being president that are difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-cuccinelli/there-are-just-some-things-about-being-president-that-are-difficult/) [Ken Cuccinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-cuccinelli/) > [Before the boat docked, however, he confessed because he was contemplating running for president, he couldn't separate from his wife. I believed him when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/before-the-boat-docked-however-he-confessed-because-he-was/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Perinthia's astronomers are faced with a difficult choice. Either they must admit that all their calculations are wrong and their figures are unable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/perinthia-s-astronomers-are-faced-with-a-difficult-choice-either-they/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [If a parent knows that their kid is suddenly becoming infatuated with ISIS, they face a very difficult choice, which is, you know, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/if-a-parent-knows-that-their-kid-is-suddenly-becoming-infatuated-with/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [A maverick feels like he has no choice however difficult his choice of expression. In my case, it was going backwards into tonality. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-del-tredici/a-maverick-feels-like-he-has-no-choice-however-difficult-his-choice/) [David Del Tredici](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-del-tredici/) > [I believe happiness is a choice. Some days it is a very difficult choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-gleason/i-believe-happiness-is-a-choice-some-days-it-is-a-very-difficult/) [Steve Gleason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-gleason/) > [The rule of law doesn't mean the police are in charge, but that we all answer to the same laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-rule-of-law-doesn-t-mean-the-police-are-in-charge-but-that-we-all/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [An investigation found the specific people who authorized the warrantless wiretapping of millions and millions of communications, which per count would have resulted in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/an-investigation-found-the-specific-people-who-authorized-the/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) ## More by Edward Snowden > [It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised - and it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-is-afraid-of-an-informed-angry-public-demanding-the-constitutional/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/much-of-what-i-saw-in-geneva-really-disillusioned-me-about-how-my/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [If it comes to a question of law, the charges they brought against me - the Espionage Act - is called the quintessential political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-it-comes-to-a-question-of-law-the-charges-they-brought-against-me/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [The NSA and Israel wrote Stuxnet together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-nsa-and-israel-wrote-stuxnet-together/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [As a general rule, so long as you have any choice at all, you should never route through or peer with the UK under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/as-a-general-rule-so-long-as-you-have-any-choice-at-all-you-should/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [ \[Brazil\] went to the UN and said, "We need new standards for this." We need to take a look at what they're calling "data… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/brazil-went-to-the-un-and-said-we-need-new-standards-for-this-we-need/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [You are also asked to take an oath, and that's the oath of service. The oath of service is not to secrecy, but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/you-are-also-asked-to-take-an-oath-and-that-s-the-oath-of-service-the/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [We need to think about encryption not as this sort of arcane, black art. It's a basic protection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/we-need-to-think-about-encryption-not-as-this-sort-of-arcane-black/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [A lot of people in 2008 voted for Obama. I did not vote for him. I voted for a third party. But I believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/a-lot-of-people-in-2008-voted-for-obama-i-did-not-vote-for-him-i/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Too often we forget that social and political movements don't happen overnight. They don't bring change immediately - you have to build a critical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/too-often-we-forget-that-social-and-political-movements-don-t-happen/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [We've learned that we've allowed technological capabilities to dictate policies and practices, rather than ensuring that our laws and values guide our technological capabilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/we-ve-learned-that-we-ve-allowed-technological-capabilities-to/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [It's much easier, I think, to protect communications while they're in transit at least, than it is to enforce legislation in every country in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-s-much-easier-i-think-to-protect-communications-while-they-re-in/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [If an adversary didn't target our power plants but they did target the core routers, the backbones that tie our internet connections together, entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-an-adversary-didn-t-target-our-power-plants-but-they-did-target/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [I care more about the country than what happens to me. 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