--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [A]n Obama presidency would be an amusing…" description: "\"[A]n Obama presidency would be an amusing approximation of the Carter administration, complete with vaporous moralizing and foreign policy bungling.\" —..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/212/emmett-tyrrell-42438_administration_a-n-obama-presidency-would-be-an-amusing_38310.jpg" --- # \[A\]n Obama presidency would be an amusing approximation of… ![“[A]n Obama presidency would be an amusing approximation of the Carter administration, complete with vaporous moralizing and foreign policy bungling.” quote by Emmett Tyrrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/212/emmett-tyrrell-42438_administration_a-n-obama-presidency-would-be-an-amusing_38310.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/212/emmett-tyrrell-42438_administration_a-n-obama-presidency-would-be-an-amusing_38310.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/212/emmett-tyrrell-42438_administration_a-n-obama-presidency-would-be-an-amusing_38310.jpg) > “\[A\]n Obama presidency would be an amusing approximation of the Carter administration, complete with vaporous moralizing and foreign policy bungling.” [Emmett Tyrrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmett-tyrrell/) ## 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 suggests that an Obama administration would mirror Carter's, marked by ineffective foreign policy and empty moral rhetoric. **In simple terms:** Obama would repeat Carter's failures. Key Takeaway Leadership can become hollow without substance. Themes political satire historical comparison leadership critique foreign policy moral rhetoric Mood wry critical cynical Type satire political commentary When to use this quote - political commentary - media analysis - academic discussion Key Concepts presidential performance policy effectiveness public perception Practical Applications - satirical essays - political podcasts Questions to Reflect On - What makes moralizing ineffective? - How do leadership styles affect foreign policy outcomes? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Administration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/administration/) [Amusing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amusing/) [Foreign policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreign-policy/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Presidency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presidency/) ## Related quotes > [ \[Dan Fried\] served six presidents over a 40-year career dating back to the \[Jimmy\] Carter administration. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/dan-fried-served-six-presidents-over-a-40-year-career-dating-back-to/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [One of the best things that came out of the Carter administration was the energy policy. The best things in it were renewable energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-udall/one-of-the-best-things-that-came-out-of-the-carter-administration-was/) [Stewart Udall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-udall/) > [“the National Program Office called the Presidential Successor Support System, or PS3 for short. The five preselected PS3 teams each consisted of veteran officials…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-m-graff/the-national-program-office-called-the-presidential-successor-support/) [Garrett M. Graff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-m-graff/) > [ In the current \[Carter\] administration, who can use the White House swimming pool and tennis courts is decided at the very highest level. President… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/in-the-current-carter-administration-who-can-use-the-white-house/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [“After initial annoyance about the surprise drills, the Pentagon quickly saw value in the president’s interest. “It is the first time in years that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-m-graff/after-initial-annoyance-about-the-surprise-drills-the-pentagon/) [Garrett M. Graff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-m-graff/) > [We saw what happened in Jimmy Carter's administration. President Carter was a good man with the best of intentions. But he came to Washington…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-hunt/we-saw-what-happened-in-jimmy-carter-s-administration-president/) [Jim Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-hunt/) > [ The \[Carter\] administration doesn't know the difference between a diplomat and a doormat. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-carter-administration-doesn-t-know-the-difference-between-a/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [If we had continued making progress at the rate we were during the Carter administration, we would be free of oil imports from Saudi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-inslee/if-we-had-continued-making-progress-at-the-rate-we-were-during-the/) [Jay Inslee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-inslee/) > [The villains will come along. There were plenty in the Carter administration, and there will be plenty with Reagan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/the-villains-will-come-along-there-were-plenty-in-the-carter/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [We didn't make much progress on the country's agenda. And in my view it's because the Senate basically hadn't done much of anything, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/we-didn-t-make-much-progress-on-the-country-s-agenda-and-in-my-view/) [Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/) > [Clearly, the Obama presidency hasn't wiped out racial prejudices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-fournier/clearly-the-obama-presidency-hasn-t-wiped-out-racial-prejudices/) [Ron Fournier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-fournier/) > [Healthcare in the U.S. remains a dire mess, and the Obama presidency, unfortunately, didn't really address that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-garrow/healthcare-in-the-u-s-remains-a-dire-mess-and-the-obama-presidency/) [David Garrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-garrow/) > [One of the best moments of the Obama presidency was the passage of the Affordable Care Act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/one-of-the-best-moments-of-the-obama-presidency-was-the-passage-of/) [Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/) > [An engaging, blow-by-blow account of the infancy of the Obama presidency. . . . Manna for political junkies. . . . Thoroughly researched .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlo-wolff/an-engaging-blow-by-blow-account-of-the-infancy-of-the-obama/) Carlo Wolff > [The symbolic power of Barack Obama's presidency - that whiteness was no longer strong enough to prevent peons taking up residence in the castle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/the-symbolic-power-of-barack-obama-s-presidency-that-whiteness-was-no/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) ## More by Emmett Tyrrell > [In England "The Day After," though unpopular with viewers, seems to have confirmed the average Englishman's mindless prejudice against Kansas. Shortly after the film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-tyrrell/in-england-the-day-after-though-unpopular-with-viewers-seems-to-have/) [Emmett Tyrrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmett-tyrrell/) > [Mrs. Thatcher responded to our liberation of Grenada with the sounds of a somewhat hypersensitive Neville Chamberlain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-tyrrell/mrs-thatcher-responded-to-our-liberation-of-grenada-with-the-sounds/) [Emmett Tyrrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmett-tyrrell/) > [The Democratic party today is not so much a political party as a milling herd, and the herd is easily stampeded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-tyrrell/the-democratic-party-today-is-not-so-much-a-political-party-as-a/) [Emmett Tyrrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmett-tyrrell/) > [Although millions of Americans purr with pastel delusions of Mohandas K. 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He's taken on a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-axelrod/listen-i-have-a-great-affection-and-respect-for-joe-biden-i-think-he/) [David Axelrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-axelrod/) > [I don't believe anyone that I know in the administration ever said that Iraq had nuclear weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/i-don-t-believe-anyone-that-i-know-in-the-administration-ever-said/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [What was unique about me being in City Hall during the Giuliani Administration, I was the only one who wasn't an attorney. I may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-lhota/what-was-unique-about-me-being-in-city-hall-during-the-giuliani/) [Joe Lhota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-lhota/) > [The Trump administration launched the cruise missile strikes in Syria, an act of war, without a U.N. resolution or Congressional authorization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-trump-administration-launched-the-cruise-missile-strikes-in-syria/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [The only way I'll ever run a marathon is if I'm involved in the administration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-phillips/the-only-way-i-ll-ever-run-a-marathon-is-if-i-m-involved-in-the/) [Sally Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-phillips/) > [Obama spent the first two years of his administration practicing political unilateral disarmament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cenk-uygur/obama-spent-the-first-two-years-of-his-administration-practicing/) [Cenk Uygur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cenk-uygur/) > [The actions of the University in my case make it abundantly clear that the Administration's rhetoric about Harvard's desire to attract and retain the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-geller/the-actions-of-the-university-in-my-case-make-it-abundantly-clear/) [Margaret Geller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-geller/) > [In mid-May, the House of Representatives approved the full amount of money that the Veterans Administration said was needed for next year - plus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doc-hastings/in-mid-may-the-house-of-representatives-approved-the-full-amount-of/) [Doc Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doc-hastings/) > [In 1953, the United States played a significant role in orchestrating the overthrow of Iran's popular prime minister, Mohammed Mossadegh. The Eisenhower administration believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/in-1953-the-united-states-played-a-significant-role-in-orchestrating/) [Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/) > [The administration of George W. Bush, emboldened by the Sept. 11 attacks and the backing of a Republican Congress, has sought to further extend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/the-administration-of-george-w-bush-emboldened-by-the-sept-11-attacks/) [Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/) > [When we criticize in Iran the actions of the government, the fundamentalists say that we and the Bush Administration are in the same camp.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-ebadi/when-we-criticize-in-iran-the-actions-of-the-government-the/) [Shirin Ebadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-ebadi/) > [We will finally complete the biometric entry-exit visa tracking system, which we need desperately. For years Congress has required biometric entry-exit visa tracking systems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-will-finally-complete-the-biometric-entry-exit-visa-tracking/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) [Browse all 1,855 Administration quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/administration/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "[A]n Obama presidency would be an amusing approximation of the Carter administration, complete with vaporous moralizing and foreign policy bungling.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Emmett Tyrrell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-tyrrell/a-n-obama-presidency-would-be-an-amusing-approximation-of-the-carter/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Administration" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-tyrrell/a-n-obama-presidency-would-be-an-amusing-approximation-of-the-carter/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/212/emmett-tyrrell-42438_administration_a-n-obama-presidency-would-be-an-amusing_38310.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/212/emmett-tyrrell-42438_administration_a-n-obama-presidency-would-be-an-amusing_38310.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/212/emmett-tyrrell-42438_administration_a-n-obama-presidency-would-be-an-amusing_38310.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“[A]n Obama presidency would be an amusing approximation of the Carter administration, complete with vaporous…” — Emmett Tyrrell", "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": "Emmett Tyrrell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmett-tyrrell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "[A]n Obama presidency would be an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-tyrrell/a-n-obama-presidency-would-be-an-amusing-approximation-of-the-carter/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-tyrrell/a-n-obama-presidency-would-be-an-amusing-approximation-of-the-carter/#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 } } ] } ```