--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They turned on Obama so early,” he later…" description: "\"“They turned on Obama so early,” he later recalled ruefully. “Not only did we not have the answers yet, we barely knew where to sit down. The chairs in..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0eb/jane-mayer-1031_management_they-turned-on-obama-so-early-he-later-r_1234877.jpg" --- # They turned on Obama so early,” he later recalled… ![“They turned on Obama so early,” he later recalled ruefully. “Not only did we not have the answers yet, we barely knew where to sit down. The chairs in the White House were still spinning from the people who had left them.” Looking back, Burton shook his head at the administration’s naïveté. “No…” quote by Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0eb/jane-mayer-1031_management_they-turned-on-obama-so-early-he-later-r_1234877.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0eb/jane-mayer-1031_management_they-turned-on-obama-so-early-he-later-r_1234877.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0eb/jane-mayer-1031_management_they-turned-on-obama-so-early-he-later-r_1234877.jpg) > ““They turned on Obama so early,” he later recalled ruefully. “Not only did we not have the answers yet, we barely knew where to sit down. The chairs in the White House were still spinning from the people who had left them.” Looking back, Burton shook his head at the administration’s naïveté. “No one at the time saw it coming.”” [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The early Obama administration faced uncertainty and inexperience, lacking clear direction and foresight. **In simple terms:** Early Obama team was unsure and unprepared. Key Takeaway Recognize and plan for unknowns early. Themes politics leadership inexperience Mood reflective cautious Type analytical historical When to use this quote - government transition - crisis management - strategic planning Key Concepts policy decisionmaking anticipation Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders better anticipate unforeseen challenges? - What structures support early decision‑making? A Different Perspective Limited info can hinder effective response. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Burton Shook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burton-shook-3833830/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [Obama Early](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obama-early-1223339/) [Saw Coming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saw-coming-350954/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Turned Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turned-obama-3833829/) [White house](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-house/) ## Related quotes > [I predict Obama will get an early lead, then all the Republicans will get off of work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-predict-obama-will-get-an-early-lead-then-all-the-republicans-will/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Jeph (Loeb) will call me with updates, and I'll go, "Are you f--king with me?" I never saw this coming, and certainly never saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-michael-bendis/jeph-loeb-will-call-me-with-updates-and-i-ll-go-are-you-f-king-with/) [Brian Michael Bendis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-michael-bendis/) > [“Like most of the great turning points in history, it was obvious and yet no one saw it coming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bowden/like-most-of-the-great-turning-points-in-history-it-was-obvious-and/) [Mark Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bowden/) > [“He knew she saw it coming. He saw the pain in her eyes, but it wasn’t from his fist. She was disappointed. Disappointed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-anastasia/he-knew-she-saw-it-coming-he-saw-the-pain-in-her-eyes-but-it-wasn-t/) [Debra Anastasia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-anastasia/) > [The worst good-byes are the ones you never saw coming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/the-worst-good-byes-are-the-ones-you-never-saw-coming/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [“It surprised him that she was the one who looked stricken with fear, as if she were a prisoner in the passenger seat and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/it-surprised-him-that-she-was-the-one-who-looked-stricken-with-fear/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [The best relationships are the ones you don't expect to be in, the ones you never saw coming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-best-relationships-are-the-ones-you-don-t-expect-to-be-in-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What a measly epitaph that would make: 'They saw it coming, but hadn't the wit to stop it happening.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-parkin/what-a-measly-epitaph-that-would-make-they-saw-it-coming-but-hadn-t/) [Sara Parkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-parkin/) > [Ninja hug! you never saw it coming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ninja-hug-you-never-saw-it-coming/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [He was the ghost you never saw coming, death breathing down your neck before you even realized you were in the crosshairs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-was-the-ghost-you-never-saw-coming-death-breathing-down-your-neck/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You think you're prepared. You think you've done everything you're supposed to, study hard, work hard, keep yourself out of trouble, and then-whoosh! Something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-think-you-re-prepared-you-think-you-ve-done-everything-you-re/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Well, I never saw it coming. I should've started running a long time ago. And I never thought I'd doubt you, I'm better off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/well-i-never-saw-it-coming-i-should-ve-started-running-a-long-time/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Though I saw it coming, it still hurts~](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/though-i-saw-it-coming-it-still-hurts/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Even though I saw It coming. It still hurts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/even-though-i-saw-it-coming-it-still-hurts/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [At first I didn't see this. I couldn't see all this as what it has become. At first it was just a simple hello…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lacey-deer/at-first-i-didn-t-see-this-i-couldn-t-see-all-this-as-what-it-has/) [Lacey Deer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lacey-deer/) ## More by Jane Mayer > [“David Brock, a conservative apostate who became a liberal activist, described the Heritage Foundation, where he was a young fellow, as almost completely under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/david-brock-a-conservative-apostate-who-became-a-liberal-activist/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [“The early think tank was not a spy operation, but it was funded by wealthy men who had no objections to using pretexts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/the-early-think-tank-was-not-a-spy-operation-but-it-was-funded-by/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [“Americans for Prosperity annoyed some of the Tea Partiers,” recalls the libertarian blogger Ralph Benko. “These people drove up, opened the door, put T-shirts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/americans-for-prosperity-annoyed-some-of-the-tea-partiers-recalls-the/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [“When Barack Obama took office, the fossil fuel industry was not only eager to preserve its perks but also more militant in its opposition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/when-barack-obama-took-office-the-fossil-fuel-industry-was-not-only/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [If you have an informed electorate, it makes great choices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/if-you-have-an-informed-electorate-it-makes-great-choices/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [ One of the oddities of this election is the man that \[Donald\] Trump chose as his vice-president, Mike Pence, is one of the Kochs'… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/one-of-the-oddities-of-this-election-is-the-man-that-donald-trump/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [“The candidates promised to cut taxes for those in the highest brackets, preserve Wall Street loopholes, tolerate the off-shoring of manufacturing jobs and profits,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/the-candidates-promised-to-cut-taxes-for-those-in-the-highest/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [“Amway in fact was structured to avoid federal taxes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/amway-in-fact-was-structured-to-avoid-federal-taxes/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [“radicals in Congress refused to back down, bringing virtually the entire federal government to a halt for sixteen days in October, leaving the country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/radicals-in-congress-refused-to-back-down-bringing-virtually-the/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [What I write about is how much influence it's had in things like state legislatures and governorships and congressional races. The other thing that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/what-i-write-about-is-how-much-influence-it-s-had-in-things-like/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [“Two months into their tenure, Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee also led a crusade against alternative, renewable energy programs. They successfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/two-months-into-their-tenure-republicans-on-the-house-energy-and/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [ \[The Kochs\] they hate big government. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/the-kochs-they-hate-big-government/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [“Rob Reich, a professor of political science at Stanford University and co-director of the Stanford Center for Philanthropy and Civil Society, explains that private…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/rob-reich-a-professor-of-political-science-at-stanford-university-and/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [“During the previous eight years of Republican rule, this conservative corporate elite had consolidated its power, amassing enormous sway over the U.S. government’s regulatory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/during-the-previous-eight-years-of-republican-rule-this-conservative/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [“Noble again chose Larry McCarthy, the veteran media consultant who was known for his ability to distill a complicated subject into a simple, potent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/noble-again-chose-larry-mccarthy-the-veteran-media-consultant-who-was/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) [Explore all 305 Jane Mayer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) ## More Management quotes > [“Only careful political manoeuvring will be able to manage the situation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davan-yahya-khalil/only-careful-political-manoeuvring-will-be-able-to-manage-the/) [Davan Yahya Khalil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davan-yahya-khalil/) > [The Derby experience had not been good for me and the way it finished left a very bad taste in my mouth so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-pearson/the-derby-experience-had-not-been-good-for-me-and-the-way-it-finished/) [Nigel Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-pearson/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [My non-career. My excuse for a career? Honestly, I never think about the word 'career.' I've had managers, the minute they say it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verlaine/my-non-career-my-excuse-for-a-career-honestly-i-never-think-about-the/) [Tom Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verlaine/) > [While the people retain their virtue and vigilance, no administration, by any extreme of wickedness or folly, can very seriously injure the government in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/while-the-people-retain-their-virtue-and-vigilance-no-administration/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“Without time management, you lose control of your life and do what other people tell you to do. You lose control and become a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-miller/without-time-management-you-lose-control-of-your-life-and-do-what/) [Thomas Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-miller/) > [There are things you can do in training like learn from the manager and talk with team-mates, but it's the game that tests you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burke/there-are-things-you-can-do-in-training-like-learn-from-the-manager/) [Oliver Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burke/) > [Corporations invest in sophisticated CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, programs to effectively oversee their relationship with their customers at every point during the buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ostrofsky/corporations-invest-in-sophisticated-crm-or-customer-relationship/) [Marc Ostrofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ostrofsky/) > [“I had come to Boyne City because I have always been drawn to nature's secrets more than to, say Hollywood's secrets or the secrets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/langdon-cook/i-had-come-to-boyne-city-because-i-have-always-been-drawn-to-nature-s/) [Langdon Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/langdon-cook/) > [I won't be managing the Mets. I am closing the door on managing the Mets and probably everybody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-torre/i-won-t-be-managing-the-mets-i-am-closing-the-door-on-managing-the/) [Joe Torre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-torre/) > [If you want to serve in a Trump administration, you're going to serve this country, not yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-spicer/if-you-want-to-serve-in-a-trump-administration-you-re-going-to-serve/) [Sean Spicer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-spicer/) > [Football is a team sport. I'm proud of what I achieved in my career, but I also know that I wouldn't have achieved any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schmeichel/football-is-a-team-sport-i-m-proud-of-what-i-achieved-in-my-career/) [Peter Schmeichel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schmeichel/) > [If I told my wife I was going to become a manager she'd say 'sign this then. Don't worry it's only a divorce. Au…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ginola/if-i-told-my-wife-i-was-going-to-become-a-manager-she-d-say-sign-this/) [David Ginola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ginola/) > [In Congress, Florida Republicans worked with the Trump administration to secure funding for coastal restoration projects following the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/in-congress-florida-republicans-worked-with-the-trump-administration/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [“Who tricked me into this whole thing and leaves me standing here? Who am I? How did I get into the world? Why was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/who-tricked-me-into-this-whole-thing-and-leaves-me-standing-here-who/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) [Browse all 8,379 Management quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“They turned on Obama so early,” he later recalled ruefully. “Not only did we not have the answers yet, we barely knew where to sit down. 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