--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The President, who really had been mostly…" description: "\"The President, who really had been mostly managing his one-man Barack Obama narrative and journey his whole life, without executive experience, certain..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f89/ron-suskind-10115_barack_the-president-who-really-had-been-mostly_2798857.jpg" --- # The President, who really had been mostly managing his… ![“The President, who really had been mostly managing his one-man Barack Obama narrative and journey his whole life, without executive experience, certainly - he's not a governor. Some governors, of course, they have experience in executing power, which is something fairly unique, actually, in…” quote by Ron Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f89/ron-suskind-10115_barack_the-president-who-really-had-been-mostly_2798857.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f89/ron-suskind-10115_barack_the-president-who-really-had-been-mostly_2798857.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f89/ron-suskind-10115_barack_the-president-who-really-had-been-mostly_2798857.jpg) > “The President, who really had been mostly managing his one-man Barack Obama narrative and journey his whole life, without executive experience, certainly - he's not a governor. Some governors, of course, they have experience in executing power, which is something fairly unique, actually, in government. And he has, neither, a set of nourishing experiences.” [Ron Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-suskind/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage criticizes the President’s lack of executive experience, contrasting it with governors who have power‑executing backgrounds. **In simple terms:** President lacks executive experience unlike seasoned governors. Key Takeaway Value practical governance experience in leadership. Themes politics leadership experience Mood critical analytical Type political leadership assessment When to use this quote - political appointments - campaigns - government agencies Key Concepts executive authority policy implementation career paths Questions to Reflect On - What qualities beyond experience matter in a leader? - How can leaders compensate for gaps in experience? A Different Perspective Experience alone may not guarantee effective leadership. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Barack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barack/) [Courses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courses/) [Executing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/executing/) [Executive Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/executive-experience-1856132/) [Executives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/executives/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Governor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/governor/) [Governor Governors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/governor-governors-3434265/) [Governors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/governors/) [Journey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journey/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Narrative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrative/) [Obama Narrative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obama-narrative-3434266/) [One man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-man/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [President Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president-really-437589/) [Unique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unique/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) [Whole life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-life/) ## Related quotes > [I have 15 years of executive experience as a big-city mayor and as a governor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-o-malley/i-have-15-years-of-executive-experience-as-a-big-city-mayor-and-as-a/) [Martin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-o-malley/) > [I believe that I have the executive experience and the ideas and the proven record to fix things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/i-believe-that-i-have-the-executive-experience-and-the-ideas-and-the/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [When Barack Obama was asked about his lack of executive experience in 2008, he pointed to his successful campaign as proof he could manage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickerson/when-barack-obama-was-asked-about-his-lack-of-executive-experience-in/) [John Dickerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickerson/) > [After Trump became president, it was really too late to investigate his dodgy investments in Azerbaijan or his links to Russian money laundering. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/after-trump-became-president-it-was-really-too-late-to-investigate/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Now the truth is, a president really can't control the economy, although his policies do have some effect on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-weyrich/now-the-truth-is-a-president-really-can-t-control-the-economy/) [Paul Weyrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-weyrich/) > [Now!! are you really surprise of the things that our president has to deal with, will I'm not black man's have to face this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nor/now-are-you-really-surprise-of-the-things-that-our-president-has-to/) [Nor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nor/) > [I think that I would have made a fine president. But it really came down for me to a very personal, a very intimate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/i-think-that-i-would-have-made-a-fine-president-but-it-really-came/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [I think George Bush is the most corrupt American president since Harding in the Twenties. He is not the legitimate president. This really is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/i-think-george-bush-is-the-most-corrupt-american-president-since/) [Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/) > [I am honored to have served. I'm glad I ran. It is a huge honor to be able to be a two-term president. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-am-honored-to-have-served-i-m-glad-i-ran-it-is-a-huge-honor-to-be/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Donald Trump is going to be an unconventional president. I really think we have a great opportunity in front of us to fix problems,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/donald-trump-is-going-to-be-an-unconventional-president-i-really/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [The president really shouldn't be involved in terms of dictating what course the investigation should take.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-reno/the-president-really-shouldn-t-be-involved-in-terms-of-dictating-what/) [Janet Reno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-reno/) > [In choosing a president, we really don't choose a Republican or Democrat, a conservative or liberal. We choose a leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-giuliani/in-choosing-a-president-we-really-don-t-choose-a-republican-or/) [Rudy Giuliani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-giuliani/) > [I ran because somebody had to do it first. In this country, everybody is supposed to be able to run for president, but that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/i-ran-because-somebody-had-to-do-it-first-in-this-country-everybody/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) > [When I finished graduate school, the first George Bush was president, and I really wanted to get out of the country. We'd just gone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-king/when-i-finished-graduate-school-the-first-george-bush-was-president/) [Lily King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-king/) > [You know I think the president has to really focus on getting elected to a second term in 2012. And I need to focus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-mccaskill/you-know-i-think-the-president-has-to-really-focus-on-getting-elected/) [Claire McCaskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-mccaskill/) ## More by Ron Suskind > [I don't have to deal with the issues of the daily news cycle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-suskind/i-don-t-have-to-deal-with-the-issues-of-the-daily-news-cycle/) [Ron Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-suskind/) > [ The President \[Barack Obama\] is very focused on \[healthcare\]. He, of course, is also writing this speech at high speed. And right coming up… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-suskind/the-president-barack-obama-is-very-focused-on-healthcare-he-of-course/) [Ron Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-suskind/) > [Reaching out to any fellow ghetto kids is an act he puts in the same category as doing drugs: the initial rush of warmth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-suskind/reaching-out-to-any-fellow-ghetto-kids-is-an-act-he-puts-in-the-same/) [Ron Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-suskind/) > [The fact is that in a way, journalists become a kind of default in the system when you don't have substantive two-party back-and-forth inside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-suskind/the-fact-is-that-in-a-way-journalists-become-a-kind-of-default-in-the/) [Ron Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-suskind/) > [“Freshmen spend in unfathomable sitting on their beds – heads against the wall or propped pillows, semistudying or not, listening to music, catching a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-suskind/freshmen-spend-in-unfathomable-sitting-on-their-beds-heads-against/) [Ron Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-suskind/) > [If you happened to be born on third base, you didn't rub it in the face of the guy who wasn't even born in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-suskind/if-you-happened-to-be-born-on-third-base-you-didn-t-rub-it-in-the/) [Ron Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-suskind/) > [I've been a reporter for 20 years, and I don't ever get things wrong. That's important in terms of my professional status.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-suskind/i-ve-been-a-reporter-for-20-years-and-i-don-t-ever-get-things-wrong/) [Ron Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-suskind/) > [I think that there's a lot of anxiety out there in people wanting their children to be part of the mainstream, to achieve based…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-suskind/i-think-that-there-s-a-lot-of-anxiety-out-there-in-people-wanting/) [Ron Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-suskind/) > [“If the breadth of perspectives is wide enough to represent the fullest range of views, consensus is unlikely. If consensus is swiftly achieved, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-suskind/if-the-breadth-of-perspectives-is-wide-enough-to-represent-the/) [Ron Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-suskind/) > [“Two hours a day for two days per week. Four hours. At $7.25 an hour, that gave him a gross income of $29 a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-suskind/two-hours-a-day-for-two-days-per-week-four-hours-at-7-25-an-hour-that/) [Ron Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-suskind/) > [All of the leading terrorism experts are clear on one thing: that in terms of protecting America, we are almost never going to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-suskind/all-of-the-leading-terrorism-experts-are-clear-on-one-thing-that-in/) [Ron Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-suskind/) > [It is one thing to rouse the passion of a people, and quite another to lead them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-suskind/it-is-one-thing-to-rouse-the-passion-of-a-people-and-quite-another-to/) [Ron Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-suskind/) > [ I think that \[Barack Obama\] does say something that's - that is telling on that score, when he talks about the \[George W.\] Bush… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-suskind/i-think-that-barack-obama-does-say-something-that-s-that-is-telling/) [Ron Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-suskind/) > [ \[Barack Obama\] says that he thinks America felt better, more confident, because Washington was not simply in a gridlock, in stasis, where nothing was… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-suskind/barack-obama-says-that-he-thinks-america-felt-better-more-confident/) [Ron Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-suskind/) > [You try to hold on to some notions you might have had before, that this will somehow work out, this is a spell that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-suskind/you-try-to-hold-on-to-some-notions-you-might-have-had-before-that/) [Ron Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-suskind/) [Explore all 67 Ron Suskind quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-suskind/) ## More Barack quotes > [ I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect \[Donald Trump\], or then-president \[Barack Obama\]. But it's - I'm very clear.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-that-by-the-president-elect/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [We know the candidate Barack Obama, what he was like - the anti-war government nig... America was a source for division around the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/we-know-the-candidate-barack-obama-what-he-was-like-the-anti-war/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [We're in more wars today under Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton than under George W. Bush or Ronald Reagan. Yet they tell you that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-re-in-more-wars-today-under-barack-obama-and-hillary-clinton-than/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I can tell you who's planning terroris attacks. The leaders of ISIL. And I can tell you where they're at. They're in Raqqa, Syria.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-can-tell-you-who-s-planning-terroris-attacks-the-leaders-of-isil/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [ The president \[Barack Obama\] asked for a commitment of, I think, 100,000 jobs for veterans and military spouses over the next couple of years.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/the-president-barack-obama-asked-for-a-commitment-of-i-think-100-000/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [The big story today, Barack Obama was accused of insulting Sarah Palin when he criticized Republican policies by saying, you can put lipstick on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/the-big-story-today-barack-obama-was-accused-of-insulting-sarah-palin/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [ I think the president's \[Barack Obama\] position has been very clear on Syria. He wants more aggressive, he's put the Special Ops on the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-williams/i-think-the-president-s-barack-obama-position-has-been-very-clear-on/) [Juan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-williams/) > [ It cannot be an American fight. And I think what the president \[Barack Obama\] has consistently said - which I agree with - is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/it-cannot-be-an-american-fight-and-i-think-what-the-president-barack/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [It doesn't matter to me where Barack Obama goes. If he wants to go to Hawaii because it's his home state, fine! Hunky-dory. Plastic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/it-doesn-t-matter-to-me-where-barack-obama-goes-if-he-wants-to-go-to/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [ It wasn't \[Barack\] Obama per se; it was the feeling on the ground; it was seeing an old black woman in a wheelchair being… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/it-wasn-t-barack-obama-per-se-it-was-the-feeling-on-the-ground-it-was/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [I don't think that we really know a whole lot about Barack Obama at all that you would really call distinctive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-mcwhorter/i-don-t-think-that-we-really-know-a-whole-lot-about-barack-obama-at/) [John H. McWhorter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-mcwhorter/) > [Just like Barack Obama, my views on gay marriage have evolved, and now I am a reluctant groom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/just-like-barack-obama-my-views-on-gay-marriage-have-evolved-and-now/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [I think President Barack Obama has been an extraordinarily successful president, and that this period will record that with a bunch of exclamation points.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-sunstein/i-think-president-barack-obama-has-been-an-extraordinarily-successful/) [Cass Sunstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-sunstein/) > [The archives recall not one single incriminating incident, not one drunken escapade, not one reported affair, not one spat with a team-mate or reporter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-atherton/the-archives-recall-not-one-single-incriminating-incident-not-one/) [Michael Atherton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-atherton/) > [In public, Barack Obama's giving the simple version of his beliefs for the mass public. In private, he can discuss it at a really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/in-public-barack-obama-s-giving-the-simple-version-of-his-beliefs-for/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) [Browse all 1,672 Barack quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barack/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The President, who really had been mostly managing his one-man Barack Obama narrative and journey his whole life, without executive experience, certainly - he's not a governor. Some governors, of course, they have experience in executing power, which is something fairly unique, actually, in government. And he has, neither, a set of nourishing experiences.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ron Suskind" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-suskind/the-president-who-really-had-been-mostly-managing-his-one-man-barack/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Barack" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-suskind/the-president-who-really-had-been-mostly-managing-his-one-man-barack/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f89/ron-suskind-10115_barack_the-president-who-really-had-been-mostly_2798857.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f89/ron-suskind-10115_barack_the-president-who-really-had-been-mostly_2798857.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f89/ron-suskind-10115_barack_the-president-who-really-had-been-mostly_2798857.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The President, who really had been mostly managing his one-man Barack Obama narrative and journey his whole…” — Ron Suskind", "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": "Ron Suskind", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-suskind/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The President, who really had been...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-suskind/the-president-who-really-had-been-mostly-managing-his-one-man-barack/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-suskind/the-president-who-really-had-been-mostly-managing-his-one-man-barack/#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 } } ] } ```