--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, good…" description: "\"Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, good liberals both, pursued power by offering their candidacies as opportunities for Americans to document their inno..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/shelby-steele-3370_barack_barack-obama-and-hillary-clinton-good-li_1755370.png" --- # Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, good liberals both… ![“Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, good liberals both, pursued power by offering their candidacies as opportunities for Americans to document their innocence of the nation's past.” quote by Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/shelby-steele-3370_barack_barack-obama-and-hillary-clinton-good-li_1755370.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/shelby-steele-3370_barack_barack-obama-and-hillary-clinton-good-li_1755370.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/shelby-steele-3370_barack_barack-obama-and-hillary-clinton-good-li_1755370.png) > “Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, good liberals both, pursued power by offering their candidacies as opportunities for Americans to document their innocence of the nation's past.” [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leaders framed candidacies as chances for citizens to confront national history and claim moral clarity. **In simple terms:** Politicians offered voters a way to address past wrongs. Key Takeaway Recognize how political narratives shape collective memory. Themes politics history identity morality leadership Mood reflective critical Type analytical commentary When to use this quote - campaign speeches - public debates - educational forums Key Concepts Narrative framing collective memory political symbolism Questions to Reflect On - How do political campaigns influence personal views of history? - Can framing change responsibility for past events? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex histories and ignore systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Candidacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candidacy/) [Innocence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innocence/) [Liberals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberals/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [ Meritocracy is our social ideal, particularly among good liberals. Equality of opportunity, but not of outcome. Not evaluating people by their \[outside\] features, but… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hayes/meritocracy-is-our-social-ideal-particularly-among-good-liberals/) [Chris Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hayes/) > [The liberal agenda: Being good to liberals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/the-liberal-agenda-being-good-to-liberals/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [“The left loses most policy debates, leading them to engage in the politics of personal destruction. Many liberals do not see conservatives as human,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-golub/the-left-loses-most-policy-debates-leading-them-to-engage-in-the/) Eric Golub > [One of the things we've seen here is how easy it is for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to get distracted from dealing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/one-of-the-things-we-ve-seen-here-is-how-easy-it-is-for-barack-obama/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [In 2008, many Democrats and Republicans believed Hillary Clinton to be a responsible public leader - a firm hand on the wheel, experienced in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-domenech/in-2008-many-democrats-and-republicans-believed-hillary-clinton-to-be/) [Ben Domenech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-domenech/) > [ President \[Barack\] Obama and Hillary Clinton have engaged in gross dereliction of duty by surrendering the safety of the American people to open borders,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/president-barack-obama-and-hillary-clinton-have-engaged-in-gross/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [You're never going to be able to delve into the character traits of a Michelle Obama or Hillary Clinton.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-wright/you-re-never-going-to-be-able-to-delve-into-the-character-traits-of-a/) [Robin Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-wright/) > [“The Wall Street Journal didn’t pull any punches when it described Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton’s role in the deal as “a fiasco” and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/the-wall-street-journal-didn-t-pull-any-punches-when-it-described/) [Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/) > [The U.S. cannot survive another four years of the Barack Obama-Hillary Clinton regime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-hoekstra/the-u-s-cannot-survive-another-four-years-of-the-barack-obama-hillary/) [Pete Hoekstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-hoekstra/) > [“The more people learn about them (Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton) and how they handle the pressure, the more their support will evaporate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/the-more-people-learn-about-them-barack-obama-and-hillary-clinton-and/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [The left - which is run by Obama and Hillary Clinton and the hierarchy in the Democrat Party - is doing everything they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-left-which-is-run-by-obama-and-hillary-clinton-and-the-hierarchy/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [What is Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton done to this country? That the most basic responsibility of an administration is to protect the safety…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/what-is-barack-obama-and-hillary-clinton-done-to-this-country-that/) [Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/) > [We need to fix the military, help veterans, our inner cities are a disaster, you get shot walking to the store. We cannot take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-to-fix-the-military-help-veterans-our-inner-cities-are-a/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [ I know both Secretary \[Hillary\] Clinton and President \[Barack\] Obama were very gracious and I respect that a lot in the way they handled… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-giuliani/i-know-both-secretary-hillary-clinton-and-president-barack-obama-were/) [Rudy Giuliani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-giuliani/) > [ I can tell you is all nine of the people here \[on debates\] would make an infinitely better commander in chief than Barack Obama… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-can-tell-you-is-all-nine-of-the-people-here-on-debates-would-make/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) ## More by Shelby Steele > [When blacks become humanly visible, when their true beliefs are known, their mask shatters and their symbiotic bond with whites is broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/when-blacks-become-humanly-visible-when-their-true-beliefs-are-known/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) > [I alienated myself from the academic world almost entirely because it's a left-wing world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/i-alienated-myself-from-the-academic-world-almost-entirely-because-it/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) > [Freedom is just freedom. It is a condition, not an agent of change. It does not develop or uplift those who win it. Freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/freedom-is-just-freedom-it-is-a-condition-not-an-agent-of-change-it/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) > [In Vietnam, America fought one whose communism was driven by an underlying nationalism, the desire to live free of the West. Whatever one may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/in-vietnam-america-fought-one-whose-communism-was-driven-by-an/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) > [Our great presidents have been stewards, men who broadly identified with the whole of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/our-great-presidents-have-been-stewards-men-who-broadly-identified/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) > [No doubt Israel and America have made mistakes in the Middle East. Certainly, Israel was born at the price of considerable dislocation and suffering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/no-doubt-israel-and-america-have-made-mistakes-in-the-middle-east/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) > [And if you want to make many of our black leaders angry, just tell them that racism is not the number problem that black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/and-if-you-want-to-make-many-of-our-black-leaders-angry-just-tell/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) > [Thomas Sowell, among many others, has articulated the power of individual responsibility as an antidote to black poverty for over 40 years. Black thinkers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/thomas-sowell-among-many-others-has-articulated-the-power-of/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) > [Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton cannot write a timeless letter to us from a Birmingham jail or walk, as John Lewis did in 1965,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/jesse-jackson-and-al-sharpton-cannot-write-a-timeless-letter-to-us/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) > [My father bought three ramshackle houses, rebuilt them, rented them out, kept clawing his way up the ladder. A man with a third grade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/my-father-bought-three-ramshackle-houses-rebuilt-them-rented-them-out/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) > [Whatever I'm doing, I try to write well. I try to give the reader a nice, clean well-written surface, where the writing is transparent.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/whatever-i-m-doing-i-try-to-write-well-i-try-to-give-the-reader-a/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) > [We have laws on the books. If somebody's discriminating against you, I strongly advocate suing them. That's the most effective thing you can do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/we-have-laws-on-the-books-if-somebody-s-discriminating-against-you-i/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) > [The first thing I ever heard about Barack Obama was that he had a white mother and a black father. Interestingly, the person who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/the-first-thing-i-ever-heard-about-barack-obama-was-that-he-had-a/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) > [Racism is endemic to the human condition, just as stupidity is. We will always have to be on guard against it. But now it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/racism-is-endemic-to-the-human-condition-just-as-stupidity-is-we-will/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) > [Without an ugly America to loathe, there is no automatic esteem to receive. Thus liberalism's unrelenting current of anti-Americanism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/without-an-ugly-america-to-loathe-there-is-no-automatic-esteem-to/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) [Explore all 132 Shelby Steele quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) ## 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 > [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 ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, good liberals both, pursued power by offering their candidacies as opportunities for Americans to document their innocence of the nation's past.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shelby Steele" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/barack-obama-and-hillary-clinton-good-liberals-both-pursued-power-by/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Barack" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/barack-obama-and-hillary-clinton-good-liberals-both-pursued-power-by/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/shelby-steele-3370_barack_barack-obama-and-hillary-clinton-good-li_1755370.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/shelby-steele-3370_barack_barack-obama-and-hillary-clinton-good-li_1755370.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/shelby-steele-3370_barack_barack-obama-and-hillary-clinton-good-li_1755370.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, good liberals both, pursued power by offering their candidacies as…” — Shelby Steele", "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": "Shelby Steele", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, good...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/barack-obama-and-hillary-clinton-good-liberals-both-pursued-power-by/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/barack-obama-and-hillary-clinton-good-liberals-both-pursued-power-by/#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 } } ] } ```