--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the president [Barack Obama]…" description: "\"I think the president [Barack Obama] adopted some of that same language, but took it into the White House. And I think, like, there's a crucial differe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ed/ta-nehisi-coates-733_adopted_i-think-the-president-barack-obama-adopt_490086.png" --- # I think the president \[Barack Obama\] adopted some of that… ![“I think the president [Barack Obama] adopted some of that same language, but took it into the White House. And I think, like, there's a crucial difference between being, you know, Joe Schmo in the neighborhood and being the head, you know, of the government that, you know, in many ways is largely…” quote by Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ed/ta-nehisi-coates-733_adopted_i-think-the-president-barack-obama-adopt_490086.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ed/ta-nehisi-coates-733_adopted_i-think-the-president-barack-obama-adopt_490086.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ed/ta-nehisi-coates-733_adopted_i-think-the-president-barack-obama-adopt_490086.png) > “I think the president \[Barack Obama\] adopted some of that same language, but took it into the White House. And I think, like, there's a crucial difference between being, you know, Joe Schmo in the neighborhood and being the head, you know, of the government that, you know, in many ways is largely responsible for those conditions in the first place.” [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Political leaders adopt rhetoric but must confront systemic causes they helped create. **In simple terms:** Leaders must address root problems, not just language. Key Takeaway Acknowledge responsibility and act on systemic change. Themes politics responsibility systemic inequality Mood critical analytical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - governing - public discourse - policy reform - community impact Key Concepts policy leadership social justice Questions to Reflect On - What actions match the language you use? - How can leaders avoid tokenism? A Different Perspective Rhetoric without action can worsen public distrust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adopted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adopted/) [Adopted Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adopted-language-4194988/) [Barack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barack/) [Conditions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conditions/) [Crucial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crucial/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [First place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-place/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/house/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Language Took](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language-took-999017/) [Neighborhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighborhood/) [Obama Adopted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obama-adopted-4194989/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [President barack obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president-barack-obama/) [Responsible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsible/) [Think President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-president/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white/) [White house](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-house/) ## Related quotes > [“One adopted their language, that of the teachers and the schools, one had none of one's own. At first it was like a release,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hoeg/one-adopted-their-language-that-of-the-teachers-and-the-schools-one/) [Peter Hoeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hoeg/) > [The English language took in many many fertilizations, many many genes, from other languages, from foreign languages - Latin, French, Nordic languages, German, Scandinavian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/the-english-language-took-in-many-many-fertilizations-many-many-genes/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) > [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/) > [ I think, in fact, I think President \[Barack\] Obama could step up. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-think-in-fact-i-think-president-barack-obama-could-step-up/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [ I think what President \[Barack\] Obama has done is to chart a steady course. When I was there, the first four years we had… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-think-what-president-barack-obama-has-done-is-to-chart-a-steady/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [There's a question of building trust, and I think that President Barack Obama offers trust. Personally, I think he is a transparent individual with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-correa/there-s-a-question-of-building-trust-and-i-think-that-president/) [Rafael Correa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-correa/) > [ I think President \[Barack\] Obama deeply underestimated the force of white supremacy in American life. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/i-think-president-barack-obama-deeply-underestimated-the-force-of/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [I think this president has so badly abused his power, breached his trust in remarkable ways with our Congress, with the American people, has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rocky-anderson/i-think-this-president-has-so-badly-abused-his-power-breached-his/) [Rocky Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rocky-anderson/) > [After years of failure, I do think that President Trump has shown a lot of wisdom in reaching out his hand to the North…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-haspel/after-years-of-failure-i-do-think-that-president-trump-has-shown-a/) [Gina Haspel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-haspel/) > [I think president after president has always stood behind Israel. We always will. They're our ally there. And we have to do whatever we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dutch-ruppersberger/i-think-president-after-president-has-always-stood-behind-israel-we/) [Dutch Ruppersberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dutch-ruppersberger/) > [I think President Obama is going to be a one-term president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/i-think-president-obama-is-going-to-be-a-one-term-president/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [Now personally, I think the president should golf every day and never have a press conference. I want the leader of the free world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/now-personally-i-think-the-president-should-golf-every-day-and-never/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [I think President Obama is the most radical president this nation's ever seen. And in particular, I think he is a true believer in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-think-president-obama-is-the-most-radical-president-this-nation-s/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [I think the president's comfortable with a certain level of violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-lapierre/i-think-the-president-s-comfortable-with-a-certain-level-of-violence/) [Wayne LaPierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-lapierre/) > [I don't want my title to define my character. I don't think, as a president, I will change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-weah/i-don-t-want-my-title-to-define-my-character-i-don-t-think-as-a/) [George Weah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-weah/) ## More by Ta-Nehisi Coates > [“To Trump whiteness is neither notional nor symbolic but is the very core of his power. In this, Trump is not singular. But whereas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/to-trump-whiteness-is-neither-notional-nor-symbolic-but-is-the-very/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [“The focus on one sector of Trump voters—the white working class—is puzzling, given the breadth of his white coalition. Indeed, there is a kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/the-focus-on-one-sector-of-trump-voters-the-white-working-class-is/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [The greatest reward of this constant interrogation, confrontation with the brutality of my country, is that it has freed me from hosts and myths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/the-greatest-reward-of-this-constant-interrogation-confrontation-with/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [What I am telling you is that you do not need to know to love, and it is right that you feel it all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/what-i-am-telling-you-is-that-you-do-not-need-to-know-to-love-and-it/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [I think 'Dear White People,' the show, is a tremendous artistic achievement. It's always hinting that there is something beyond the pleading and wokeness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/i-think-dear-white-people-the-show-is-a-tremendous-artistic/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [ \[Winning the White House was an achievement\], but as an African-American, \[Barack Obama\], I think the symbolism is in how he conducted himself. The… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/winning-the-white-house-was-an-achievement-but-as-an-african-american/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [What sets black people apart is not some deficit in personal responsibility. It's the weight on our shoulders. That is what's actually different. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/what-sets-black-people-apart-is-not-some-deficit-in-personal/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [Like a lot of people, I'm very, very concerned about Senator Clinton's record. I'm very, very concerned about where her positions were in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/like-a-lot-of-people-i-m-very-very-concerned-about-senator-clinton-s/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [“I drove away, as always, thinking of you. I do not believe that we can stop them, Samori, because they must ultimately stop themselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/i-drove-away-as-always-thinking-of-you-i-do-not-believe-that-we-can/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [What I’m talking about is more than recompense for past injustices—more than a handout, a payoff, hush money, or a reluctant bribe. What I’m…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/what-i-m-talking-about-is-more-than-recompense-for-past-injustices/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [The mainstream sort of presentation of the civil rights movement was not something that I directly inherited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/the-mainstream-sort-of-presentation-of-the-civil-rights-movement-was/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [ \[Grew up in Hawaii\] that gave \[Barack Obama\] a kind of optimism, an ability to see things, you know, and frankly, an ability to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/grew-up-in-hawaii-that-gave-barack-obama-a-kind-of-optimism-an/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [“I sensed the schools were hiding something, drugging us with false morality so that we would not see, so that we did not ask:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/i-sensed-the-schools-were-hiding-something-drugging-us-with-false/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [You don't make a case for reparations thinking, 'Oh yeah, people are gonna love this.' I didn't see that coming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/you-don-t-make-a-case-for-reparations-thinking-oh-yeah-people-are/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [“And I know that there are black boys and black girls out there lost in a Bermuda triangle of the mind or stranded in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/and-i-know-that-there-are-black-boys-and-black-girls-out-there-lost/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) [Explore all 388 Ta-Nehisi Coates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) ## More Adopted quotes > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Somehow destiny comes into play. These children end up with you and you end up with them. It's something quite magical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-kidman/somehow-destiny-comes-into-play-these-children-end-up-with-you-and/) [Nicole Kidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-kidman/) > [Azerbaijan unleashed the war, and was defeated in that war; Azerbaijan asked for truce (including from the Commander of Karabakh's forces) and later started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serzh-sargsyan/azerbaijan-unleashed-the-war-and-was-defeated-in-that-war-azerbaijan/) [Serzh Sargsyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serzh-sargsyan/) > [I'm not at all against white people adopting black children, because we're all human beings who need to give love and be nurtured in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kola-boof/i-m-not-at-all-against-white-people-adopting-black-children-because/) [Kola Boof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kola-boof/) > [Susan, an only child who never had any roots, and I, a lone wolf who got married 20 years to late, were adopted by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harpo-marx/susan-an-only-child-who-never-had-any-roots-and-i-a-lone-wolf-who-got/) [Harpo Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harpo-marx/) > [We may argue eloquently that 'Honesty is the best Policy' - unfortunately, the moment honesty is adopted for the sake of policy it mysteriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/we-may-argue-eloquently-that-honesty-is-the-best-policy-unfortunately/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [A son or daughter in any human family is either born to or adopted by the parents. By definition, a child can't be both.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-bridges/a-son-or-daughter-in-any-human-family-is-either-born-to-or-adopted-by/) [Jerry Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-bridges/) > [. . . by natural selection our mind has adapted itself to the conditions of the external world. It has adopted the geometry most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/by-natural-selection-our-mind-has-adapted-itself-to-the-conditions-of/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [I was adopted my black Americans, I feel that I'm a 'Hybrid'. When I'm around Africans'I suddenly feel very black American. And when I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kola-boof/i-was-adopted-my-black-americans-i-feel-that-i-m-a-hybrid-when-i-m/) [Kola Boof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kola-boof/) > [I did this one movie with a great director named Wayne Kramer. It was 'Crossing Over,' and Harrison Ford, Ashley Judd and Ray Liotta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chon/i-did-this-one-movie-with-a-great-director-named-wayne-kramer-it-was/) [Justin Chon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chon/) > [I had severed relations with the Romanian exiles who had become politically conservative and even extremely right wing; I was giving chess lessons to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/i-had-severed-relations-with-the-romanian-exiles-who-had-become/) [Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/) > [People, the common people, can genuinely see what I'm doing. Moreover, people know that I have adopted four principles in living my life: simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdul-sattar-edhi/people-the-common-people-can-genuinely-see-what-i-m-doing-moreover/) [Abdul Sattar Edhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdul-sattar-edhi/) > [To a large extent, the American church has become merged with the world. It has adopted so many of the world's ideals and standards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/to-a-large-extent-the-american-church-has-become-merged-with-the/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [When you're adopted, no matter what, you've got issues with unconditional love. And you find out you're the product of the worst situation for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-atkins/when-you-re-adopted-no-matter-what-you-ve-got-issues-with/) [Rodney Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-atkins/) > [Capitalism justified itself and was adopted as an economic principle on the express ground that it provides selfish motives for doing good, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/capitalism-justified-itself-and-was-adopted-as-an-economic-principle/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) [Browse all 735 Adopted quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adopted/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think the president [Barack Obama] adopted some of that same language, but took it into the White House. And I think, like, there's a crucial difference between being, you know, Joe Schmo in the neighborhood and being the head, you know, of the government that, you know, in many ways is largely responsible for those conditions in the first place.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ta-Nehisi Coates" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/i-think-the-president-barack-obama-adopted-some-of-that-same-language/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adopted" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/i-think-the-president-barack-obama-adopted-some-of-that-same-language/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ed/ta-nehisi-coates-733_adopted_i-think-the-president-barack-obama-adopt_490086.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ed/ta-nehisi-coates-733_adopted_i-think-the-president-barack-obama-adopt_490086.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ed/ta-nehisi-coates-733_adopted_i-think-the-president-barack-obama-adopt_490086.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think the president [Barack Obama] adopted some of that same language, but took it into the White House…” — Ta-Nehisi Coates", "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": "Ta-Nehisi Coates", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think the president [Barack Obama]...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/i-think-the-president-barack-obama-adopted-some-of-that-same-language/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/i-think-the-president-barack-obama-adopted-some-of-that-same-language/#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 } } ] } ```