--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ronald Reagan had a vision of America…" description: "\"“Ronald Reagan had a vision of America. Barack Obama has a vision of Barack Obama.”\" — Thomas Sowell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/283/thomas-sowell-247_dreams_ronald-reagan-had-a-vision-of-america-ba_2665523.jpg" --- # Ronald Reagan had a vision of America. Barack Obama has a… ![“Ronald Reagan had a vision of America. Barack Obama has a vision of Barack Obama.” quote by Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/283/thomas-sowell-247_dreams_ronald-reagan-had-a-vision-of-america-ba_2665523.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/283/thomas-sowell-247_dreams_ronald-reagan-had-a-vision-of-america-ba_2665523.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/283/thomas-sowell-247_dreams_ronald-reagan-had-a-vision-of-america-ba_2665523.jpg) > ““Ronald Reagan had a vision of America. Barack Obama has a vision of Barack Obama.”” [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reagan’s vision was about America; Obama’s vision centered on himself. **In simple terms:** Leaders may focus on self rather than country. Key Takeaway Prioritize collective goals over personal ambition. Themes leadership politics self-interest Mood critical analytical Type political commentary When to use this quote - government policy - public discourse - leadership training Key Concepts political science ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders balance personal vision with national interest? - What are the risks of self-centered leadership? A Different Perspective Self-focused visions can alienate constituents. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Vision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vision/) ## Related quotes > [Ronald Reagan had a vision of America...Barac k Obama has a vision of Barack Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/ronald-reagan-had-a-vision-of-america-barac-k-obama-has-a-vision-of/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [ There's the unique case of Ronald Reagan, who cited \[founders\] some 850 times, and in a way that was absolutely fundamental to understanding Reagan's… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kengor/there-s-the-unique-case-of-ronald-reagan-who-cited-founders-some-850/) [Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kengor/) > [Barack Obama's vision of America is one in which a President of the United States can fire the head of General Motors, tell banks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/barack-obama-s-vision-of-america-is-one-in-which-a-president-of-the/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [There's one America that Barack Obama wants, and there's a very different America that I want. I want an America that is entrepreneurial, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinesh-d-souza/there-s-one-america-that-barack-obama-wants-and-there-s-a-very/) [Dinesh D'Souza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinesh-d-souza/) > [I believe Donald Trump would be better for America than Barack Obama, because he understands business. Donald Trump has taken a pro- life position.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/i-believe-donald-trump-would-be-better-for-america-than-barack-obama/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [If Obama's vision of the public sector is socialism, then so too were the visions of Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-greenfield/if-obama-s-vision-of-the-public-sector-is-socialism-then-so-too-were/) [Jeff Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-greenfield/) > [Barack Obama has a vision of American greatness based not just on our unmatched military might, but on our economic, intellectual, and moral strengths.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/barack-obama-has-a-vision-of-american-greatness-based-not-just-on-our/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [The pattern of American presidential elections is that the more optimistic candidate, whether it's John Kennedy and let's get America moving again, Ronald Reagan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/the-pattern-of-american-presidential-elections-is-that-the-more/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [In the long run, however much damage we come through, Obama's vision is the one that's going to be left standing. It's a question…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/in-the-long-run-however-much-damage-we-come-through-obama-s-vision-is/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) > [To realize President Obama's vision of opportunity for all, it's all about making the right match. The way we do that is through job-driven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-realize-president-obama-s-vision-of-opportunity-for-all-it-s-all/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Barack Obama was not born into wealth or privilege, yet today his is president of these United States of America. Barack Obama has lived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-salazar/barack-obama-was-not-born-into-wealth-or-privilege-yet-today-his-is/) [Ken Salazar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-salazar/) > [America under Barack Obama has become a defensive, reactive and weaker country both at home and abroad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/america-under-barack-obama-has-become-a-defensive-reactive-and-weaker/) [Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/) > [In 2008, I was inspired by President Obama's vision for America and all the promises that he laid out for our country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-schlossberg/in-2008-i-was-inspired-by-president-obama-s-vision-for-america-and/) [Jack Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-schlossberg/) > [Only in America can a Barack Obama happen. Only in America can a Don King happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-king/only-in-america-can-a-barack-obama-happen-only-in-america-can-a-don/) [Don King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-king/) > [Romney is right that the Obama vision is too centered on government. But his is too centered on the promotion of business and wealth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/romney-is-right-that-the-obama-vision-is-too-centered-on-government/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) ## More by Thomas Sowell > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [There is no bigger waste of time than doing 90% of what is necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/there-is-no-bigger-waste-of-time-than-doing-90-of-what-is-necessary/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [If you have always believed that everyone should play by the same rules and be judged by the same standards, that would have gotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/if-you-have-always-believed-that-everyone-should-play-by-the-same/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“In 1962, Democratic President John F. Kennedy, like both Democratic and Republican Presidents and Secretaries of the Treasury in earlier years, pointed out that “it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/in-1962-democratic-president-john-f-kennedy-like-both-democratic-and/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Ideological bigotry has become the norm on even our most prestigious campuses, where students can go for years without reading or hearing anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/ideological-bigotry-has-become-the-norm-on-even-our-most-prestigious/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Bailing out people who made ill-advised mortgages makes no more sense that bailing out people who lost their life savings in Las Vegas casinos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/bailing-out-people-who-made-ill-advised-mortgages-makes-no-more-sense/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“One third of all Scots in the mid-nineteenth century moved from one county to another”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/one-third-of-all-scots-in-the-mid-nineteenth-century-moved-from-one/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The difference is that we have the hardest and most painful evidence that there was a Holocaust. But, for the global warming scenario that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-difference-is-that-we-have-the-hardest-and-most-painful-evidence/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“Just as price fluctuations allocate scarce resources which have alternative uses, price controls which limit those fluctuations reduce the incentives for individuals to limit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/just-as-price-fluctuations-allocate-scarce-resources-which-have/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The greatest danger to the liberal vision are facts about the consequences of liberalism itself and the laws, policies, and ways of life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-greatest-danger-to-the-liberal-vision-are-facts-about-the/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Having spent years ruining the housing markets with their interference, leading to a housing meltdown that has taken the whole economy down with it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/having-spent-years-ruining-the-housing-markets-with-their/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Do all children have some inherent right to live in America if they have done nothing wrong? If not, then why should the children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/do-all-children-have-some-inherent-right-to-live-in-america-if-they/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [What 'eminent domain' laws mean in practice is that politicians have a right to seize your property and turn it over to someone else,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/what-eminent-domain-laws-mean-in-practice-is-that-politicians-have-a/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“those parts of the British Isles without the advantage of coal deposits or ports, industrialization was as handicapped as in other countries.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/those-parts-of-the-british-isles-without-the-advantage-of-coal/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The whole idea of equal justice under law is completely incompatible with the idea of judges deciding cases according to "empathy".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-whole-idea-of-equal-justice-under-law-is-completely-incompatible/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) [Explore all 823 Thomas Sowell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) ## More Dreams quotes > [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/) [Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/) > [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/) [Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [“Now you’re wet. You’re so wet you’re leaking down your ass. You’re soaking my pillow. I don’t think I’m ever washing it. I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-stoker/now-you-re-wet-you-re-so-wet-you-re-leaking-down-your-ass-you-re/) [Susan Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-stoker/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/) [Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“I had a dream. I had an awesome dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-i-had-an-awesome-dream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 40,599 Dreams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Ronald Reagan had a vision of America. 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