The federal government and our democracy is not a speedboat. It's an oceanliner, as I discovered when I came into office. It took a lot of really hard work for us to make significant policy changes, even in our first two years, when we had larger majorities than Mr. Trump will enjoy when he comes into office.
Barack ObamaThere's just a whole different attitude and vibe when you're not in power as when you're in power.
Barack ObamaWhich passages of scripture should guide our public policy? Should we go with Leviticus, which suggests slavery is OK and that eating shellfish is an abomination? Or we could go with Deuteronomy, which suggests stoning your child if he strays from the faith?
Barack ObamaAll I can say is [kids] have turned out to be terrific young women. We were concerned mostly about whether they'd develop an attitude, right?
Barack ObamaWe the people declare today that the most evident of truth that all of us are created equal ... that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth.
Barack ObamaThe president [Barack Obama] understands that the country's very concerned about [terrorism] issue. And I think what you're going to hear from him is a discussion about what government's doing to ensure all of our highest priority, the protection of the American people.
Barack ObamaMy job is exhilarating. It's challenging. I find that the governance part of it, the decision making part of it - actually comes - comes pretty naturally. I think I've got a great team. I think we're making good decisions. The the hardest thing about the job is staying focused. Because there's so many demands and decisions that are pressed upon you.
Barack Obama