It would be naive of me to suggest that with Russia committed militarily, as it is, to supporting what in many cases are barbarous tactics by the Assad regime to crush the opposition.

One of the things I think I can bring to the presidency is to make government and public service cool again.

What I remember thinking at that point, having gone through both the ups and downs of my first four years, and seeing the sea of people was, "What a remarkable country this is and how lucky am I that we live in a place where the son of a single mom, not born into any kind of fame or fortune, in a pretty remote state somehow can end up be in a position to - to make a difference."

It is true, I worry about the hype. The only person more over-hyped than me is you.

Families across America are feeling the pinch as they watch debts mount, bills pile up and savings disappear.

Nobody said democracies supposed to be easy. It's hard. And in a big country like America, it probably should be hard.

I have always believed that what brings us together is stronger than what pulls us apart.