Quotes from Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 111

2009-02-23T01:55:00.002+08:00

They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please.
- President Barack Obama (Inauguration Speech)

Barack Obama Quote 110

2009-02-22T01:55:00.003+08:00

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions.
- President Barack Obama (Inauguration Speech)

Barack Obama Quote 109

2009-02-21T01:45:00.002+08:00

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply.
- President Barack Obama (Inauguration Speech)

Barack Obama Quote 108

2009-02-20T01:45:00.002+08:00

They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
- President Barack Obama (Inauguration Speech)

Barack Obama Quote 107

2009-02-19T01:45:00.002+08:00

This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
- President Barack Obama (Inauguration Speech)

Barack Obama Quote 106

2009-02-18T01:45:00.002+08:00

And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
- President Barack Obama (Inauguration Speech)

Barack Obama Quote 105

2009-02-17T01:45:00.003+08:00

What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
- President Barack Obama (Inauguration Speech)

Barack Obama Quote 104

2009-02-16T01:45:00.002+08:00

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.
- President Barack Obama (Inauguration Speech)

Barack Obama Quote 103

2009-02-15T01:45:00.003+08:00

The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
- President Barack Obama (Inauguration Speech)

Barack Obama Quote 102

2009-02-14T01:45:00.002+08:00

Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.
- President Barack Obama (Inauguration Speech)

Barack Obama Quote 101

2009-02-13T01:39:00.002+08:00

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
- President Barack Obama (Inauguration Speech)

Barack Obama Quote 100

2009-02-12T01:39:00.002+08:00

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life.
- President Barack Obama (Inauguration Speech)

Barack Obama Quote 99

2009-02-11T01:39:00.002+08:00

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
- President Barack Obama (Inauguration Speech)

Barack Obama Quote 98

2009-02-10T01:39:00.002+08:00

We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense
- President Barack Obama (Inauguration Speech)

Barack Obama Quote 97

2009-02-09T01:34:00.003+08:00

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned.
- President Barack Obama (Inauguration Speech)

Barack Obama Quote 96

2009-02-08T01:34:00.002+08:00

With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come.
- President Barack Obama (Inauguration Speech)

Barack Obama Quote 95

2009-02-07T01:34:00.002+08:00

And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.
- President Barack Obama (Inauguration Speech)

Barack Obama Quote 94

2009-02-06T01:33:00.002+08:00

We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories.
- President Barack Obama (Inauguration Speech)

Barack Obama Quote 93

2009-02-05T01:32:00.001+08:00

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.
- President Barack Obama (Inauguration Speech)

Barack Obama Quote 92

2009-02-04T01:29:00.001+08:00

It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
- President Barack Obama (Inauguration Speech)

Barack Obama Quote 91

2009-02-03T01:24:00.004+08:00

Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things.
- President Barack Obama (Inauguration Speech)

44th President Barack Obama Inaugural Address

2009-01-22T04:49:00.002+08:00

44th President Barack Obama Inaugural Address
by President Barack Obama on the 20th January 2009

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we’ll work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you and God bless the United States of America.

Note: The Bible that Mr Obama used is the same one that President Abraham Lincoln used at his Inauguration in 1861

Barack Obama Quote 90

2009-01-08T22:28:00.001+08:00

Instead of having a set of policies that are equipping people for the globalization of the economy, we have policies that are accelerating the most destructive trends of the global economy.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 89

2009-01-07T22:14:00.000+08:00

We can rattle our sabers all we want but, realistically, we don't have troops for an invasion [Iran] and surgical strikes aren't going to work.

- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 88

2009-01-06T22:05:00.003+08:00

And it lives on in those Americans -- young and old, rich and poor, black and white, Latino and Asian and Native American, gay and straight -- who are tired of a politics that divides us and want to recapture the sense of common purpose that we had when John Kennedy was President of the United States of America.

- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 87

2009-01-05T21:28:00.003+08:00

When asked whether he would call on the Clintons to release their tax returns, after Hilary loaned $5 million of her own money to her campaign

I`ll just say that I`ve released my tax returns. That`s been a policy I`ve maintained consistently. I think the American people deserve to know where you get your income from. But I`ll leave it up to you guys to chase it down... I think we set the bar in terms of transparency and disclosure that has been a consistent theme of my campaign and my career in politics.
- Barack Obama

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2009-01-01T14:29:00.000+08:00

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Barack Obama Quote 86

2008-12-17T13:50:00.001+08:00

On whether Bill Clinton was "our first black president".

I would have to...investigate more of Bill's dancing abilities, you know, and some of this other stuff before I accurately judge whether he was in fact a brother.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 85

2008-12-16T13:47:00.000+08:00

Look, when I was a kid, I inhaled frequently. That was the point.
- Barack Obama

(Source: Video)

Barack Obama Quote 84

2008-12-15T13:42:00.002+08:00

Appearing as himself on Saturday Night Live as part of a skit that featured Hillary Clinton dressed as a witch at a Halloween party.

I have nothing to hide, I enjoy being myself. I'm not going to change who I am just because it's Halloween.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 83

2008-12-14T13:37:00.000+08:00

They say I need to be seasoned; they say I need to be stewed. They say, 'We need to boil all the hope out of him - like us, and then he'll be ready.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 82

2008-12-13T13:34:00.002+08:00

When posing for a picture with supporters in Indiana, when he apparently felt his phone start to vibrate in his pocket, against which one woman was closely pressed.

Now that's my phone buzzing there. I don't want you to think I'm getting fresh or anything.

- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 81

2008-12-12T13:29:00.000+08:00

On John McCain's energy plan.

That's what he talked about yesterday, 'I want to drill here. I want to drill now.' I don't know where he was standing. I think he was in a building somewhere.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 80

2008-12-11T13:23:00.001+08:00

Musing with David Letterman about the Sarah Palin phenomenon.

I mean, you know, as somebody who used to be on the cover of Time and Newsweek, you know. Those were the days.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 79

2008-12-10T13:19:00.000+08:00

On his image at the Al Smith Dinner.

Who is Barack Obama? Contrary to the rumors you have heard, I was not born in a manger. I was actually born on Krypton and sent here by my father Jor-El to save the Planet Earth. Many of you know that I got my name, Barack, from my father. What you may not know is Barack is actually Swahili for 'That One.' And I got my middle name from somebody who obviously didn't think I'd ever run for president. If I had to name my greatest strength, I guess it would be my humility. Greatest weakness, it's possible that I'm a little too awesome.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 78

2008-12-09T13:15:00.000+08:00

Poking fun at Sarah Palin at the Al Smith Dinner.

I do love the Waldorf-Astoria, though. You know, I hear that from the doorstep you can see all the way to the Russian tea room.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 77

2008-12-08T13:05:00.000+08:00

On John McCain's attacks, Raleigh, North Carolina, Oct. 29, 2008.

Lately he's called me a socialist for wanting to roll-back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans so we can finally give tax relief to the middle class. I don't know what's next. By the end of the week he'll be accusing me of being a secret communist because I shared my toys in kindergarten. I shared my peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 76

2008-12-07T12:58:00.000+08:00

I figure there's nowhere to go from here but down. So tonight, I'm announcing my retirement from the United States Senate.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 75

2008-12-06T12:53:00.001+08:00

It's been a great ride. But I know how quickly these fads can pass. You all remember the pet rock, the mood ring, Howard Dean.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 74

2008-12-05T12:49:00.001+08:00

(The pundits) said you can't win in a year like this with a name like Obama. There was quite a bit of confusion at first, but it did get me free airtime on Al Jazeera.
-Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 73

2008-12-04T12:46:00.001+08:00

On excitement in his father's native Kenya that his election would mean the building of billions of dollars in new roads, bridges, hospitals, and schools in their country.

I've tried to explain how it works these days. First comes the invasion, and then billions in aid.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 72

2008-12-03T12:43:00.000+08:00

On the controversial Ukraine election.

Well, President Bush said he wanted to export American-style democracy and, by God, I think it's working.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 71

2008-12-02T12:36:00.000+08:00

On his Democratic Convention speech.

"We coach Little League in the blue states and we have some gay friends in the red states. Well, here's an update. Since the election, that gay couple I knew in the red states? They've moved back to the blue states."
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 70

2008-12-01T12:11:00.000+08:00

The following quotes are from Barack Obama's speech at the 2005 Gridiron dinner.

It's like I was shot out of a cannon. I'm so overexposed that I make Paris Hilton look like a recluse.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 69

2008-11-30T03:25:00.000+08:00

We should be more modest in our belief that we can impose democracy on a country through military force. In the past, it has been movements for freedom from within tyrannical regimes that have led to flourishing democracies.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 68

2008-11-29T03:19:00.000+08:00

Race is still a powerful force in this country. Any African American candidate, or any Latino candidate, or Asian candidate or woman candidate confronts a higher threshold in establishing himself to the voters
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 67

2008-11-28T03:16:00.000+08:00

Our enemies are fully aware that they can use oil as a weapon against America . And if we don't take this threat as seriously as the bombs they build or the guns they buy, we will be fighting the War on Terror with one hand tied behind our back.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 66

2008-11-27T03:10:00.000+08:00

Politics has become so bitter and partisan, so gummed up by money and influence, that we can't tackle the big problems that demand solutions. And that's what we have to change first. We have to change our politics, and come together around our common interests and concerns as Americans.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 65

2008-11-26T03:08:00.003+08:00

It's not just enough to change the players. We've gotta change the game.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 64

2008-11-18T10:31:00.002+08:00

In joint statement with his sister, on death of 86-year-old grandmother Madelyn Dunham on eve of US presidential election 2008.

She was the cornerstone of our family and a woman of extraordinary accomplishment, strength and humility. She was the person who encouraged and allowed us to take chances.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 63

2008-11-18T10:30:00.002+08:00

On Jon Stewart's 'The Daily Show', in satellite interview, October 29 2008:

Stewart: are you concerned in some respects, you know, and I don't even know how to bring this up. Obviously your mother is from Kansas. She's a white woman. Your father, African. Are you concerned that you may go into the voting booth and ...
Obama: I won't know what to do.
Stewart: Your white half will all of a sudden decide, "I can't do this."
Obama: That's a problem ...

Barack Obama Quote 62

2008-11-18T10:28:00.002+08:00

On alleged links to former radical Bill Ayers, who carried out a series of bombings in the 1960s, said during final US TV presidential debate, October 15, 2008.

Mr Ayers is not involved in my campaign. He has never been involved in this campaign. And he will not advise me in the White House.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 61

2008-11-18T10:26:00.001+08:00

In an apparent attack on Republican vice-president nominee Sarah Palin, September 2008.

You can put lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 60

2008-11-18T10:25:00.001+08:00

At Democratic Party's Denver convention, August 2008.

It's not because John McCain doesn't care. It's because John McCain doesn't get it.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 59

2008-11-18T10:23:00.002+08:00

Claiming Democratic presidential nomination victory over Hillary Clinton after his triumph in Montana primary, June 3, 2008.

America, this is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page of the policies of the past.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 58

2008-11-18T10:21:00.001+08:00

Speech following Montana primary, June 3, 2008.

I honor -- we honor -- the service of John McCain, and I respect his many accomplishments, even if he chooses to deny mine.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 57

2008-11-18T10:18:00.002+08:00

On resigning membership of Trinity United Church of Christ, May 31, 2008.

I’m not denouncing the church, and I’m not interested in people who want me to denounce the church. It’s not a church worthy of denouncing.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 56

2008-11-18T10:16:00.001+08:00

At press conference following Reverend Jeremiah Wright's speech at Press Club event, April 29, 2008.

I’ve known Reverend Wright for almost twenty years. The person I saw yesterday was not the person that I met twenty years ago. His comments were not only divisive and destructive, but I believe that they end up giving comfort to those who prey on hate and I believe that they do not portray accurately the perspective of the black church. They certainly don’t portray accurately my values and beliefs and if Reverend Wright thinks that's political posturing, as he put it, then he doesn't know me very well and based on his remarks yesterday, well I may not know him as well as I thought either.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 55

2008-11-18T10:15:00.002+08:00

At San Francisco fundraiser, April 6, 2008.

You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, a lot like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing’s replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. So it’s not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy towards people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 54

2008-11-18T10:13:00.000+08:00

Town Hall Meeting in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, March 29, 2008.

I've got two daughters, nine years old and six years old. I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 53

2008-11-18T10:12:00.000+08:00

Interview with WIP, March 20, 2008.

The point I was making was not that my grandmother harbors any racial animosity. She doesn't. But she is a typical white person who, if she sees somebody on the street that she doesn't know, there's a reaction that's been bred into our experiences that don't go away, and that sometimes comes out in the wrong way, and that's just the nature of race in our society.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 52

2008-11-18T10:10:00.000+08:00

Speech on the cost of war, March 20, 2008.

John McCain once opposed these tax cuts - he rightly called them unfair and fiscally irresponsible. But now he has done an about face and wants to make them permanent, just like he wants a permanent occupation in Iraq. No matter what the costs, no matter what the consequences, John McCain seems determined to carry out a third Bush-term. That's an outcome America can't afford. Because of the Bush-McCain policies, our debt has ballooned.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 51

2008-11-18T10:09:00.000+08:00

Speech on race, March 18, 2008.

We've got a tragic history when it comes to race in this country. We've got a lot of pent-up anger and bitterness and misunderstanding. ... This country wants to move beyond these kinds of things.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 50

2008-11-18T10:08:00.000+08:00

Regarding inflammatory racial remarks of his Pastor, Rev. Jeremiah White, speech on race, March 18, 2008.

I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother — a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 49

2008-11-18T10:07:00.000+08:00

Speech on race, March 18, 2008.

But the anger is real; it is powerful; and to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 48

2008-11-18T10:06:00.002+08:00

Speech on race, March 18, 2008.

This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 47

2008-11-18T10:06:00.001+08:00

Speech following Super Tuesday results, Feb 5, 2008.

We are the ones we have been waiting for.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 46

2008-11-18T10:04:00.000+08:00

Interview in Christianity Today, January 22, 2008.

I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 45

2008-11-18T10:03:00.002+08:00

Speech following New Hampshire Primary January 8, 2008.

We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics who will only grow louder and more dissonant in the weeks to come. We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope. But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope. For when we have faced down impossible odds; when we've been told that we're not ready, or that we shouldn't try, or that we can't, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people. Yes we can.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 44

2008-11-18T10:01:00.000+08:00

About his marijuana use, When asked "did you inhale?", November 2007.

I did. It's not something that I'm proud of. It was a mistake as a young man, but you know? I mean not going to -- I never understood that line. The point was to inhale. That was the point.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 43

2008-11-18T10:00:00.003+08:00

CNN/YouTube debate, July 23, 2007.

If I sit down with the leader of Iran, I will send him a strong message that Israel is our friend, that we will assist in their security and that we don't find nuclear weapons acceptable.... That's not going to be a propaganda coup for the president of Iran.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 42

2008-11-18T09:58:00.001+08:00

Response to question in Iowa, March 11, 2007 in "Iowans get an up-close view of Obama" in USA Today.

Nobody's suffering more than the Palestinian people from this whole process. And I would like to see — if we could get some movement from Palestinian leadership — what I'd like to see is a loosening up of some of the restrictions on providing aid directly to the Palestinian people.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 41

2008-11-18T09:57:00.001+08:00

Profile in The Independent Magazine, March 10, 2007.

In Africa, you often see that the difference between a village where everybody eats and a village where people starve is government. One has a functioning government, and the other does not. Which is why it bothers me when I hear people say that government is the enemy. They don't understand its fundamental role.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 40

2008-11-18T09:56:00.002+08:00

Speech at AIPAC, March 2, 2007.

The Israeli people, and Prime Minister Olmert, have made clear that they are more than willing to negotiate an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that will result in two states living side by side in peace and security. But the Israelis must trust that they have a true Palestinian partner for peace. That is why we must strengthen the hands of Palestinian moderates who seek peace and that is why we must maintain the isolation of Hamas and other extremists who are committed to Israel's destruction.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 39

2008-11-18T09:54:00.001+08:00

Speech at Illinois capital Springfield February 2007, announcing he is entering 2008 US presidential race.

We can build a more hopeful America. And that is why, in the shadow of the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln once called on a house divided to stand together, where common hopes and common dreams still live, I stand before you today to announce my candidacy for President of the United States of America.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 38

2008-11-18T09:53:00.000+08:00

In webcast to supporters on his website, January 2007.

The decisions that have been made in Washington these past six years, and the problems that have been ignored, have put our country in a precarious place.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 37

2008-11-18T09:51:00.000+08:00

Voicing skepticism of President Bush's plans for a US military buildup in Iraq, January 2007.

We're not going to baby sit a civil war.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 36

2008-11-18T09:50:00.001+08:00

Admitting taking cannabis and cocaine as a teenager, in 1995 memoir 'Dreams from My Father'.

Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it. Not smack [heroin] though.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 35

2008-11-18T09:49:00.002+08:00

From 'Time' magazine June 2005.

I cannot swallow whole the view of Lincoln as the Great Emancipator.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 34

2008-11-18T09:47:00.000+08:00

Keynote speech to Democratic National Convention, July 2004.

There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 33

2008-11-18T09:46:00.001+08:00

Keynote speech to Democratic National Convention, July 2004.

There is not a liberal America and a conservative America - there is the United States of America. There is not a black America and a white America and latino America and asian America - there's the United States of America.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 32

2008-11-18T09:44:00.002+08:00

Keynote speech to Democratic National Convention, July 2004.

Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation - not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy. Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 31

2008-11-18T09:43:00.000+08:00

Keynote speech to Democratic National Convention, July 2004.

My parents shared not only an improbable love, they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. They would give me an African name, Barack, or blessed, believing that in a tolerant America your name is no barrier to success.
Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 30

2008-11-18T09:42:00.000+08:00

Keynote speech to 2004 Democratic National Convention, standing as candidate for US Senate in Illinois.

In the end, that's what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope?
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 29

2008-11-18T09:41:00.000+08:00

Keynote speech to Democratic National Convention, July 2004.

We have real enemies in the world. These enemies must be found. They must be pursued and they must be defeated.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 28

2008-11-18T09:35:00.002+08:00

Keynote speech to Democratic National Convention, July 2004.

We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 27

2008-11-18T09:34:00.001+08:00

Keynote speech to Democratic National Convention, July 2004.

John Kerry believes in an America where hard work is rewarded.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 26

2008-11-18T09:33:00.001+08:00

A good compromise, a good piece of legislation, is like a good sentence; or a good piece of music. Everybody can recognize it. They say, 'Huh. It works. It makes sense..
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 25

2008-11-18T09:32:00.001+08:00

Community colleges play an important role in helping people transition between careers by providing the retooling they need to take on a new career.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 24

2008-11-18T09:29:00.000+08:00

Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 23

2008-11-18T09:28:00.000+08:00

I didn't see the weapons of mass destruction at the time, I didn't think there was an imminent threat from Saddam Hussein.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 22

2008-11-18T09:27:00.000+08:00

In 2002 speech against Iraq War.

I don't oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 21

2008-11-18T09:25:00.001+08:00

I opposed the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. It should be repealed and I will vote for its repeal on the Senate floor. I will also oppose any proposal to amend the U.S. Constitution to ban gays and lesbians from marrying.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 20

2008-11-18T09:23:00.003+08:00

I'm proud of the fact that I stood up early and unequivocally in opposition to Bush's foreign policy (and was the only U.S. Senate candidate in Illinois to do so). That opposition hasn't changed.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 19

2008-11-18T09:23:00.001+08:00

If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 18

2008-11-18T09:22:00.000+08:00

It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to where we are today, but we have just begun. Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 17

2008-11-18T09:20:00.002+08:00

Money is not the only answer, but it makes a difference.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 16

2008-11-18T09:20:00.001+08:00

My first job is to say thank you to those who voted me. Those who didn't, I'm going to get your vote next time.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 15

2008-11-18T09:19:00.001+08:00

My job is not to represent Washington to you, but to represent you to Washington.
- Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote 14

2008-11-18T09:18:00.000+08:00

No one is pro-abortion.
- Barack Obama