“We, the People, recognize that we have responsibilities as well as rights that our destinies are bound together that a freedom which only asks what's in it for me, a freedom without a commitment to others, a freedom without love or charity or duty or patriotism, is unworthy of our founding ideals, and those who died in their defense.”
— Barack Obama
Freedom
“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 It should be repealed and I will vote for its repeal on the Senate floor.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
Marriage
“I have Muslim members of my family. I have lived in Muslim countries.”
— Barack Obama
Family
“We all knew this. We all knew that it would take more time than any of us want to dig ourselves out of this hole created by this economic crisis.”
— Barack Obama
Time
“In America, there's a failure to appreciate Europe's leading role in the world.”
— Barack Obama
Failure
“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
Work
“If the people cannot trust their government to do the job for which it exists - to protect them and to promote their common welfare - all else is lost.”
— Barack Obama
Government
“There is probably a perverse pride in my administration... that we were going to do the right thing, even if short-term it was unpopular. And I think anybody who's occupied this office has to remember that success is determined by an intersection in policy and politics and that you can't be neglecting of marketing and P.R. and public opinion.”
— Barack Obama
Politics
“In December, I agreed to extend the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans because it was the only way I could prevent a tax hike on middle-class Americans. But we cannot afford $1 trillion worth of tax cuts for every millionaire and billionaire in our society. We can't afford it. And I refuse to renew them again.”
— Barack Obama
Society
“We're not going to baby sit a civil war.”
— Barack Obama
War
“We need to steer clear of this poverty of ambition, where people want to drive fancy cars and wear nice clothes and live in nice apartments but don't want to work hard to accomplish these things. Everyone should try to realize their full potential.”
— Barack Obama
Work
“I think when you spread the wealth around it's good for everybody.”
— Barack Obama
Good
“I don't think marriage is a civil right, but I think that being able to transfer property is a civil right.”
— Barack Obama
Marriage
“The United States is not, and never will be, at war with Islam.”
— Barack Obama
War
“What I believe is that marriage is between a man and a woman, but what I also believe is that we have an obligation to make sure that gays and lesbians have the rights of citizenship that afford them visitations to hospitals, that allow them to be, to transfer property between partners, to make certain that they're not discriminated on the job.”
— Barack Obama
Marriage
“We need somebody who's got the heart, the empathy, to recognize what it's like to be a young teenage mom, the empathy to understand what it's like to be poor or African-American or gay or disabled or old - and that's the criterion by which I'll be selecting my judges.”
— Barack Obama
Mom
“But what we can do, as flawed as we are, is still see God in other people, and do our best to help them find their own grace. That's what I strive to do, that's what I pray to do every day.”
— Barack Obama
Best
“I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we've struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We've made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions.”
— Barack Obama
Best
“If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help... Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you've got a business - you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen.”
— Barack Obama
Business
“We need earmark reform, and when I'm President, I will go line by line to make sure that we are not spending money unwisely.”
— Barack Obama
Money