I could have spent eight years doing anything, and at some level, it would have been fine. I could have focused on flowers. I could have focused on decor. I could have focused on entertainment. Because any First Lady, rightfully, gets to define her role. There's no legislative authority; you're not elected. And that's a wonderful gift of freedom.
Michelle Obama
Related I have always been focused on my job. No profession allows you the luxury of being half-focused. If ... DEEPIKA PADUKONE I'm doing whatever I have to do to help my team win. So, instead of being focused on anything fr... ELENA DELLE DONNE I have no regrets on anything. People ask me all the time, 'Do I have any regrets?' I don... ALLEN IVERSON I'm so compulsive about stuff, I know if I had ever gotten pregnant, of course, that would have ... BETTY WHITE There are two things in life you cannot choose. The first is your enemies; the second your family. S... CARLOS RUIZ ZAFóN I would really hate it if I could call up Kafka or Hemingway or Salinger and any question I could th... REGINA SPEKTOR We need to have a strong defense focused on areas that are in the greatest vulnerability. I have bee... BOB GRAHAM The billable hours is a classic case of restricted autonomy. I mean, you're working on - I mean,... DAN PINK The billable hours is a classic case of restricted autonomy. I mean, you're working on - I mean,... DANIEL H. PINK I'm essentially the result of other people's imagination. And that's fine. Because of ot... JOHN HURT Because I had to do everything in bits and pieces, I was never quite satisfied when I finished a sol... BILL WYMAN I was really into '24' at university, and it resulted in a lot of lost hours that could have... EMILY BERRINGTON I'd love to have First Lady Michelle Obama over and ask, 'How do you make your marriage work... SHERRI SHEPHERD I'm not as focused on my acting career as I have been in the past. HARRY HAMLIN I have picked the very, very best deputy that I could. David Parker is a fantastic guy. He's a p... DAVID CUNLIFFE I knew I could beat her. I beat her yesterday and I have always said that, if I beat someone once, I... CHRISTINE OHURUOGU No answer I could provide to that question could possibly serve my own future interests." Sarek stra... KEIRA MARCOS We wouldn't have done it if we didn't think we could have fun with it. ETHAN COEN I do interviews because it's a chance to be myself. I sometimes wonder what I could have to say ... PARKER STEVENSON I'm not afraid of putting myself out there to someone and then them passing on it. At least you ... CAROL LEIFER I'm riding my man Obama. I think he's a visionary. Actually, Barack told me the first date h... SPIKE LEE I live - I live a highly scheduled life. There's absolutely no time wasted. I'm very focused... MADONNA CICCONE When we win, I'm excited about winning. That way, I get the ups and downs of a football season. ... TIM TEBOW I begged her to get another job. I begged her to date other people and start a different life. But t... MARCIA LEWIS Stand-up was my entree into the entertainment world. I didn't have to act out somebody else'... CHELSEA HANDLER I couldn't do any of my other characters, you know? But I could have done the lady. Church Lady&... DANA CARVEY What matters is 'Have you done a better job of making our experiences feel like home on Windows?... SATYA NADELLA I gave up years ago on the concept that you could actually have balance in your life, I think it'... BARBARA CORCORAN There's a part of me that wishes I'd never said one single solitary word on any subject publ... RICHARD THOMPSON Over the years, I really focused on doing the best job I could, working hard, getting great results,... GEISHA WILLIAMS I wish you could see some of the girls I have genuinely had crushes on in my life. They're not t... CHRIS EVANS On some level, you could say you wouldn't have 'In Style Magazine' at all had Anna Winto... R. J. CUTLER I could spend several hours on YouTube every night. It's all there. I just don't have enough... CHARLIE ROSE It's possible this year. I just have to stay consistent with my dives and stay focused. If I could s... GEOFF DORAN Since Mashable's inception, some of our most popular articles have focused on the science behind... ADAM OSTROW If you're going to have kids, there's only one way to go. They have to know they're the ... DANNY DEVITO I could have played more complex stuff. I could have been a busier player. But that's not what I... DON HENLEY 'Perfection' to me is, I walk away from a situation and say, 'I did everything I could d... DRAKE Obama and the Democrats are not focused on the moderates. They're focused on getting their base ... RUSH LIMBAUGH I think right now the way society's going, I think role models are important, and kids need dire... JEREMY LIN I think it's very important to have a feedback loop, where you're constantly thinking about ... ELON MUSK I'm very focused on what I do professionally, and I'm very focused on my family, and I don... VICTORIA BECKHAM On some level, acting is the art of pretend, and you have to have a highly cultivated sense of imagi... STEPHEN LANG Certainly, I know what it's like to be obsessed. I haven't always been there for my children... HENNING MANKELL Journalists have sometimes looked to my Twitter account and quoted me from there, and that's fin... SAMUEL BARNETT It's a fantasy that we could have a president who could actually make choices based on what'... GEENA DAVIS I fell in love with pastry because I felt I could be much more creative. It's precise, and you d... JOHNNY IUZZINI I did 'Philadelphia' and 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape?' at the same time. It'... MARY STEENBURGEN If you're competitor-focused, you have to wait until there is a competitor doing something. Bein... JEFF BEZOS I appreciate the fact that you have one redeeming quality, Jack, but that is all it is. Just a hint ... K.A. LINDE Being black, I'm involved in the reparations movement. It's focused toward the African-Ameri... CASSANDRA WILSON 'School Daze' was one of the highlights of my life because it was the first chance I had to ... BILL NUNN I can handle a lot of work. I've always been able to. I'm a very focused individual. I come ... JEFF LEMIRE I'm always staying motivated because, as training camp goes on, practices become more intense, h... BROCK LESNAR My choices in projects have all been character or role-based, and on a financial level, it's obv... JIM PARSONS If you're guilty of something, you can focus on that, but if something terrible happens, and you... DARIN STRAUSS I'm not gonna try to defend, or undo what's been done. All I could say about whatever's ... IKE TURNER I think it's very important to have a feedback loop, where you're constantly thinking about ... ELON MUSK I lay in the bed at the hospital and said, 'let's see what I have left.' And I could see... DALE EVANS I think the first 10 years of my daughter's life were my mother's happiest, because she coul... IMELDA STAUNTON I don't know if there's an actors' slow-pitch softball league I could join. My agency ha... MILES TELLER It was not until the end of my freshman year in high school that I thought I could really have a fut... ALLYSON FELIX I have learned to delegate. GWEN STEFANI There's a really classic cliche every time you switch the TV on - you see cops arguing. I have s... PETER JAMES Working on 'Fresh Off the Boat' has been really enlightening to me because it's made me ... CONSTANCE WU I never, ever would have imagined the kind of career I've had. It just wouldn't have occurre... EDITH WIDDER I've been lucky enough to have fulfilled so many ambitions, and gone way past anything I ever th... TAYLOR HAWKINS If I could have gotten my way at an early age, I would have entered the priesthood, but my mother in... DONNA BRAZILE We struggled as a team. They played their game and I feel like we could have been more mentally focu... RACHAEL GOODWIN I'm very relaxed. I have a family, I have a partner of 20 years, I have a wonderful life; nothin... ELTON JOHN I'm a child of the Women's Movement. I always believed that I could do anything. That women ... FOXY BROWN A lot of guys could have quit because of this and that going on around us, but no one on this team d... AARON SHEA Katy Perry's politics I could probably do without, though I have friends who have interacted wit... AUTRE NE VEUT I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We... MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. Last night, I threw that ball high and it could have been big, it could have been a run because the ... ERIC BRUNTLETT Obviously, virtual reality is where I've placed my bet about the future and where the excitement... JOHN CARMACK I have so many miles and I've been flying for so long that every time I fly, it's first clas... LUPE FIASCO There have been multitudes of times in my career where I could have taken an easier road or a more c... CHRIS ROBINSON Nothing surprises me on 'Happy Endings,' because the show - I think one of the awesome thing... ADAM PALLY I have somebody I admire and want to keep at a distance. I've had the opportunity to meet her a ... TIG NOTARO Since I got to this country when I was 12, I've been obsessed with this idea of whiteness and bl... JOSE ANTONIO VARGAS If you're a woman and a guy's ever said anything romantic to you, he just left off the secon... LOUIS C. K. I have the best husband a wife could possibly have. He's the best father my children could have. VERA FARMIGA On balance, my life has been a constant stream of blessings rather than disappointments and failures... JIMMY CARTER I am depressed sometimes, but it's not what keeps me at home or focused on work. DARON MALAKIAN I wrote a book on grace, and grace is a free gift, but to receive the gift you have to have your han... PHILIP YANCEY There is no such thing as going on to something bigger and better than 'M*A*S*H' because the... GARY BURGHOFF I had gone away from Twitter because before people had been so mean to me. Talking about my lisp and... SARAH PAULSON I'm a yarnaholic. That means I have more yarn stashed away than any one person could possibly us... DEBBIE MACOMBER I have had breast implants, but it's so funny 'cause it's not a secret; I could care les... KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN I think there's a part of us that fantasizes about having some sort of super power. If I could h... CELINA JADE I hope it doesn't creep into anything. We just have to remain focused now that we're the only team i... ERLANA LARKINS Every minute you spend looking through clutter, wondering where you put this or that, being unable t... JEAN CHATZKY If I could eat whatever I wanted every day, I would have Domino's pizza with pasta carbonara ins... ROBERT DOWNEY, JR. That's the thing about zombies. They don't adapt and they don't think. Literally, you co... MAX BROOKS I was very much focused on something we could do that would help the elderly, because muscle weaknes... LEE SWEENEY I have no time for those who say there is no way Scotland could go it alone. I know first-hand the c... DAVID CAMERON Had Rumsfeld said at any time 'get me a report on what's going on', he could have had it... PETER SINGER When you're doing exactly what you want to do, it's not tiring. You've been planting the... COLMAN DOMINGO In hindsight, should we have focused on that? Yeah, we probably should have focused on it, ... Were ... MIKE DUNN
More Michelle Obama
Elections aren't just about who votes but who doesn't vote. MICHELLE OBAMA Our greatness has always come from people who expect nothing and take nothing for granted - folks wh... MICHELLE OBAMA Do not be afraid to ask for help. Nobody gets through college on their own. MICHELLE OBAMA You don't have to be somebody different to be important. You're important in your own right. MICHELLE OBAMA Success is only meaningful and enjoyable if it feels like your own. MICHELLE OBAMA Remember, it is not about voting for the perfect candidate - there is no such thing. Presidents are ... MICHELLE OBAMA We believe that every single child has boundless promise, no matter who they are, where they come fr... MICHELLE OBAMA And I come here as a daughter, raised on the South Side of Chicago - by a father who was a blue-coll... MICHELLE OBAMA We have this window of opportunity; we have a chance to make something real happen. Something possib... MICHELLE OBAMA Like so many American families, our families weren't asking for much. They didn't begrudge a... MICHELLE OBAMA I have never felt more confident in myself, more clear on who I am as a woman. But I am constantly t... MICHELLE OBAMA You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world... MICHELLE OBAMA We learned about honesty and integrity - that the truth matters... that you don't take shortcuts... MICHELLE OBAMA You have to stay in school. You have to. You have to go to college. You have to get your degree. Bec... MICHELLE OBAMA I am an example of what is possible when girls from the very beginning of their lives are loved and ... MICHELLE OBAMA Let's be very clear: Strong men - men who are truly role models - don't need to put down wom... MICHELLE OBAMA I worked with Congress on legislation, gave speeches to CEOs, military generals and Hollywood execut... MICHELLE OBAMA We learned about gratitude and humility - that so many people had a hand in our success, from the te... MICHELLE OBAMA If proud Americans can be who they are and boldly stand at the altar with who they love then surely,... MICHELLE OBAMA What I tell my kids is, 'I'm preparing you for college and for life. So, having independence... MICHELLE OBAMA I have learned that as long as I hold fast to my beliefs and values - and follow my own moral compas... MICHELLE OBAMA There are still many causes worth sacrificing for, so much history yet to be made. MICHELLE OBAMA What I admire most about Hillary is that she never buckles under pressure. She never takes the easy ... MICHELLE OBAMA What I admire most about Hillary is that she never buckles under pressure. She never takes the easy ... MICHELLE OBAMA We are a nation founded as a rebuke to tyranny. A nation of revolutionaries who refused sovereign re... MICHELLE OBAMA We need someone with superb judgement in their own right because, yes, a president can hire the best... MICHELLE OBAMA The one way to get me to work my hardest was to doubt me. MICHELLE OBAMA Although the circumstances of our lives may seem very disengaged, with me standing here as the First... MICHELLE OBAMA Just try new things. Don't be afraid. Step out of your comfort zones and soar, all right? MICHELLE OBAMA Exercise is really important to me - it's therapeutic. So if I'm ever feeling tense or stres... MICHELLE OBAMA We learned about dignity and decency - that how hard you work matters more than how much you make...... MICHELLE OBAMA Choose people who lift you up. MICHELLE OBAMA Right now, when we're hearing so much disturbing and hateful rhetoric, it is so important to rem... MICHELLE OBAMA As we've seen time and again, women and girls who are out there working, they are truly force mu... MICHELLE OBAMA If my future were determined just by my performance on a standardized test, I wouldn't be here. ... MICHELLE OBAMA Public education is our greatest pathway to opportunity in America. So we need to invest in and stre... MICHELLE OBAMA Through my education, I didn't just develop skills, I didn't just develop the ability to lea... MICHELLE OBAMA Throughout my 20s and early 30s, I had jobs that I loved. I worked in city government. I ran a youth... MICHELLE OBAMA After an era of everything being super-sized, who would have thought that major companies would be r... MICHELLE OBAMA I want a president with a record of public service, someone whose life's work shows our children... MICHELLE OBAMA Not being afraid to be wrong - I had to learn how to do that. MICHELLE OBAMA Being president isn't anything like reality TV. It's not about sending insulting tweets or m... MICHELLE OBAMA My experiences at Princeton have made me far more aware of my 'blackness' than ever before. ... MICHELLE OBAMA It's like, remember who you always were, where you came from, who your parents were, how they ra... MICHELLE OBAMA For me, education has never been simply a policy issue - it's personal. Neither of my parents an... MICHELLE OBAMA One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebo... MICHELLE OBAMA As a mom, I know it is my responsibility, and no one else's, to raise my kids. But we have to as... MICHELLE OBAMA I say this everywhere I go: I admire and respect Hillary. She has been a lawyer, a law professor, Fi... MICHELLE OBAMA We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own 'to do' list. MICHELLE OBAMA Women in particular need to keep an eye on their physical and mental health, because if we're sc... MICHELLE OBAMA I wish every American had an opportunity to sit down, to go to a base, to meet with families, to mee... MICHELLE OBAMA Talent and effort, combined with our various backgrounds and life experiences, has always been the l... MICHELLE OBAMA See, that's why Barack's running: to end the war in Iraq responsibly - to build an economy t... MICHELLE OBAMA And Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values, like you work hard for what you want i... MICHELLE OBAMA Hillary doesn't play. She has more experience and exposure to the presidency than any candidate ... MICHELLE OBAMA Barack knows the American Dream because he's lived it, and he wants everyone in this country to ... MICHELLE OBAMA I have a very eclectic iPod. So I've got my cardio people - so it's anything from Beyonce to... MICHELLE OBAMA I never cut class. I loved getting A's, I liked being smart. I liked being on time. I thought be... MICHELLE OBAMA When a father puts in long hours at work, he's praised for being dedicated and ambitious. But wh... MICHELLE OBAMA When I get up and work out, I'm working out just as much for my girls as I am for me, because I ... MICHELLE OBAMA I have seen how leaders rule by intimidation. Leaders who demonize and dehumanize entire groups of p... MICHELLE OBAMA Clearly this is a tough economic time, and a lot of families are hurting. So when we talk to parents... MICHELLE OBAMA America is just downright mean. MICHELLE OBAMA I'm not asking any of you to make drastic changes to every single one of your recipes or to tota... MICHELLE OBAMA We're all bombarded with so many dietary messages that it's hard to find time to sort throug... MICHELLE OBAMA I like to talk about my obsession with french fries because I don't want people to think that ... MICHELLE OBAMA Sometimes, it's just easier to say yes to that extra snack or dessert, because frankly, it is ex... MICHELLE OBAMA I can't play soccer, and I'm not a great swimmer. I won't drown, but you won't see m... MICHELLE OBAMA You should never view your challenges as a disadvantage. Instead, it's important for you to unde... MICHELLE OBAMA Our love, our gratitude, our admiration for our men and women in uniform, our veterans and their fam... MICHELLE OBAMA For the record, our democracy is revered around the world. And free elections are the best way on Ea... MICHELLE OBAMA And I love that even in the toughest moments, when we're all sweating it - when we're worrie... MICHELLE OBAMA It wasn't so long ago that I was a working mom myself. And I know that sometimes, much as we all... MICHELLE OBAMA There were the questions of what kind of First Lady I would be, what issues would I focus on. Those ... MICHELLE OBAMA I view myself as being the average woman. While I am first lady, I wasn't first lady my whole li... MICHELLE OBAMA I've seen firsthand that being president doesn't change who you are. It reveals who you are. MICHELLE OBAMA The issues a president faces are not black and white, and cannot be boiled down into 140 characters.... MICHELLE OBAMA I'm a fry lover. MICHELLE OBAMA I can't say this enough - the food that you put into your bodies can actually help you get bette... MICHELLE OBAMA The problem is when that fun stuff becomes the habit. And I think that's what's happened in ... MICHELLE OBAMA The realities are that, you know, as a black man, you know, Barack can get shot going to the gas sta... MICHELLE OBAMA Fortunately, we have help from the media. I have to say this: I'm very grateful for the support ... MICHELLE OBAMA Whether you come from a council estate or a country estate, your success will be determined by your ... MICHELLE OBAMA I want a president who will teach our children that everyone in this country matters, a president wh... MICHELLE OBAMA This healthy eating stuff, it's here to stay, and we now have everything we need to seize the op... MICHELLE OBAMA While I believed deeply in my husband's vision for this country... and I was certain he would ma... MICHELLE OBAMA I hate fund-raising. Haaaaate it. Hate, hate it. MICHELLE OBAMA My kids are normal. If they could eat burgers and fries and ice cream every day, they would. And so ... MICHELLE OBAMA With every word we utter, with every action we take, we know our kids are watching us. We as parents... MICHELLE OBAMA Whether we're Democrats, Republicans, or independents - it does not matter. We all understand th... MICHELLE OBAMA Here in America, we don't let our differences tear us apart. Not here. Because we know that our ... MICHELLE OBAMA Another suggestion is to cook a meal, maybe not every night, but a couple more times a week than you... MICHELLE OBAMA Oh, I can't play soccer, and I'm not a great swimmer. I won't drown, but you won't s... MICHELLE OBAMA We need an adult in the White House. When making life-or-death, war-or-peace decisions, a president ... MICHELLE OBAMA Don't judge. I used to buy underwear because I didn't do my laundry. MICHELLE OBAMA We as women, we have to understand that we know more, just even instinctively, than we think we do. MICHELLE OBAMA What we know is that when girls don't go to school, they earn lower salaries. They get married e... MICHELLE OBAMA One of the things I realized is that if you do not take control over your time and your life, other ... MICHELLE OBAMA All of us are mentors. You're mentors right here and now. And one of the things I've always ... MICHELLE OBAMA At the end of the day, when it comes time to make that decision, as president, all you have to guide... MICHELLE OBAMA Meryl Streep is exactly as awesome as you would imagine Meryl Streep to be. MICHELLE OBAMA You can't make decisions based on fear and the possibility of what might happen. MICHELLE OBAMA I come here tonight as a sister, blessed with a brother who is my mentor, my protector and my lifelo... MICHELLE OBAMA I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves, and I watch my daughters - two beautifu... MICHELLE OBAMA I always tell young girls, surround yourself with goodness. I learned early on how to get the haters... MICHELLE OBAMA I think I'm pretty smart. I think I'm pretty clever. But there's a lot that you hone in ... MICHELLE OBAMA A candidate is not going to suddenly change once they get into office. Just the opposite, in fact. B... MICHELLE OBAMA Our veterans who fall on hard times and find themselves without a home deserve more than just handwr... MICHELLE OBAMA My mother's love has always been a sustaining force for our family, and one of my greatest joys ... MICHELLE OBAMA We can make a commitment to promote vegetables and fruits and whole grains on every part of every me... MICHELLE OBAMA When it comes to the health of our families, Barack refused to listen to all those folks who told hi... MICHELLE OBAMA You've got to vote, vote, vote, vote. That's it; that's the way we move forward. That... MICHELLE OBAMA Remember a few years ago when Congress declared that the sauce on a slice of pizza should count as a... MICHELLE OBAMA We simply do not allow space in our hearts, minds, or souls for darkness. Instead, we choose f... MICHELLE OBAMA When it comes to the qualifications that we should demand of our president, to start with, we need s... MICHELLE OBAMA You don't have to be a renowned artist like Q-Tip to try your hand at poetry. You don't need... MICHELLE OBAMA Every day, the people I meet inspire me... every day, they make me proud... every day they remind me... MICHELLE OBAMA I've seen how the issues that come across a president's desk are always the hard ones - the ... MICHELLE OBAMA The fact is, with every friendship you make, and every bond of trust you establish, you are shaping ... MICHELLE OBAMA People change because of kids. They change how they eat. They change the way they think. They change... MICHELLE OBAMA When it comes to social media, there are just times I turn off the world, you know. There are just s... MICHELLE OBAMA It was clear to me that if I could get through Princeton at the top of my class, I could do anything... MICHELLE OBAMA My husband will tell you one of the most frequent questions he gets from world leaders is, 'How&... MICHELLE OBAMA One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebo... MICHELLE OBAMA I tried to be a serious student and not procrastinate, but I was still somebody that would be descri... MICHELLE OBAMA I've said this time and again: My greatest concern coming into the White House was making sure m... MICHELLE OBAMA Our life before moving to Washington was filled with simple joys... Saturdays at soccer games, Sunda... MICHELLE OBAMA Empower yourselves with a good education, then get out there and use that education to build a count... MICHELLE OBAMA He’s always asking: ‘Is that new? I haven’t seen that before.’ It’s like, Why don’t you ... MICHELLE OBAMA The Internet didn't get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that al... BARACK OBAMA I am the commander in chief of the United States armed forces, and Iraq is gonna have to ultimately ... BARACK OBAMA We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times... BARACK OBAMA Those who oppose reform will also tell you that under our plan, you won't get to choose your doc... BARACK OBAMA If the critics are right that I've made all my decisions based on polls, then I must not be very... BARACK OBAMA But what we can do, as flawed as we are, is still see God in other people, and do our best to help t... BARACK OBAMA All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the re... BARACK OBAMA We're not a fragile people. We're not a frightful people. Our power doesn't come from so... BARACK OBAMA I'm no longer just a candidate. I'm the President. I know what it means to send young Americ... BARACK OBAMA There is probably a perverse pride in my administration... that we were going to do the right thing,... BARACK OBAMA One of the great strengths of the United States is... we have a very large Christian population - we... BARACK OBAMA America is the student who defies the odds to become the first in a family to go to college - the ci... BARACK OBAMA Americans... still believe in an America where anything's possible - they just don't think t... BARACK OBAMA Here at this site, Solyndra expects to make enough solar panels each year to generate 500 megawatts ... BARACK OBAMA What do you think a stimulus is? It's spending - that's the whole point! Seriously. BARACK OBAMA In too many communities, too many young men of color are left behind and seen only as objects of fea... BARACK OBAMA We all remember Abraham Lincoln as the leader who saved our Union. Founder of the Republican Party. BARACK OBAMA We have now just enshrined, as soon as I sign this bill, the core principle that everybody should ha... BARACK OBAMA America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share... BARACK OBAMA In the absence of sound oversight, responsible businesses are forced to compete against unscrupulous... BARACK OBAMA I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the United States to fight against negative ... BARACK OBAMA It's not enough to train today's workforce. We also have to prepare tomorrow's workforce... BARACK OBAMA That is America. That is America. Those bonds of affection; that common creed. We don't fear the... BARACK OBAMA No other country in the world does what we do. On every issue, the world turns to us, not simply bec... BARACK OBAMA Where the stakes are the highest, in the war on terror, we cannot possibly succeed without extraordi... BARACK OBAMA Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little o... BARACK OBAMA Even when folks are hitting you over the head, you can't stop marching. Even when they're tu... BARACK OBAMA And so our goal on health care is, if we can get, instead of health care costs going up 6 percent a ... BARACK OBAMA A lot has happened over the years. And while this nation has been tested by war, and it's been t... BARACK OBAMA As a nuclear power - as the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon - the United States has... BARACK OBAMA There are millions of Americans outside Washington who are tired of stale political arguments and ar... BARACK OBAMA Issues are never simple. One thing I'm proud of is that very rarely will you hear me simplify th... BARACK OBAMA Food Stamp recipients didn't cause the financial crisis; recklessness on Wall Street did. BARACK OBAMA I just want to go through Central Park and watch folks passing by. Spend the whole day watching peop... BARACK OBAMA The shift to a cleaner energy economy wont happen overnight, and it will require tough choices along... BARACK OBAMA The immigration issue is, I recognize, one that generates a lot of passion, but it does not make sen... BARACK OBAMA My fellow Americans, we are and always will be a nation of immigrants. We were strangers once, too. BARACK OBAMA What I believe unites the people of this nation, regardless of race or region or party, young or old... BARACK OBAMA This is the moment when we must come together to save this planet. Let us resolve that we will not l... BARACK OBAMA I will never turn Medicare into a voucher. No American should ever have to spend their golden years ... BARACK OBAMA Why can't I just eat my waffle? BARACK OBAMA We want everybody to act like adults, quit playing games, realize that it's not just my way or t... BARACK OBAMA What Washington needs is adult supervision. BARACK OBAMA That's the good thing about being president, I can do whatever I want. BARACK OBAMA Of course, there is no question that Libya - and the world - will be better off with Gaddafi out of ... BARACK OBAMA I found this national debt, doubled, wrapped in a big bow waiting for me as I stepped into the Oval ... BARACK OBAMA I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptiona... BARACK OBAMA Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost; a w... BARACK OBAMA To all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are... BARACK OBAMA To those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hea... BARACK OBAMA Of course, violence will not end with our combat mission. Extremists will continue to set off bombs,... BARACK OBAMA I think when you spread the wealth around it's good for everybody. BARACK OBAMA The worst thing that colonialism did was to cloud our view of our past. BARACK OBAMA My task over the last two years hasn't just been to stop the bleeding. My task has also been to ... BARACK OBAMA America, this is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page of the policies of the past... BARACK OBAMA Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been... BARACK OBAMA A change is brought about because ordinary people do extraordinary things. BARACK OBAMA Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the... BARACK OBAMA In the face of impossible odds, people who love this country can change it. BARACK OBAMA The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to hap... BARACK OBAMA If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible;... BARACK OBAMA America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate... BARACK OBAMA In my heart I know you didn BARACK OBAMA I stand here today as hopeful as ever that the United States of America will endure, that it will pr... BARACK OBAMA It may make your blood boil and your mind may not be changed, but the practice of listening to oppos... BARACK OBAMA When our government is spoken of as some menacing, threatening, foreign entity, it ignores the fact ... BARACK OBAMA What we should be asking is not whether we need a big government or small government, but how we can... BARACK OBAMA You can question somebody's views and their judgment without questioning their motives or patriotism... BARACK OBAMA Politics has never been for the thin-skinned or the faint of heart, and if you enter the arena , you... BARACK OBAMA If we choose only to expose ourselves to opinions and viewpoints that are in line to our own, we bec... BARACK OBAMA Before we get too depressed about the state of our politics, let's remember our history. The great d... BARACK OBAMA