Best Dad Candidate: Obama’s Best Daddy Quotes

As Father’s Day approaches, we have some sweet and smart President Barack Obama’s quotes on fatherhood. Being the man he is doesn’t stop him from executing his fatherly duties. Let’s take a look.

In 2009, he told Parade what it means to be a good father:

“As fathers, we need to be involved in our children’s lives not just when it’s convenient or easy, and not just when they’re doing well — but when it’s difficult and thankless, and they’re struggling. That is when they need us most.”

In The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, President shared:

“I’m inspired by the love people have for their children. And I’m inspired by my own children, how full they make my heart. They make me want to work to make the world a little bit better. And they make me want to be a better man.”

During his interview on The View, he told a story from his 50th birthday party:

“Malia and Sasha and a bunch of my friends and Michelle had sort of like a roast, a little private roast; each one of them read something and Malia and Sasha had written out why I am such a wonderful dad. And they had this list, it was so sweet, and one of the items on Malia’s list was, ‘You are just the right amount of embarrassing.‘”

In 2012, he responded to a reporter who said that “soon the boys will come” for his Malia:

“Oh, well that’s why we have Secret Service. She’s getting older. It makes me tear up just thinking about it.”

In Obama’s 2011 Father’s Day speech, he explained:

“In the end, that’s what being a parent is all about — those precious moments with our children that fill us with pride and excitement for their future, the chances we have to set an example or offer a piece of advice, the opportunities to just be there and show them that we love them.”

In Obama’s remarks on No Child Left Behind, he talked about responsibility:

“Malia and Sasha would often rather be watching American Idol or SpongeBob, but Michelle and I know that our first job, our first responsibility, is instilling a sense of learning, a sense of a love of learning in our kids. And so there are no shortcuts there; we have to do that job. And we can’t just blame teachers and schools if we’re not instilling that commitment, that dedication to learning, in our kids.”

Here, Obama talks about his dream car for his daughter:

“As some of you may know, it’s only a matter of time until Malia gets her learner’s permit. So I’m hoping to see one of those models that gets a top speed of 15 miles an hour, the ejector seat anytime boys are in the car.”

When Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009, he shared:

“After I received the news, Malia walked in and said, ‘Daddy, you won the Nobel Peace Prize, and it is Bo’s birthday!’ And then Sasha added, ‘Plus, we have a three-day weekend coming up.’ So it’s good to have kids to keep things in perspective.”

When Robin Roberts interviewed him, he talked about how his daughters influenced his pro-gay stance:

“You know, Malia and Sasha, they have friends whose parents are same-sex couples. There have been times where Michelle and I have been sitting around the dinner table and we’re talking about their friends and their parents, and Malia and Sasha, it wouldn’t dawn on them that somehow their friends’ parents would be treated differently. It doesn’t make sense to them and frankly, that’s the kind of thing that prompts a change in perspective.”

In his 2008 Father’s Day speech, Obama stated what makes a good father:

“What I’ve realized is that life doesn’t count for much unless you’re willing to do your small part to leave our children — all of our children — a better world. Any fool can have a child. That doesn’t make you a father. It’s the courage to raise a child that makes you a father.”

In 2008, Obama talked to Ladies Home Journal about childhood with an absentee father figure:

“As somebody who didn’t grow up with a father in the home, I like having men come up to me saying, ‘You know, I’m really glad you’re a good father.’ I like that maybe some little boy somewhere who doesn’t have a dad in his house sees Michelle and the girls and me out somewhere and is going to carry that image in his head with him somewhere down the road.”

In Obama’s 2011 Father’s Day speech, he explained what kids need:

“Our kids are pretty smart. They understand that life won’t always be perfect, that sometimes, the road gets rough, that even great parents don’t get everything right. But more than anything, they just want us to be a part of their lives.”

For Obama’s 2011 Father’s Day speech, he said that love is everything:

“Above all, children need our unconditional love — whether they succeed or make mistakes; when life is easy and when life is tough.”

On Father’s Day 2012, President Obama detailed his fatherly duty:

“Every father bears a fundamental obligation to do right by their children.”

In Obama’s 2012 Father’s Day speech, he shared insights into a father’s role:

“For many of us, our fathers show us by the example they set the kind of people they want us to become. Whether biological, foster, or adoptive, they teach us through the encouragement they give, the questions they answer, the limits they set, and the strength they show in the face of difficulty and hardship.”

During Barack Obama’s 2012 acceptance speech, he sent a message to his daughters:

“Sasha and Malia, before our very eyes you’re growing up to become two strong, smart, beautiful young women, just like your mom. And I’m so proud of you guys.”