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President Obama to CBS: The Biggest Mistake of My First Term Was Not Explaining How Good My Policies Are

Jul. 12, 2012 6:28pm Jason Howerton

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama sat down Thursday for an exclusive interview with "CBS This Morning" host Charlie Rose. (Credit: CBS News)

In an exclusive interview with “CBS This Morning” host Charlie Rose set to air Sunday morning, President Barack Obama, accompanied by the First Lady, opened up and revealed what he considers to be the biggest mistake of his first term.

No, it has nothing to do with his policies, those were good, he explained.

Instead, Obama told CBS News he needs to do a better job “explaining” where his policies will take the country during his second term — having good policy just isn’t enough.

He would also like to do a better job of “inspiring” the American people in the next go round.

“The mistake of my first term – couple of years – was thinking that this job was just about getting the policy right. And that’s important. But the nature of this office is also to tell a story to the American people that gives them a sense of unity and purpose and optimism, especially during tough times.”

He continued, “It’s funny – when I ran, everybody said, well he can give a good speech but can he actually manage the job?” said Obama. “And in my first two years, I think the notion was, ‘well, you know, he’s been juggling and managing a lot of stuff, but where’s the story that tells us where he’s going?’ And I think that was a legitimate criticism.”

Of the all criticisms hurled at President Obama, him not being a good enough “story” teller is not one that frequently tops the list.

“So getting out of this town – spending more time with the American people – listening to them and also and being in a conversation with them about where do we go together as a country,” Obama added. “I need to do a better job of that in my second term.”

“A better job of explaining,” asked Rose.

“Explaining but also inspiring,” Obama replied.

“Because hope is still there,” the First Lady added.

So there you have it. Obama, should he be elected to a second term, will try to sell his polices better to you, the voter, and make a conscious effort to be more “inspiring” — the campaign ad practically writes itself.

UPDATE: Mitt Romney released the following statement in response to Obama’s CBS interview:

“President Obama believes that millions of Americans have lost their homes, their jobs and their livelihood because he failed to tell a good story. Being president is not about telling stories. Being president is about leading, and President Obama has failed to lead. No wonder Americans are losing faith in his presidency.”

Watch a preview of the exclusive interview with President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama via CBS here:

This story has been updated with additional information.

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Comments (194)

kenboo1
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:52pm
I think we have heard enough stories and other lies from this narcissist. Time to get down with the truth and what these people want: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrA9zj94NuU

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- Gold Coin & Economic News
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 7:19pm
  He didn’t explain his policies good enough. Man, this guy is living in an alternate universe. We know how bad his policies are as is evidenced by the cancer that is his healthcare plan. It is actually no plan at all, it is a blight:
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mEUjXTpzZ8
  
  Report this comment
- Gold Coin & Economic News
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 7:22pm
  @kenboo1
  Dude, that is a classic video! Nailed!!!
  
  Report this comment
- Baddoggy
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 7:25pm
  TRANSLATION…I lied big….not big enough.
  
  Report this comment
- Live_Free_orDie
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 7:28pm
  If Maobama accomplished one thing, it will be surpassing Carter and going down as the worst President to date. Experiment ends Nov 6…Thank God!
  
  Report this comment
- GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 7:41pm
  @Baddogy,
  
  Nice translation!
  
  Report this comment
- brother_ed
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 7:45pm
  I think the mistake was ours…we didn’t (or weren’t allowed to) ask what ‘fundamental transformation’ meant.
  
  Some were trying to warn us before it happened – we didn’t listen.
  
  Thanks to Glenn and others we are now awake!
  
  Report this comment
- ambrosia
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 8:35pm
  Somebody plug his big, obnoxious piehole.
  
  If we want stories, we’ll trot off to the library or bookstore, Bucko !
  How’s this for a story-
  after November 7th……we’ll all live happily forever……..WITHOUT you in power.
  
  In the meantime, seek help for your tax addiction & start packing !
  
  Report this comment
- SpankDaMonkey
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 8:35pm
  .
  Obama THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY FIRST TERM was not attending more KKK & Skinhead Rallies…..
  
  Report this comment
- DoGooder
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 8:51pm
  We can’t forget how dangerously close Obama has brought us to losing this great country. As soon as he is out of office, he and holder and all the rest MUST be tried in court for their treasonous act, and if convicted, they should be locked up for the rest of their miserable lives.
  
  Report this comment
- RossPoldark
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 9:43pm
  To think, he started out as a Diva tot in toddlers in Tiaras, where he was caught saying at a tender age ” The truth is, I am beautiful and all that!”
  
  Report this comment
- MCDAVE
  Posted on July 13, 2012 at 12:13am
  We understand his policies just fine….We don’t want his communism
  
  Report this comment
- lukerw
  Posted on July 13, 2012 at 1:34am
  Actually, a Sociopath… with Egotistical & Naracissitic attributes!
  
  Report this comment
- wdittgasn
  Posted on July 13, 2012 at 3:44am
  Obama woke up one day and was white from his eyeballs up to the top of his head….. He went to the doctor and the doctor said I know just what you need, and wrote him a prescription….. Bammy drank it before he went to sleep, and when he woke up the next morning he was normal, himself again, brown all over….. He went to the doctor to thank him and said to him ” look the stuff worked great, but it sure tasted like s**t, and the doctor said ” yeah I know, you were a quart low”.
  
  Report this comment
- hifi74
  Posted on July 13, 2012 at 6:53am
  That man is nothing more then a narcissistic pig!
  
  Report this comment
- chalkdust
  Posted on July 13, 2012 at 7:00am
  I have to mute the radio when they play Obama speech excerpts. I don’t own a television and I can’t watch the video inside stories like this. I can barely take the synopsis. I just can’t take the non-stop lies and misrepresentations. His vision of America could not be any further from mine and I suspect many of you feel the same.
  
  When he is gone I do not want to ever hear his name. I do NOT want to play the blame game because we would have to mention his name to do that. No one is going to be prosecuted so its best just to let it go. If we can just get him out of office we can move forward. I hope. I would like to see a landslide so the progressives dare not speak his name. I want intense pressure on Romney from day 1. I want to see the senate return to republican control and immediately repeal OBAMACARE! I mean on January 20th. Then I want 1 year to go by before debate begins on it’s replacement. I demand that this bill be no longer than 10 pages. We make small changes and see how that works then add or eliminate. It’s stupid to think that a giant bill would actually fix all the problems in healthcare. But that was never the goal.
  
  A LANDSLIDE! AN ABSOLUTE EARTH MOVING LANDSLIDE!
  
  Report this comment
- @leftfighter
  Posted on July 13, 2012 at 10:07am
  Here we go again:
  
  “The America people are just too stupid to understand what’s god for them and the fact that I didn’t explain how great I am is hurting me.”
  
  He’s used this line before. It’s been about 2 years, but he has.
  
  Report this comment
lketchum
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:50pm
Ok. That’s it. I have died and ended up in the bad place – otherwise there is no explaining the upside-down-opposite-world I seem to be in.

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- Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 7:16pm
  I have to agree with you; Obamas mental instability and his growing narcissism expand on a daily basis. He is completely delusional now, and soon I imagine will snap completely.
  
  Report this comment
- Coded-Dude
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 7:26pm
  I wonder how many times has he said “Let me be clear” in his first term? I guess even though he uttered the importance of his message over and over and over and over……he still wasn’t clear enough.
  
  Report this comment
- The-Monk
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 7:32pm
  Translation;
  I couldn’t tell the truth about where I was taking this Country during my first term so I had to make up stories.
  Prediction;
  If reelected, Michele will come out and tell us the truth and Obama will concur when asked about it. She did say, “Because hope is still there”. Her hope is to let the World know that socialism rules the World and they both are now in charge.
  
  Report this comment
- Therightsofbilly
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 7:35pm
  Baaaaarrrrrry,
  
  You got some “splainin” toooo dooooo..
  
  Report this comment
- The-Monk
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 7:48pm
  Forgot to add this;
  Obama is looking down and to the right for most of the video which means he’s trying to remember that feeling during during the 2008 election where he could just lie to people (now people are actually questioning him). Also, Michele is on his right and his lowered eyes in her direction are a signal that he kowtows to her.
  
  http://www.bodylanguagesignals.com/Eyes2.html
  
  Report this comment
- The-Monk
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 7:52pm
  Hi Billy,
  
  Here’s some of the subliminal “splainin”….. I just posted it.
  
  Report this comment
- Therightsofbilly
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 8:18pm
  Hi MONK,
  
  Thanks for posting that.
  
  Very interesting. I never thought about looking that up.
  
  I’m going to spend some time on that site.
  
  Could come in handy.
  
  Report this comment
- The-Monk
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 8:35pm
  Hi Billy,
  
  Been studying stuff like that for years (Monk training). Now you know why I noticed the change you made so quickly. : )
  
  Here’s a really good movie to watch. It deciphers the body language of US Presidents.
  
  http://shop.history.com/secrets-of-body-language-dvd/detail.php?p=73929
  
  Report this comment
- Therightsofbilly
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 8:46pm
  Hi MONK,
  
  That’s funny……..that’s the first thing that popped in to my mind when I read the linked page.
  
  Do you remember if my eyes were up and right, or left?
  
  I honestly can’t remember for sure. All I remember was trying to look wistful, and meditative.
  
  Thanks again.
  
  Report this comment
- The-Monk
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 8:53pm
  Hi Billy,
  
  Upper right…..
  
  Report this comment
- The-Monk
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 8:57pm
  Wow the moderators blocked this. I’ll try again….
  
  The release date of the movie was January 20, 2009 and guess which Presidential candidate is in it?
  
  Report this comment
- Therightsofbilly
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 11:20pm
  Hi MONK,
  
  Just found it at Amazon for $16.00 and free shipping if I bump my order up to $25.00.
  
  Gonna go find a book or something and go for it.
  
  Talk to you soon.
  
  Report this comment
PeachyinGA
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:50pm
The man is truly clueless if he believes that. He was on tv every solid day in the first part of his term!

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- DIR
  Posted on July 13, 2012 at 10:51am
  Someone, on another thread, put a funny perspective to Barry’s comments when they said: “Barry is going down faster than Oprah on a baked ham.” Now that’s fast. It may be faster than a speeding bullet. Sadly, it’s still not fast enough for me.
  
  Report this comment
Patriot of My America
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:50pm
Oh yes I want to hear more stories from Barrack, I can never get enough Fiction I love Fiction. Fiction is my entire day, I need and want more Fiction. I love Fiction. Look at all the people just lining up to over fill his rallies and look at all the people with jobs that love his fiction. He is a wonderful orator of fiction.
This is the most fictitious president ever. Wow I love fiction.. And he has more fiction. I can not wait as I need more from the most famous most renowned fictitious president that ever LIED to America. Send him to the book club of the month. But get him out of the House. We need not more fiction…

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- barber2
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 7:04pm
  Agree. Nothing like his fiction : Our Composite President .
  
  Report this comment
momprayn
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:46pm
No – you can’t improve on the hugely successful LYING you did then — beyond mind boggling. But alas, despite your great talent for that, too many of us did our homework and found the truth. And that’s what gives us some “hope” – hope to bring real change in who occupies the White House, Senate, House in 2013. I guess you crazed, arrogant Commie people underestimate American patriots.

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TxGold
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:46pm
The majority of American people got his msg loud and clear. That’s why we want to vote him out in Nov.!

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- MAMMY_NUNN
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:50pm
  I concur.
  
  Report this comment
- RepubliCorp
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 7:52pm
  I am waiting for a lightning bolt to hit him right in the mouth……….
  
  Report this comment
Larry E
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:45pm
Oh, yeah, and the biggest mistake I’ve made in my 71 years of existence was failing to tell everyone how totally and absolutely great I truly am. Or maybe I didn’t because I didn’t want everyone I knew laughing themselves sick.

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- The_Hut_In_Co
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:51pm
  His biggest mistake in his first term was his first term!!!
  
  Report this comment
Silversmith
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:45pm
I see, we don’t understand, but that’s not our fault, it’s yours – how magnanimous. Well the truth is …. We do understand – and it’s STILL your fault!

Every pitch this guy makes sounds like a carpet ******.

Silversmith

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KickinBack
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:42pm
And tomorrow Joke Biden will be telling the media..”Yeah, I fed him that one…”

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sbenard
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:41pm
The Cockamamie Caliph

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Couyon64
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:40pm
Freaking idiot. Your policies are your biggest mistake.

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sbenard
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:40pm
Chief Cockalorum!

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randy
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:39pm
You’re 1st and only term was a failure!!!

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- PeachyinGA
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:56pm
  I’ve heard his minions in the new this week referring to “Obama’s First Term”. It is almost like if they say it enough, people will be hypnotized into voting for the Second Term since there must already be one.
  
  Report this comment
INFIDEL
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:39pm
He caught himself saying “first term” and corrected himself – to say “first couple years”. He knows in his heart that there will be no second term. About time he admitted it with that slip of the tongue.

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sbenard
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:39pm
The Pretender in Chief

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krmike
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:38pm
Biggest mistake of this *******’s first term is that he got elected in the first place !!!!

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sbenard
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:38pm
His Dastardly Disingenuousness!

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- Shasta
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:45pm
  No, he means it. He thinks if we all were smarter we would understand just how great he is.
  
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rickroland
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:37pm
No, the biggest mistake of, Obama’s only term, was just that — Obama serving even one term as President. Had even 1/3rd of the voters done *any* research on this clown, and information on what a two-faced lying sack he had been, he wouldn’t have won the election.

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sbenard
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:37pm
His Misguided Miscreance!

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gbfreak
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:37pm
Narcissistic FREAK!

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Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:36pm
Me mistake…errrrrrrrrrr….was not forcing…errrrrrrrrrrrr….convincing Americans at how Socialistic..errrrrrrrrrrrrrr……Progressive My policies were and how much it would cost….errrrrrrrrrr…enhance their lives. Let me be clear…errrrrrrrrr…..My Policiessssssss……will transform Amerika into the Progressssssive visssion I want for Amerika. Now, about that pessssky Sssssecond amendment…….Well that can wait until my ssssecond term.

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- The_Hut_In_Co
  Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:53pm
  Darmok, that pretty much says(covers) it all!
  
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sbenard
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:36pm
President Pretentious!

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cookcountypatriot
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:36pm
lol this guy is a joke….no, we totally understand what your policys are and where your coming from….november we will let you know what we think……

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phrogdriver
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:34pm
BWAAAAHAAAHAAAAAHAAAAHAAAAHAAAAA!!!!!!

Oh. My. God.

He is SUCH a tool.

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sbenard
Posted on July 12, 2012 at 6:33pm
President Pompous!

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