QuoteProject
The president of the United States is not a king. You know? Barack Obama was elected by the American people.
Ta-Nehisi Coates
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote emphasizes the democratic principles of elected leadership and the separation of power.

Ta-Nehisi Coates' quote serves as a reminder that the president, despite holding significant authority, is ultimately accountable to the citizens who elect them. This highlights the importance of democratic processes and the idea that leadership should be rooted in the will of the people rather than in autocratic power.

Themes

DemocracyLeadershipAccountabilityElectionPeople

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about the role of the president, you can quote this to emphasize accountability.

More from Ta-Nehisi Coates

There's a kind of optimism specifically within Christianity about the world - about whose side God is on. Well, I didn't have any of that in my background. I had physicality and chaos.
Ta-Nehisi CoatesRead
We've got in the habit of not really understanding how freedom was in the 19th century, the idea of government of the people in the 19th century. America commits itself to that in theory.
Ta-Nehisi CoatesRead
I never expected my writing to become as popular as it did.
Ta-Nehisi CoatesRead
It's hard for me to view Baltimore outside the context of what Baltimore has always been in my mind: a violent place.
Ta-Nehisi CoatesRead
If I could have anything - you know, and this is across the board for any presidential candidate - I would have a greater acknowledgment of history in our policy and in our affairs.
Ta-Nehisi CoatesRead
You can't make a direct comparison between middle-class African Americans and middle-class white Americans, affluent African Americans and affluent white Americans. The amount of wealth tends to be less.
Ta-Nehisi CoatesRead

Similar quotes

We must not let history repeat itself in Iraq. The reality is there is no military solution in Iraq. This is a sectarian war with long standing roots that were flamed when we invaded Iraq in 2003. Any lasting solution must be political and take into account respect for the entire Iraqi population.
Barbara LeeRead
He brings to the fierce struggle of politics the tepid enthusiasm of a lazy summer afternoon at a cricket match.
Aneurin BevanRead
The right to vote is a consequence, not a primary cause, of a free social system - and its value depends on the constitutional structure implementing and strictly delimiting the voters' power; unlimited majority rule is an instance of the principle of tyranny.
Ayn RandRead
Our economic problems worry me much less than our political solutions, which have a far worse track record.
Thomas SowellRead
There is an absence of democratic accountability and control in every sphere of government and the state. To address this debilitating legacy requires determined action and a deep commitment to transforming our society from a crisis ridden present into something all South Africans can be truly proud of.
Nelson MandelaRead
I am not a reluctant peer but a persistent commoner
Tony BennRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.