To POTUS: Do you regret running for president?

April 3, 2009

Thought this was interesting. barry was at a town hall meeting in Strasbourg, France and he was asked by a woman from Germany, if he ever regretted having run for president. I wonder what she saw in his face that made her ask?

From the Washington Post

(Laughter, applause.) Michelle definitely asked that question. (Laughter.)

You know, there are -- there have been times, certainly during the campaign, and there have been times over the last several months, where you feel a lot of weight on your shoulders. There's no doubt about it.

During the campaign, the biggest sacrifice, the thing that was most difficult, was that I was away from my family all the time. You know, in addition to missing -- in addition to being jealous about high-speed rail and the nice trains here, I -- I'm also jealous of the fact that campaigns here only last a few months, whereas in the United States we were running for two years.

So I was away from home all the time. And that was very difficult, because not only do I have a wonderful wife, but I have two perfect daughters. (Cheers, applause.) And so, you know, I missed them a lot. (Applause continues.)

But -- but the nice thing is, now that I'm president, it turns out I have this really nice office in my house called the Oval Office, and so -- (laughter) -- it only takes me a few seconds to get -- get upstairs, and I'm home for dinner every night. You also lose privacy and autonomy -- or anonymity. You know, it's very frustrating now -- you know, it used to be when I came to Europe that I could just wander down to a cafe and sit and have some wine and watch people go by, and, you know, go into a little shop, and watch the sun go down. And now I'm in hotel rooms all the time. And I have security around me all the time. And so just, you know, losing that ability to -- to just take a walk, you know, that is something that is frustrating.

How many times has he been to Europe? Prior to his world campaign tour he had spent one night in the UK on the way back from Russia.

But having said all that, I truly believe that there's nothing more noble than public service. Now, that doesn't mean that you have to run for president. (Applause.) But, you know, you might -- you know, you might work for Doctors Without Borders, or you might volunteer for an agency, or you might, you know, be somebody working for the United Nations, or you might be the mayor of Strasbourg.

Right? I mean, they're all -- (cheers, applause) -- you might volunteer in your own community.

But the point is that what I found at a very young age was that if you only think about yourself -- how much money can I make; what can I buy; you know, how nice is my house; what kind of fancy car do I have -- that over the long term, you -- I think you get bored. (Applause.) I think your life -- I think your life becomes -- I think if you're only thinking about yourself, your life becomes diminished and -- and that the way to live a full life is to think about, what can I do for others? How can I be a part of this larger project of making a better world?

Who is he referring to?

Now, that can be something as simple as making -- of -- as the joy of taking care of your family and watching your children grow and -- and succeed.

But I think especially for the young people here, I hope you also consider other ways that you can serve, because the world has so many challenges right now. There are so many opportunities to make a difference. And it would be a tragedy if all of you who are so talented and energetic, if you let that go to waste, if you just stood back and -- and watched the world pass you by.

Better to jump in, get involved. And it does mean that sometimes you'll get criticized, and sometimes you'll fail, and sometimes you'll be disappointed. But you'll have a great adventure, and at the end of your life, hopefully you'll be able to look back and say, "I made a difference."

All right. Thank you, everybody.

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POTUS: "I'm gonna call one foreigner"
POTUS: "there have been times when America has shown arrogance"
To POTUS: "Do you regret running for president?"