“I think that I’m a better speechwriter than my speechwriters. I know more about policies on any particular issue than my policy directors. And I’ll tell you right now that I’m gonna think I’m a better political director than my political director.”

— Barack Obama

Reported by Ryan Lizza in the New Yorker, said to Patrick Gaspard during a job interview in 2007. http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/11/17/081117fa_fact_lizza?printable=true
2007

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update Sept. 30, 2023. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "I think that I’m a better speechwriter than my speechwriters. I know more about policies on any particular issue than m…" by Barack Obama?

Barack Obama 1158

44th President of the United States of America 1961

Joan Micklin Silver (1935–2020) American film director

Primary Source - Directors Guild of America’s Visual Oral History Program - Interview by Michael Pressman - Chapter 3 - Visual History with Joan Micklin Silver https://www.dga.org/Craft/VisualHistory/Interviews/Joan-Micklin-Silver.aspx?Filter=Full%20Interview - 19 September 2005 - Archive https://web.archive.org/web/20210911133653/https://www.dga.org/Craft/VisualHistory/Interviews/Joan-Micklin-Silver.aspx?Filter=Full+Interview
Secondary Sources -
New York Times article by Anita Gates - Joan Micklin Silver, Director of ‘Crossing Delancey,’ Dies at 85 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/01/movies/joan-micklin-silver-dead.html - 1 January 2021 - Archive https://web.archive.org/web/20210911135615/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/01/movies/joan-micklin-silver-dead.html
MSN Entertainment article by Tyler Aquilina - Joan Micklin Silver, boundary-breaking director of Crossing Delancey, dies at 85 https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/joan-micklin-silver-boundary-breaking-director-of-crossing-delancey-dies-at-85/ar-BB1cq6Pn - 2 January 2021 - Archive https://web.archive.org/web/20210911134333/https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/joan-micklin-silver-boundary-breaking-director-of-crossing-delancey-dies-at-85/ar-BB1cq6Pn

“As a film actor, my job is to facilitate the director’s vision. If there’s something I’m doing that they don’t agree with, I drop it.”

Nicolas Cage (1964) American actor

"Nicolas Cage on his legacy, his philosophy of acting and his metaphorical — and literal — search for the Holy Grail." in The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/07/magazine/nicolas-cage-interview.html (7 August 2019)

“The higher-ups that I’m negotiating with are always men, I think if you asked any of them, they’re really liberal guys and they’d be like, ‘We wish there were more female directors.’ But whenever they have this large amount of money and they are about to invest it in something and they need to pick somebody to be at the helm for it and represent them, they look for somebody that’s the most like them. Unconsciously! They’re like, ‘I wish there were more female directors, but for this movie [made with] my money, I’m going to pick the guy that’s like me.’”

Misty Talley American film director and editor

Source: Meet Misty Talley, The First Female Director Of A Syfy Original Movie https://medium.com/the-establishment/meet-misty-talley-the-first-female-director-of-a-syfy-original-movie-f56179cf2f7b (July 28, 2016)

“I moved into directing for a couple of reasons. … Most directors, I discovered, need to be convinced that the screenplay they’re going to direct has something to do with them. And this is a tricky thing if you write screenplays where women have parts that are equal to or greater than the male part. And I thought, "Why am I out there looking for directors?" — because you look at a list of directors, it’s all boys. It certainly was when I started as a screenwriter. So I thought, "I’m just gonna become a director and that’ll make it easier."”

Nora Ephron (1941–2012) Film director, author screenwriter

In the documentary Dreams on Spec (2007)

“Look I’ve got my old pledge card a bit battered and crumpled, we said we’d provide more turches churches teachers and we have. I can remember when people used to say the Japanese are better than us, the Germans are better than us, the French are better than us — well it’s great to be able to say we’re better than them. I think Mr Kennedy well we all congratulate on his baby and the Tories are you remembering what I’m remembering boom and bust negative equity, remember Mr Howard, I mean are you thinking what I’m thinking I’m remembering, it’s all a bit wonky isn’t it?”

John Prescott (1938) Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1997–2007)

A statement made in Witham, Essex during the 2005 general election, as quoted in "Ducking and diving, ageing prize-fighter still fears the sucker punch" by Ben Macintyre, The Times (13 April 2005), p. 23

“You should leave that place, my girl” “you know me better than that.” “yes, I do. Too brave for your own good. Too brave now, I think.” “would you have me any less?” “I’m sorry. No, I wouldn’t have you less.””

Alice Borchardt (1939–2007) American fiction writer

Devoted

“Whatever the director asks me to do, I will do and make him happy. I’m a fool.”

Brigitte Lin (1954) Taiwanese actress

As quoted in "Brigitte Lin: ‘In All My Movies, There Is Something of Myself’" in Film Doo (21 May 2018) https://www.fareastfilm.com/eng/archive/catalogue/2018/intervista-con-brigitte-lin/?IDLYT=31711

“Its always my conviction that young filmmakers do not actively need old filmmakers help, because the society in which they are living in, their surroundings and their knowledge is completely different. I mean there’s a whole set of different rules which they know better than we do, but if we use our experience to tell them what to do I think it hinders more than it helps. Not unless the old director who’s out to help is also a very good teacher that is saying to the student what he needs to know instead of just telling the student his experience. And being a teacher, I think I’ve been one myself and I know that I’m not good enough, because to be a great teacher is more difficult than to be a great filmmaker.”

Ann Hui (1947) Hong Kong film director

77. Mostra del Cinema - Ann Hui masterclass 28 Oct 2020, at 3 Min 12 Sec https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NNfVayr694
Masterclass with Ann Hui at the 77th Venice International Film Festival

“I think that [as a vegan] I’m now fitter than I've ever been. I punch harder than ever. I’m more determined. I’m faster. … Diet’s the biggest thing, because your body is a machine.”

David Haye (1980) British boxer

“David Haye: Going vegan made me stronger than I've ever been,” in Telegraph.co.uk (6 May 2016) https://web.archive.org/web/20180110175026/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/body/david-haye-going-vegan-made-stronger-than-ive-ever-been/.

“I don’t know. You have to ask them. I’m not a hater, and so sometimes it’s hard for me to understand why somebody hates somebody. It could have been because of my policies, maybe they didn’t like my religion. I don’t know. I’m sure there’s a myriad of reasons. That’s what happens when you’re the president. It can either bother you or not bother you. I chose… I really am. I’m honored to have served. I’m glad I served, and I gave it my all, and that’s all you can do at life. I got back; and this sounds corny to some, I understand, but when I looked in the mirror, I know I didn’t sell my soul for the sake of any short-term politics or popularity. I think that’s important.”

George W. Bush (1946) 43rd President of the United States

Interview with Bill O'Reilly http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/feb/08/bill-oreilly/bill-oreilly-tells-obama-he-also-asked-bush-about-/ (November 2010), Fox News.
2010s, 2010

“I think that I’m a better speechwriter than my speechwriters. I know more about policies on any particular issue than my policy directors. And I’ll tell you right now that I’m gonna think I’m a better political director than my political director.”

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Barack Obama 1158

Related quotes

Related topics