I, like many others, find Barack Obama very inspirational. While some say Obama's speeches and stumps are only words, I really think it is much, more than mere words. Barack Obama's words, policies, and actions, truly embodies the American spirit that is now alive and ready to take back the country. While I can't give Obama all the credit, George W. Bush has awakened many of us, but it was Obama who has inspired a great many of us, not only to come out and vote in record numbers, but to also fight injustices as the barrage of negative attacks (many of which are outright lies) have galvanized many people into action spreading the truth throughout the Internet. As I still come across a few straddlers who still think Obama is a muslim, I think for the most part people are now voting on what's important: the actual candidates themselves. Their issues, their morals, their ideals, and the decision making abilities. There might be some refusing to even consider Obama or Senator Clinton because of their race or gender, but it seems the vast majority of voters are looking past these superficial issues and voting on the real issues for the best person to be our next President.

So what I have done is collect all the Obama quotes I have come across and recorded from the net from the last 3+ months and compiled it. If you have a quote I haven't come across feel free to add it in the comments section. I also have to warn I'm not allowing negativity (negative or inflammatory comments) here, if you wish to "debate" me about Barack please visit my Obama Myths hub and jump in. I have no problem if you have a differing opinion about Obama. I just don't want that negativity in this hub. I also have included my favorite speech of Obama's to date, his Iowa Victory Speech. The energy in that speech, from Obama and the crowd, is unparallelled.

Quote #10 "No one is pro-abortion"

I love this quote because it sums up the whole issue of abortion. The conservatives will scream for pro-life and scream that Obama is for abortion, but Obama makes a great point. No one is for abortion. Obama is a Christian and believes against abortion, I don't know too many people that have had abortions, but from the few I do know they weren't pro-abortion either. Its a very difficult thing and to me the pro-life argument over simplifies what's really going on. There is no black and white on a complex issue such as this. Real life is a whole lot of gray.

Quote #9 "There is not a liberal America and a conservative America - there is the United States of America. There is not a black America and a white America and latino America and asian America - there's the United States of America"

This is a great quote for obvious reasons. So many problems in America have been caused from us being divided. In one way George W. Bush has done a great thing. His Presidency was so terrible it has forced people to come together to get this country back on track. I used to think the President was important, but not really that important. George W. Bush has showed us all what one terrible President can do in eight years. I love the crowds I always see outside of Obama appearances waiting in line. Yes you see many youngsters, especially if its at a college. But you also see something I am not used to seeing. All colors, all genders, blue collar, white collar, Democrats, Independents, and even Republicans. I think it is a very special thing we are seeing right now.

Quote #8 "I don't want to be invited to the family hunting party."

This is a great quote showing Obama's lighter side. This quote is in reference when it was brought up that Obama is some distant relation to Vice President Dick Cheney. As Obama is getting very good at; he came up with a nice, funny, amicable, reply to the question. His reply is always good for a quick laugh. Obama showed more of this composure when Hillary's sarcastic mocking of him was brought up at the Ohio Debates. Obama turned it into a joke and laughed about it. We could all learn a lesson from that as many people, myself included, would get very defensive in that situation.

Quote #7 "I'm proud of the fact that I stood up early and unequivocally in opposition to Bush's foreign policy (and was the only U.S. Senate candidate in Illinois to do so). That opposition hasn't changed."

If Barack Obama defeats Hillary Clinton I believe his decision against Iraq before it began, when he was an extreme minority in this topic, will be one of the most key factors. I like the idea that Obama makes the right decisions even if it is not the most popular one.

Quote #6 "There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America."

I ran into a person today who hates Obama because he refuses to wear the pin flag. He must be unpatriotic to not do so. While I'm sure her vote was not changed from my discussion I'm glad the majority of people I run into know that you don't need a pin to make you a patriot. You can be against the Iraq War and still be a patriot. You can support our troops and still be a patriot.

Quote #5 "Today we are engaged in a deadly global struggle for those who would intimidate, torture, and murder people for exercising the most basic freedoms. If we are to win this struggle and spread those freedoms, we must keep our own moral compass pointed in a true direction."

While this quote isn't directly addressing this issue, it always makes me think of waterboarding. I was on the fence about waterboarding until I saw a special about the Nuremberg Trials. Apparently, back then nobody was very excited about giving the Nazi's a fair trial. Thanks to FDR and Truman, the right decisions were made back then and America's moral compass pointed very true. America set a great example for the rest of the world. I'm not sure where we rank today but I doubt its very high. Torture is not part of what America is and Al Qaeda will truly wins the day we give up our freedoms and morals for "safety".

Quote #4 "It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to where we are today, but we have just begun. Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today."

I think this quote is important as people are right, it can't be just a bunch of rallies and speeches, we must continue to do more. After we are done voting this is not over by any means. We can't just sit back on the couch and expect Obama to repair the country all by himself. If elected, he will be inheriting so many problems that everyone who voted for him, also needs to take an active role to make a difference any way they can. It won't be easy, but I think if we set our mind to it we can easily undue all the damage Bush has done in a shorter timeframe.

Quote #3 "My parents shared not only an improbable love, they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. They would give me an African name, Barack, or blessed, believing that in a tolerant America your name is no barrier to success."

Its ironic how much Obama's names have been brought into play during this campaign. I am not surprised to see the tactics at all, but I am somewhat surprised in the country's reaction. Instead of shunning Obama for being different, voters are coming out in record numbers. I can't say we have fixed all of our social issues regarding race and other aspects, however I can say this country has come a very long way in a short period of time.

Quote #2 "Yes we can"

A very simple message but to me it was more timing than anything. At the time there had been a lot of negativity around the Clinton/Obama camps fighting back and forth. I feel the Clinton camp was forcing the negativity to force Obama off his uplifting message but that's entirely another hub. This message though, added with the timing of it, was perfect and might be the three words people see first as they open up their history books and read about this historic election.

Quote #1 "Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God's will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all . . . Politics depends on our ability to persuade each other of common aims based on a common reality. It involves the compromise, the art of what's possible. At some fundamental level, religion does not allow for compromise. It's the art of the impossible. If God has spoken, then followers are expected to live up to God's edicts, regardless of the consequences. To base one's life on such uncompromising commitments may be sublime, but to base our policy making on such commitments would be a dangerous thing."

This statement by Obama is another reason I truly believe he has what it takes to go the extra mile to get things done when he's in the White House. I think Hillary Clinton or John McCain could be a much better President than our current one. I however don't think Hillary or McCain are capable of uniting the Congress to get the proper legislation done. And also uniting and motivating normal every day citizens to get involved. Obama hits it right on the head when he says that change does not start from the top. It starts from the bottom up and we all need to get involved in whatever ways we can to restore our country to its former stature and glory.