Obama Admits Mistakes, Says He Wants Second Term 'Badly' In Diane Sawyer Interview

President Obama admitted he makes "a mistake, you know, every hour, every day" in an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer Thursday night.

Obama, who said he will "second-guess myself constantly," admitted that he's still learning with each day of his presidency.

"There're always things that you're learning in the job," Obama said. "I have no doubt that I'm a better president now than the day I took office just because you get more experience."

Obama said he wants a second term "badly" because he thinks "the country needs it." He criticized the Republican candidates vying to be his 2012 opponent, saying that ultimately the GOP nominee would be "a standard bearer for a vision of the country that I don't think reflects who we are."

He also hit the GOP hopefuls for their use of what he called "rhetorical flourishes," citing former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's claim that Obama is a "food stamp president."

"First of all, I don't put people on food stamps. People become eligible for food stamps," Obama said. Second of all, the initial expansion of food-stamp eligibility happened under my Republican predecessor, not under me."

Comments

["Ed and Deb Shapiro"]

07:21 PM on 02/10/2012

Does anyone know why the Republican Party doesn't
Have one qualified candidate?
Why the GOP has lost it's purpose & are so scattered?
Why they really are not the Republican Party anymore -
just a bunch of weird political people that only know how to say NO

[Cilantro33309]

08:44 AM on 02/06/2012

the initial expansion of food-stamp eligibility happened under my Republican predecessor, not under me."

The Republicans did such a poor job running this country they left it a shambles, bailing out banks, bailing out walleyes, putting 750,000 people per month out of work...and they want to blame it all on Obama, including the stimulus package which wouldn't have been necessary except for Republicans disastrous performance... and I for one will enjoy spending the rest of this year reminding everyone of all this, and more!!

[Kazer Soze]

06:25 PM on 01/29/2012

Only two mistakes with huge bad consequences. Didn't fight for the public option and let the Bush(now Obama) tax cuts to be extended for two more years, which means they will be extended almost forever and as result of it we will have the future cuts in SS and MC.

[BeatlesPrudence]

07:12 AM on 01/30/2012

MOST ALL the democrats voted for this extention!

[smburwick]

08:50 AM on 01/29/2012

The jobs leaving this country didn't begin yesterday. For forty years they have moved. why is that? this country not friendly to business? Why does INMELT'S GE not pay taxes and it is a corporation? where has he sent GE divisions? How do unions affect the success of business?

[m2modon]

11:41 AM on 01/29/2012

Obama's hire of Jeffery Imelt as his Job's Czar, just perpetuates the situation. How ironic is it to have your Job's Czar, close factories in the Us, to move them to China? Not so ironic when you consider the trade off for both Immelt and Obama.

[poppyCa]

06:13 AM on 01/29/2012

It all stems from his book 'The mendacity of hope'.

[notsayingnuffen]

04:37 AM on 01/29/2012

Newt Gingrich's claim that Obama is a "food stamp president."

LOL You know he really hates that name...


Yes Newt, it was something you said.

[notsayingnuffen]

04:35 AM on 01/29/2012

Obama said. "I have no doubt that I'm a better president now than the day I took office just because you get more experience."

Hey looky there, I agree with him.


Still sux tho,

[willulisten]

02:48 AM on 01/29/2012

Obama = One Big A$$ Mistake America

[billhodges]

10:17 AM on 01/29/2012

Absolutely F&F

[walsenberg]

12:51 AM on 02/01/2012

Couldn't be more wrong. I am looking forward to his 2nd term.

[Unca Allen]

01:23 AM on 01/29/2012

Every minute, every second, every millisecond, every nanosecond.......

[diverjay]

12:52 AM on 01/29/2012

It's ok Obama. We make mistakes too. We elected you...

[Unca Allen]

01:23 AM on 01/29/2012

Not "we." "You."

[diverjay]

02:02 AM on 01/29/2012

I meant "we" collectively. Don't blame me. I didn't vote for the clown. He was the joke candidate remember?

[JMKeynes]

09:00 PM on 01/28/2012

I can see that the Republican propaganda lie machine is still active on this thread. Obama's ratings are going up and they'll do anything to drag him down. They have no proposals, no policies, nothing to offer that will benefit the majority of the American people.

Recognize the tactics that they use. Just remember that they defend the indefensible all the while condemning what's honorable.

[m2modon]

10:23 AM on 01/29/2012

Yes, because appointing Jeffery Immelt as his Job's Czar, who closed factories in US to open factories in China, is so honorable. And because allowing his own aides to owe over $800,000 in back taxes, is so honorable. And turning a blind eye to his guest speaker, Warren Buffet who owes $1 billion in back taxes, is so honorable.
We don't have to do much to drag him down. It gets easier every day because there's just so much to work with.

[wiseoldgranny]

08:49 PM on 01/29/2012

Links please.

If you are going to spout garbage at least let us see where you are picking it up.

[m2modon]

09:25 AM on 01/30/2012

http://news.investors.com/Article/599002/201201260818/obama-white-house-staff-back-taxes.htm

[Mack753951]

11:01 AM on 01/29/2012

How did that happen on such a liberal board. Sounds like a growing conservative wave. I've heard many good proposals from the Rebuplican candidates. The problem with liberals is that you want to create government programs to solve everything, and now we face bankruptcy, and you can't even see it. Obama never mention that the nation is broke. Many may say publically that they support this President, but they will privatelly pull the ejection button in the voting booth.

[smburwick]

08:40 PM on 01/28/2012

leedan: you get your info from moveon.org.

[plum2012]

07:14 PM on 01/28/2012

There are so many GOP's that are trying to dismiss the president’s accomplishment to this country. They also discourage us Dems for re-electing him for up coming four more years and for discouraging us for his excellent job he did so far in just 3 years in office despite the worst economic downfall he inherited. They are here on this blog to discourage us to vote for him four more years in office that we the people deserve his great leadership. They are focusing on their own agenda to elect him only as a one-time president…what they don't know , we the Dems do not buy their manipulations in discrediting our president. As a matter of fact, these clowns had strengthened our unity as a party.

[smburwick]

07:40 PM on 01/28/2012

What excellent job. OSB was caught because of a tip of a doctor. BO was GOLFING.We have had one term presidents, and he is countlng that YOU were BORN YESTERDAY.

[leedan]

08:18 PM on 01/28/2012

So your point is?

[angelinthevi]

09:52 PM on 01/28/2012

Whatever makes you sleep better at night. It's really sad that people like yourself see only what you want to see in order to justify what you already think and believe. I have learned that it makes no sense to try to have a rational conversation with you. You will believe what you need to in order to justify your already held opinion.

A mind changed against its will is of the same opinion still. So believe as you must, the rest of us will set about helping President Obama not only have a second term but leave this country a heckuva lot better than we found it.

[JMKeynes]

08:43 PM on 01/28/2012

You're absolutely right. I don't get discouraged easily. They use crafty propaganda techniques and I'm starting to feel it's best to disassociate with people who don't have good intentions. This website sometimes seems to encourage their lies and that's too bad. But there are other places where such pollution isn't tolerated.

[wiseoldgranny]

08:59 PM on 01/29/2012

Many so-called progressives are not really for progress, they are for revolution, that achieves all of their goals over night.

Witness the 121 promises kept by Obama and the dems, the milions and millions of people that they have helped to make their lives better.

That, to me, is progress. In fact, I am a dem because I am a progressive. I'm damn proud of what this President and the dems have accomplished in spite of odds that seem unsurmountable.

I get called an Obamabot, a Obamapologist, ect. If taking all of the 'facts' and fact checking them with good sources, watching c-span senate and represenntative sessions, senate and rep hearings, speeches by repubs and dems, watching free speech TV , CNN, Al Jazzera, MSNBC, going through de-classified files, going through history, checking in on CREW ect, and coming up with conclusions based on 'True facts' and not just blogs and OPINIONS, if my conclusions make me and OBAMABOT, so be it.

I'd much rather be that than a bloggers talking points, unthinking, uncurious, opinionated, dittohead.

[smburwick]

07:10 PM on 01/28/2012

Just read another thing about BO: whose people are encouraging Sharia law in our courts.

[wiseoldgranny]

09:46 PM on 01/29/2012

I hope you are kidding. That's stupid.

[plum2012]

07:02 PM on 01/28/2012

The liability here is the 1% who refused to share their fair share of taxes. Taxing heavily on middle class hurts the overall economy. The economic stagnant will continue due to more middle class will continue to suffer and they will become in a destitute category. Is that what you want in this country? Do you think China will offer help to the American destitute? I think America should first and foremost helped its own people. The success of the country is based on the government's effort to help the "have nots" for the betterment of the overall economic health of the country.

[smburwick]

07:42 PM on 01/28/2012

Tax the rich more, and see the food stamp card numbers going up. CHINA might call in our debts and then what will the USA do. Soros is all excited. If we fall, he makes money.

[leedan]

08:14 PM on 01/28/2012

We owe more debt to the tax payers than we do to china look it up if you dare.

[angelinthevi]

10:00 PM on 01/28/2012

What difference does it make? The precious 1% have already shown just how much they love this country by shipping jobs overseas, sitting on over $2 trillion, refusing to lend money to qualified people/small businesses etc.

Yes we see how the 'rich' love you and the people of this country. Why they show it everyday by hiding their money in offshore accounts so that that money is taken out of our economy and put into another country's where it is leveraged to build their infrastructure and enhance their way of life. Can't you just feel the love?! (Sarcasm dripping!)