“President Obama started in public life not as an elected official but as a community organizer. He worked with churches and other groups on the south side of Chicago to push public leaders to fight poverty, improve the local school system and make housing more affordable, and to bring about the change the community needed and deserved.”

American writer and political commentator

Benjamin J. Rhodes is an American writer and political commentator who served as Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting under President Barack Obama. He has 94 quotes on the site. Rhodes is known for his work on Obama-era messaging and speechwriting, especially in the White House role that combined strategy, communications, and prepared remarks. His public writing and commentary reflect that background in politics and foreign policy, with attention to how governments explain themselves and shape public language.