15 Times Barack Obama Reminded Us That He and Michelle Are a Walking Fairy Tale

Updated on May 6, 2017 at 5:00 PM

The grass is green, the sky is blue, and Barack Obama is one of the best damn public speakers who's ever walked the earth. Even if you don't agree with his policies, you can't deny his mastery of the English language. During his presidency this skill served him well for obvious reasons, but never have the words come as easily to him than when he's talking about his wife, fearless former First Lady and all-around badass Michelle Obama. The power couple began dating back in 1989, and it's obvious that Barack has been smitten ever since. If you need a quick reminder that yes, love still does exist, take a look through his best, most romantic quotes about Michelle.

On her legacy as first lady: "Michelle LaVaughn Robinson, girl of the South Side. For the past 25 years you have not only been my wife and mother of my children, you have been my best friend. You took on a role you didn't ask for, and you made it your own, with grace and with grit and with style and good humor. You made the White House a place that belongs to everybody. And a new generation sets its sights higher because it has you as a role model. So, you have made me proud and you have made the country proud."
On their first kiss: "We were at a law firm together, I was a Summer associate, she was already practicing law. I had been sort of eyeing her for a while, but she was acting real professional. Finally I wear her down a little bit and I say, we're coming back from a firm picnic and I said, 'Well let's go get some ice cream.' We went to Baskin-Robbins on 53rd Street in Chicago, she bought chocolate, I don't remember what I bought. They didn't have any seats in the store so we sat out on a curb on a Summer day and had ice cream, and that's when I asked her if I could kiss her."
On how she's true to herself: "As usual, people always realize how much better Michelle is than me . . . she's a wonderful person and she's a genuine person. I never see her in different settings and somehow she's different with different people."
On her magnetic personality: "If you were going to list the 100 most popular things that I have done as president, being married to Michelle Obama is number one."
On how she's helped him every step of the way: "Obviously I couldn't have done anything that I've done without Michelle. You were asking earlier what keeps me sane, what keeps me balanced, what allows me to deal with the pressure. It is this young lady right here . . . Not only has she been a great first lady, she is just my rock. I count on her in so many ways every single day."
On how she's changed the way he looks at the world: "Michelle was trying to figure out, OK, if the kids get sick why is it that she's the one who has to take time off of her job to go pick them up from school, as opposed to me? What I tried to do was to learn to be thoughtful enough and introspective enough that I wasn't always having to be told that things were unfair."
On her making him a better man: "There's no doubt I'm a better man having spent time with Michelle. I would never say that Michelle's a better woman, but I will say she's a little more patient."
One one of her best traits: "She's also funny. She's the funniest person in our family."

On how she's like Queen Bey: "Michelle's like Beyoncé in that song, 'Let me upgrade ya!' She upgraded me."
On her patriotism: "Anybody who knows her well knows she's got the best sense of humor of anyone you'd ever want to meet. She's the most quintessentially American person I know . . . She's just a wonderfully normal, levelheaded person. Any American woman who meets her would immediately identify her as a fellow traveler."
On her 2016 Democratic National Convention speech: "Incredible speech by an incredible woman. Couldn't be more proud & our country has been blessed to have her as FLOTUS. I love you, Michelle."
On how she keeps him grounded: "What I value most about my marriage is that it is separate and apart from a lot of the silliness of Washington. And Michelle is not part of that silliness."
On why they're such a good team: "She is a great mom. What is also true is Michelle's had to accommodate a life that it's fair to say was not necessarily what she envisioned for herself. She has to put up with me. And my schedule and my stresses. And she's done a great job on that. But I think it would be a mistake to think that my wife, when I walk in the door, is, 'Hey, honey, how was your day? Let me give you a neck rub.' It's not as if Michelle is thinking in terms of, 'How do I cater to my husband?' I think it's much more, 'We're a team, and how do I make sure that this guy is together enough that he's paying attention to his girls and not forgetting the basketball game that he's supposed to be going to on Sunday?' So she's basically managing me quite effectively."
On their unbreakable connection: "Sometimes, when we're lying together, I look at her and I feel dizzy with the realization that here is another distinct person from me, who has memories, origins, thoughts, feelings that are different from my own. That tension between familiarity and mystery meshes something strong between us. Even if one builds a life together based on trust, attentiveness, and mutual support, I think that's it's important that a partner continues to surprise."
On why she's so relatable: "Having said all those things, the quality I love most about her is, she's honest and genuine. I think that comes across to people. They get a sense that they can trust her. You know, the word 'authenticity' is overused these days. But I do think it captures what folks are looking for — not just in leaders, but also in friends and in co-workers — and that is, folks who are on the level. People like that tell you what they think and don't have a bunch of hidden motives. That's who Michelle is."