--- title: Barack Obama in Ethiopia: If I ran for a 3rd Term I Could Win description: " I think if I ran, I could win. But I can’t," Obama said canonical: https://time.com/3974517/obama-third-term/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-28T12:15:42.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:41:25.642Z article:section: Politics og:title: Barack Obama: If I ran for a 3rd term I could win og:description: "I think if I ran, I could win. But I can't." og:url: https://time.com/3974517/obama-third-term/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt76f17eda440b2fec/69885cb7196cf4ddcf0374ae/obama7.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4791 og:image:height: 2695 og:image:alt: Barack Obama og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Barack Obama: If I ran for a 3rd term I could win twitter:description: "I think if I ran, I could win. But I can't." twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt76f17eda440b2fec/69885cb7196cf4ddcf0374ae/obama7.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Obama: If I Ran for a Third Term, I Could Win > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: Know Right Now: Obama's Historic Visit to Africa [Watch (HLS stream): Know Right Now: Obama's Historic Visit to Africa](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/KybePE0a.m3u8) (1:00)  _Published 2015-07-27. President Obama took a trip to Kenya and Ethiopia for the first time during his presidency. Find out more on Know Right Now._ by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Jul 28, 2015 12:15 PM UTC  U.S. President Barack Obama delivers a speech to the African Union on July 28, 2015, in Addis Ababa. U.S. President Barack Obama delivers a speech to the African Union on July 28, 2015, in Addis Ababa. Evan Vucci—AP by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Jul 28, 2015 12:15 PM UTC President Obama said that if he could run for a third term he thinks he would win, while calling for African leaders to adhere to term limits during a historic speech before the African Union. “I actually think I’m a pretty good president. I think if I ran, I could win. But I can’t,” Obama said in Ethiopia on Tuesday. ” There’s a lot that I’d like to do to keep America moving, but the law’s the law.” President Obama addressed his third term viability while calling on African leaders to step aside when their terms end on Tuesday. During his speech, the first by an American president before the African Union, Obama said when a leader “tries to change the rules in the middle of the game” in order to stay in office it puts a nation’s stability and the future of Democratic progress across the continent at risk. Obama specifically noted recent elections in Burundi, where President Pierre Nkurunziza won a third term. The United Nations has said those elections occurred in an environment that was not “not conducive for an inclusive, free and credible electoral process,” according to the [_Associated Press._](http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/burundi-election-inclusive-free-credible-32714207) ” The point is, I don’t understand why people want to stay so long. Especially, when they’ve got a lot of money,” Obama said Tuesday, during the final stretch of his historic trip to two African countries. “And sometimes you’ll hear a leader say ‘I’m the only person who can hold this nation together.’ If that’s true, then that leader has failed to truly build their nation.” Though Obama admitted he thinks he’s done a good job at the helm — something about 49% of Americans agree with, according his most recent [_CNN_ approval ratings ](http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/28/politics/obama-approval-iran-economy/index.html)— he didn’t hesitate to list off the freedoms he’ll gain back when he leaves office. “I’m looking forward to life after being president,” Obama said. “I won’t have such a big security detail all the time. It means I can go take a walk, I can spend time with my family, I can find other ways to serve. I can visit Africa more often.” ### See Scenes From Obama's Africa Trip  President Barack Obama flanked by Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn (top left) and African Union Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma (top right), arrives to deliver remarks at the African Union in Addis Ababa on July 28, 2015. Jonathan Ernst—Reuters  President Barack Obama delivers a speech to the African Union in Addis Ababa on July 28, 2015. Evan Vucci—AP  Delegates react to remarks by President Barack Obama at the African Union in Addis Ababa on July 28, 2015. Jonathan Ernst—Reuters  President Barack Obama shakes hands with farmer Gifty Jemal Hussein, after seeing her corn during a tour of Faffa Food in Addis Ababa on July 28, 2015. Evan Vucci—AP  President Barack Obama laughs at the hair nets the members of the press have to wear during a tour of Faffa Food, in Addis Ababa on July 28, 2015. Saul Loeb—AFP/Getty Images  President Barack Obama reviews a marching band during a welcome ceremony at the National Palace in Addis Ababa on July 27, 2015. Tiksa Negeri—Reuters  President Barack Obama receives flowers from children, with Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, as he arrives at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa on July 26, 2015. Jonathan Ernst—Reuters  Kenyan traditional dancers sing as they wait to entertain President Barack Obama upon his arrival to board Air Force One for his departure to Ethiopia, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on July 26, 2015. Daniel Irungu—EPA  The crowd surges toward President Barack Obama as he greets the audience after his remarks at Safaricom Indoor Arena in Nairobi on July 26, 2015. Jonathan Ernst—Reuters  President Barack Obama delivers a speech during at Safaricom Indoor Arena in Nairobi on July 26, 2015. Sun Ruibo—Xinhua Press/Corbis  The crowd cheers as President Barack Obama arrives to speak at Safaricom Indoor Arena in Nairobi on July 26, 2015. Saul Loeb—AFP/Getty Images  President Barack Obama stands in silent tribute after laying a wreath at the August 7th Memorial Park to pay tribute to the victims of the 1998 bombing at U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, on July 25, 2015. John Okoyo—Xinhua Press/Corbis  People wave U.S. flags before President Barack Obama's motorcade arrival, in Nairobi on July 25, 2015. Georgina Goodwin—AFP/Getty Images  President Barack Obama and his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta leave after a joint press conference, discussing corruption, terrorism, and gay rights, at the State House in Nairobi on July 25, 2015. Simon Maina—AFP/Getty Images  President Barack Obama sits with his step-grandmother, Mama Sarah and half-sister Auma Obama, during a gathering of extended family at his hotel in Nairobi on July 24, 2015. Saul Loeb—AFP/Getty Images  Eight-year-old Joan Wamaitha is hugged by President Barack Obama as he arrives at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on July 24, 2015. Evan Vucci—AP  Crowds of Kenyans gather to celebrate the visit of President Barack Obama, at Kamukunji Grounds in Kibera neighborhood, Nairobi on July 24, 2015 . Till Muellenmeister—AFP/Getty Images ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] I'm proud to be the first US President to visit Ethiopia, and tomorrow the first US President to address the African Union. So my visit reflects the importance the United States places on our relationship with Ethiopia and all the nations and peoples of Africa. It is great to be back in Kenya. Thank you so much for this extraordinary welcome. And when it comes to the people of Kenya, particularly the youth, I believe there is no limit to what you can achieve. You don't need to do what my father did, and leave your home in order to get a good education and access to opportunity. The democratic practices for. Issues around freedom of the press and assembly are not ones that align with how we are thinking about it but we continually bring it up. And we indicate that this is part of our core interest and concern in our foreign policy. 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