# Obama on picking the right partner for marriage

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-on-picking-the-right-partner-for-marriage/818013>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [July 16, 2018, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-on-picking-the-right-partner-for-marriage/818013 "2018-07-16T15:22:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-on-picking-the-right-partner-for-marriage/818013/1 "2018-07-16T15:22:57Z")

</div>

The Independent has a nice little fluff piece [here](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/barack-obama-advice-life-partner-three-questions-secret-michelle-relationship-marriage-a8432761.html) wherein Dan Pfeiffer reveals the three questions Barack Obama says you should ask yourself about your prospective partner.

> [@](#):
>
> As the pair discussed future plans, Mr Pfieffer opened up about his relationship.
> 
> “So are you guys moving together? This is the one, huh?” he recounted Mr Obama asking him.
> 
> Mr Obama is then said to have imparted the pearls of wisdom.
> 
> “Here’s the advice I give everyone about marriage: is she someone you find interesting?” Mr Pfeiffer quoted Mr Obama as saying in an excerpt from the book recently shared on social media.

There’s nothing exactly earth-shattering there, but their marriage has lasted.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-on-picking-the-right-partner-for-marriage/818013/2 "2018-07-17T06:05:21Z")

</div>

The other two are, does she/he make you laugh, and would she/he be a good mother/father to your children, assuming you have any.  
I’d add, do you see money the same way.  
I didn’t really think about the kids question, but I implicitly thought about the other three, and it worked. Married, happily, 40 years.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-on-picking-the-right-partner-for-marriage/818013/3 "2018-07-17T14:10:20Z")

</div>

I think the third one is important if you don’t want kids too, if you trade in “parent” for “caretaker”. Because I don’t know about y’all, but if I’m puking my guts out I want whomever shares my life to be able to take care of me, not to freak out so much that I’m the one calming him down!