President Obama?covers the July issue of?Essence Magazine, where he takes on critics who have blasted his administration for not ending the recession. While his opponent,?Mitt Romney’s, campaign hinges on his ability to convince the American public that Obama has done little to alter the state of the economy, the POTUS revealed that the adjustments will not come overnight. ?I’ve always approached my presidency as a long-term proposition,? he told the magazine.

?I didn’t run for office just to clean up the mess I inherited. I didn’t run for office just to return to the status quo. Understanding that some of the things I get done, we may not see the benefits from them for ten years. But that’s how change happens.?

With five months until he knows the fate of his?re-election campaign, the president continues to drum up loads of financial support from various donors, many of whom are celebrities.

CHECK OUT OUR PRESIDENT IN THE JULY ISSUE OF ESSENCE