Sooner I’d try to change history than turn political, than try convincing others to write letters or to vote or to march or to do something they didn’t already feel like doing.
Politics Quotes
When I was young, and addicted to reading, I had heard about dancing on the points of metaphysical needles; but, by mixing in the world, I found the points of political needles finer and sharper than the metaphysical ones.
Millions of sensible people are too high-minded to concede that politics is almost always the choice of the lesser evil. “Tweedledum and Tweedledee,” they say, “I will not vote.” Having abstained, they are presented with a President who appoints the people who are going to rummage around in their lives for the next four years. […]
I have lived long enough, and had experience enough of the conduct of governments and people, nations and courts, to be convinced that gratitude, friendship, unsuspecting confidence, and all the amiable passions in human nature, are the most dangerous guides in politics.
The voters have spoken. The bastards.
After all, what does a politician have but his credibility?
The nation’s best thinker (Daniel Patrick Moynihan) among politicians since Lincoln and its best politician among thinkers since Jefferson.
People who think the mighty in Washington can be persuaded, or corrupted, if you will, by anything less than votes just don’t understand what it’s all about and never will. They don’t know what Washington juice is made of.
The politician is an acrobat. He keeps his balance by saying the opposite of what he does.
It was he (Van Buren) who conceived and constructed the gigantic patronage system which directly caused the death of two Presidents, nearly drove Lincoln insane and caused Cleveland to cry out, ‘It makes me feel like resigning and hell is to pay.’ It was he who mainly visualized and brought to pass the National Conventions […]
