Quotes About Politics

A mugwump is a man in politics who never votes for anybody, but who is always voting against somebody.

Many forms of government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time...

Every two years the American politics industry fills the airwaves with the most virulent, scurrilous, wall-to-wall character assassination of nearly every political practitioner in the country — and then declares itself puzzled that America has lost trust in its politicians.

And that conviction will, I dare say, be backed up by the greatest torrent of money ever poured out to influence an American election — poured out by the men who fear nothing so much as change and who want everything to stay as it is — only more so. This idea that you can merchandise candidates for high office like breakfast cereal — that you can gather votes like box-tops — is, I think, the ultimate indignity to the democratic process.

Political campaigns are designedly made into emotional orgies which endeavor to distract attention from the real issues involved, and they actually paralyze what slight powers of cerebration man can normally muster.

Why can we land people on the Moon, machines on Mars and transfer trillions internationally, but can't figure out how to run efficient, accurate and fair elections?

A politician thinks of the next election; a statesman thinks of the next generation.

If Voting Changed Anything, They'd Abolish It

George Washington is the only president who didn't blame the previous administration for his troubles.

Ohio claims they are due a president as they haven't had one since Taft. Look at the United States, they have not had one since Lincoln.

The difference between a bandit and a patriot is a good press agent.

Women belong in the house — and the Senate.

Each party steals so many articles of faith from the other, and the candidates spend so much time making each other's speeches, that by the time election day is past there is nothing much to do save turn the sitting rascals out and let a new gang in.

Democracy is a form of religion, it is the worship of jackals by jack asses.

Democracy is the art of running the circus from the monkey cage.

The government consists of a gang of men exactly like you and me. They have, taking one with another, no special talent for the business of government; they have only a talent for getting and holding office.

The notion that a radical is one who hates his country is naive and usually idiotic. He is, more likely, one who likes his country more than the rest of us, and is thus more disturbed than the rest of us when he sees it debauched. He is not a bad citizen turning to crime; he is a good citizen driven to despair.

The saddest life is that of a political aspirant under democracy. His failure is ignominious and his success is disgraceful.

The worst government is the most moral. One composed of cynics is often very tolerant and humane. But when the fanatics are on top there is no limit to oppression.

Unquestionably, there is progress. The average American now pays twice as much in taxes as he formerly got in wages.

The only politics in this country that's relevant to black people today is the politics of revolution... none other.

Yes, politics IS war without bloodshed and war is an extension of those politics.

Conservatism is the negation of Ideology.

Whiggery came of age in 1896, and he spoke