Quotes About Politics

Straussian ideology outfits its adherents not with specific policies but rather with grandiose ambitions, like "democratizing" the Middle East. The achievement of bringing Straussism to bear upon political actualities belongs unquestionably to Harvey Mansfield, Jr. Mansfield has sought to demonstrate, not so much how, but why power and virtue should be combined so that politics can again be a great stage for heroic action and noble deeds.

Moreover, the sheer size and complexity of imperial power and the expanded role of the military make it difficult to impose fiscal discipline and accountability. Corruption becomes endemic, not only abroad but at home. The most dangerous type of corruption for a democracy is measured not in monetary terms alone but in the kind of ruthless power relations it fosters in domestic politics.

In the eyes of contemporary observers, such as Thucydides, as well as later historians, the advancement of Athenian hegemony depended upon a public-spirited, able elite at the helm and a demos willing to accept leadership. Conversely, the downfall of Athens was attributed to the wiles and vainglory of leaders who managed to whip up popular support for ill-conceived adventures.

As a citizen, I would rather have a President McCain that we fight with 20% of the time, than a President Clinton or a President Obama that we fight with 90% of the time.

What I hope is in five years' time, I can go to the British people in the election and say: Lots of you doubted that coalition politics worked, but it has worked.

By that time [1966], we did begin to get some protests [against Vietnam War]. But not from liberal intellectuals; they never opposed the war.

As I have been arguing for a long time now, there is a real need not simply for a political economy of wealth but also for a political economy of speed.

Every Arab nation votes against us at least two thirds of the time.

Our politicians screw up all the time, as we see. But with so many things, we're no longer the world leader in that.

I'm an Obama supporter. And if you're an Obama supporter that means you had a hard time during the Bush years.

Politics was my hobby, and I really spent 25 years as a full-time homemaker. I tell the feminists the only person's permission I had to get was my husband's.

Every time I have a political rally I meet some people who say, "I need a job."

I think any time you deal with humans and the way they exploit one another and cause pain you are in the realm of politics, on some level.

What was particularly impressive by the [Donald] Trump campaign at the time is how they were so organized around the WikiLeaks stuff.

There's a better chance of a brokered convention than any time in our lifetime.

In history-as-politics, the 'future' is that vacuum in time waiting to be filled with the antics of statesmen.

You know, everybody knows some of what politicians say is malarkey, and having somebody there to call them on it is good. I'd be happy to do that any time and any place.

I always worry when someone's a good golfer. It's like you shouldn't have time to be good at anything. You should just be a politician and you shouldn't have time to practice golf.

Every time I see Dan Quayle I feel like buying a vowel.

President Obama has lowered taxes more than he has raised them, and they are today lower than they were in President Reagan's time. But you don't hear conservatives crowing about that.

A lot of people love Marco Rubio but they're gonna have - they also love Jeb Bush. They are having a hard time trying to figure out how they gonna - you know, figure that one out.

Obamacare represents a shocking display of political arrogance. It's about time Washington started listening to Americans' common sense voices.

Politicians have a tremendous amount of ego to be able to do it. It's very hard when the product your selling to an entire country is yourself and you're just selling the hell out of it all the time.

You can say you're a liberal and everybody laughs and it's a good time.