Whether for good or evil, it is sadly inevitable that all political leadership requires the artifices of theatrical illusion. In the politics of a democracy, the shortest distance between two points is often a crooked line.
—Arthur Miller, 2001Quotes
To be turned from one’s course by men’s opinions, by blame, and by misrepresentation shows a man unfit to hold office.
—Quintus Fabius Maximus, c. 203 BCI am invariably of the politics of the people at whose table I sit, or beneath whose roof I sleep.
—George Borrow, 1843Treaties, you see, are like girls and roses: they last while they last.
—Charles de Gaulle, 1963Every communist must grasp the truth: “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.”
—Mao Zedong, 1938On the loftiest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own rump.
—Michel de Montaigne, 1580The U.S. presidency is a Tudor monarchy plus telephones.
—Anthony Burgess, 1972The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure it is right.
—Judge Learned Hand, 1944A real leader is somebody who can help us overcome the limitations of our own individual laziness and selfishness and weakness and fear and get us to do better, harder things than we can get ourselves to do on our own.
—David Foster Wallace, 2000Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs which properly concern them.
—Paul Valéry, 1943The vice presidency isn’t worth a pitcher of warm piss.
—John Nance Garner, c. 1967You have all the characteristics of a popular politician: a horrible voice, bad breeding, and a vulgar manner.
—Aristophanes, c. 424 BCA riot is at bottom the language of the unheard.
—Martin Luther King Jr., c. 1967