best quotations about
Politics |
| 139 quotes | Visits: 12,700 |
Quotations
 | A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves and traitors are not victims... but accomplices. — George Orwell, 1903-1950, British writer 80 likes |
 | You can't get rich in politics unless you're a crook. — Harry Truman, 1884-1972, American President [1945-1953] 55 likes |
 | In politics, stupidity is not a handicap. — Napoleon, 1769-1821, French Emperor 35 likes |
 | Suppose you were an idiot and suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself. — Mark Twain, 1835-1910, American writer 35 likes |
 | Politics is a great art. It convinces people to pay for what has been stolen from them. — Andrzej Majewski, 1966-, Polish author of maxims 27 likes |
 | Politics is the systematic cultivation of hatred. — Talleyrand, 1754-1838, French statesman & diplomat 26 likes |
| An important art of politicians is to find new names for institutions which under old names have become odious to the public. — Talleyrand, 1754-1838, French statesman & diplomat 23 likes |
| My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician. And to tell the truth, there’s hardly any difference. — Harry Truman, 1884-1972, American President [1945-1953] 23 likes |
 | The best way to control the opposition is to lead it ourselves. — Vladimir Lenin, 1870-1924, Soviet revolutionary & leader 19 likes |
 | What is history but the story of how politicians have squandered the blood and treasure of the human race? — Thomas Sowell, 1930 -, American political thinker 17 likes |
 | Vote for the man who promises least; he’ll be the least disappointing. — Bernard Baruch, 1870-1965, American businessman & statesman 16 likes |
 | Presidents are selected, not elected. — Franklin Roosevelt, 1882-1945, American President [1936-1945] 16 likes |
 | One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. — Plato, 427-347 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher 16 likes |
 | In politics one comes with a brilliant future and leaves with a dark past. — Anonymous 15 likes |
| In politics... never retreat, never retract... never admit a mistake. — Napoleon, 1769-1821, French Emperor 14 likes |
 | By the time a man gets to be presidential material, he's been bought ten times over. — Gore Vidal, 1925-2012, American writer 14 likes |
 | In order to become the master, the politician poses as the servant. — Charles de Gaulle, 1890-1970, French President 14 likes |
 | Politics: a race of Trojan horses. — Stanislaw Jerzy Lec, 1906-1966, Polish author of maxims 13 likes |
 | Politics is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn’t happen. — Winston Churchill, 1874-1965, British Prime Minister, Nobel 1953 13 likes |
 | A politician divides mankind into two classes: tools and enemies. — Friedrich Nietzsche, 1844-1900, German philosopher 13 likes |
 | He knows nothing; and he thinks he knows everything. That points clearly to a political career. — George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950, Irish writer, Nobel 1925 13 likes |
 | A politician is a fellow who will lay down your life for his country. — Texas Guinan, 1884-1933, American actress 13 likes |
 | Politics is the first of the arts and the last of the trades. — Voltaire, 1694-1778, French philosopher & writer 12 likes |
 | Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied. — Otto von Bismarck, 1815-1898, German chancellor 11 likes |
 | Politics is the art of stopping people from minding their own business. — Paul Valery, 1871-1945, French poet 11 likes |
 | The political machine triumphs because it is a united minority acting against a divided majority. — Will Durant, 1885-1981, American historian & philosopher 11 likes |
 | Those against politics are in favor of the politics inflicted upon them. — Bertolt Brecht, 1898-1956, German writer 11 likes |
 | Politics is the art of using people. — Henry de Montherlant, 1895-1972, French writer 11 likes |
 | In politics, If you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman. — Margaret Thatcher, 1925-2013, British Prime Minister 10 likes |
 | In politics, as in grammar, the mistake that everyone makes is declared the rule. — André Malraux, 1901-1976, French writer & statesman 10 likes |
 | Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods. — H.L. Mencken, 1880-1956, American columnist & cultural critic 10 likes |
 | Some politician some years ago said that bad officials are elected by good voters who do not vote. — Dwight Eisenhower, 1890-1969, American general & President 10 likes |
| In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way. — Franklin Roosevelt, 1882-1945, American President [1936-1945] 10 likes |
| The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary. — H.L. Mencken, 1880-1956, American columnist & cultural critic 10 likes |
| Study history, study history. In history lies all the secrets of statecraft. — Winston Churchill, 1874-1965, British Prime Minister, Nobel 1953 9 likes |
 | Those people who treat politics and morality separately will never understand either of them. — Jean Jacques Rousseau, 1712-1778, Swiss-French philosopher 9 likes |
| It is unnatural for a majority to rule, for a majority can seldom be organized and united for specific action, and a minority can. — Jean Jacques Rousseau, 1712-1778, Swiss-French philosopher 9 likes |
 | The silence of the people is the lesson of kings. — Comte de Mirabeau, 1749-1791, main figure of the French Revolution 9 likes |
| Honesty in politics is the result of strength; hypocrisy is the result of weakness. — Vladimir Lenin, 1870-1924, Soviet revolutionary & leader 8 likes |
 | To say: “I'm not concerned about politics,” it is like saying: “I'm not concerned about life”. — Jules Renard, 1864-1910, French writer 8 likes |
 | Politics, n. A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage. — Ambrose Bierce, 1842–1914, American writer 8 likes |
 | Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed, there are many rewards, if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book. — Ronald Reagan, 1911-2004, American President [1981-1989] 8 likes |
| If politics were a musical, it would be “Promises, Promises”. — Ronald Reagan, 1911-2004, American President [1981-1989] 8 likes |
| I have come to the conclusion that politics are too serious a matter to be left to the politicians. — Charles de Gaulle, 1890-1970, French President 8 likes |
| Since a politician never believes what he says, he is quite surprised to be taken at his word. — Charles de Gaulle, 1890-1970, French President 8 likes |
 | Of course, I do not believe in having everyone who is a liberal called a communist, or everyone who is conservative called a fascist. — Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884-1962, Wife of the 32nd USA president 8 likes |
 | The only difference between the Democrats and the Republicans is that the Democrats allow the poor to be corrupt, too. — Oscar Levant, 1906-1972, American pianist 8 likes |
 | I am a Conservative to preserve all that is good in our constitution, a Radical to remove all that is bad. — Benjamin Disraeli, 1804-1881, British Prime Minister 7 likes |
 | Deceiving himself well is the first quality of the statesman. — Fernando Pessoa, 1888-1935, Portuguese poet & writer 7 likes |
| In philosophy, as in politics, the longest distance between two points is a straight line. — Will Durant, 1885-1981, American historian & philosopher 7 likes |
 | Politics is not the art of the possible. It consists in choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable. — John Kenneth Galbraith, 1908-2006, American-Canadian economist (Letter to John F. Kennedy ,2 March 1962) 7 likes |
 | The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a little longer. — Henry Kissinger, 1923-2023, American politician 7 likes |
| A good politician is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar. — H.L. Mencken, 1880-1956, American columnist & cultural critic 6 likes |
| A politician is a man who understands government. A statesman is a politician who's been dead for 15 years. — Harry Truman, 1884-1972, American President [1945-1953] 6 likes |
 | It only takes a politician believing in what he says for others to stop believing in him. — Jean Baudrillard, 1929-2007, French intellectual 6 likes |
 | Because politics is the science of the possible, it only appeals to second-rate minds. The first raters only interested in the impossible. — Arthur Clarke, 1917-2008, British Sci-Fi writer 5 likes |
| Politics is the art of the possible, the attainable — the art of the next best — Otto von Bismarck, 1815-1898, German chancellor 5 likes |
| Political institutions are a superstructure on the economic foundation. — Vladimir Lenin, 1870-1924, Soviet revolutionary & leader 5 likes |
| How can a president not be an actor? — Ronald Reagan, 1911-2004, American President [1981-1989] 5 likes |
| In politics it is necessary either to betray one's country or the electorate. I prefer to betray the electorate. — Charles de Gaulle, 1890-1970, French President 5 likes |
| A politician is a hybrid of a dancer and an accountant. — Paul Valery, 1871-1945, French poet 5 likes |
| The difficulty with businessmen entering politics, after they've had a successful business career, is that they want to start at the top. — Harry Truman, 1884-1972, American President [1945-1953] 5 likes |
 | If you want to succeed in politics you must keep your conscience firmly under control. — David Lloyd George, 1863-1945, British Prime Minister [1916-1922] 5 likes |
 | Most political speeches are unbelieveabull. — Frank Tyger, 1929-2011, American cartoonist 4 likes |
| In politics, an absurdity is not an impediment. — Napoleon, 1769-1821, French Emperor 4 likes |
 | Political success is the ability, when the inevitable occurs, to get credit for it. — Laurence J Peter, 1919-1990, Canadian writer & educator 4 likes |
| Half the American people never read a newspaper. Half never vote for President — the same half? — Gore Vidal, 1925-2012, American writer 4 likes |
| Real politics are the possession and distribution of power. — Benjamin Disraeli, 1804-1881, British Prime Minister 4 likes |
| The public is a ferocious beast: one must chain it up or flee from it. — Voltaire, 1694-1778, French philosopher & writer 4 likes |
| Extremes to the right and to the left of any political dispute are always wrong. — Dwight Eisenhower, 1890-1969, American general & President 4 likes |
| For art to be unpolitical means only to ally itself with the ruling group. — Bertolt Brecht, 1898-1956, German writer 4 likes |
 | In France, the first political principle is: everything you do is wrong and will remain wrong until it is me who does it. — André Frossard, 1915-1995, French politician & essayist 4 likes |
| Politics is not an exact science. — Otto von Bismarck, 1815-1898, German chancellor 3 likes |
| Political judgment is the ability to hear the distant hoofbeats of the horse of history. — Otto von Bismarck, 1815-1898, German chancellor 3 likes |
 | To be radical is to grasp things by the root. — Karl Marx, 1818-1883, German philosopher 3 likes |
 | Equations are more important to me, because politics is for the present, but an equation is something for eternity. — Albert Einstein, 1879-1955, German-Jewish physicist 3 likes |
| Opposition, n. In politics the party that prevents the Government from running amok by hamstringing it. — Ambrose Bierce, 1842–1914, American writer 3 likes |
| I've never been able to understand why a Republican contributor is a 'fat cat' and a Democratic contributor of the same amount of money is a 'public-spirited philanthropist'. — Ronald Reagan, 1911-2004, American President [1981-1989] 3 likes |
 | Where there is politics or economics, there is no morality. — Friedrich von Schlegel, 1772-1829, German writer 3 likes |
 | He serves his party best who serves the country best. — Rutherford B. Hayes, 1822-1893, American President [1877-1881] 3 likes |
| Political necessities sometimes turn out to be political mistakes. — George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950, Irish writer, Nobel 1925 3 likes |
| You cannot trust the interests of any class entirely to another class; and you cannot trust the interests of any sex to another sex. — David Lloyd George, 1863-1945, British Prime Minister [1916-1922] 3 likes |
 | In politics, what begins in fear usually ends in folly. — Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1772-1834, English poet & philosopher 3 likes |
 | The politics of the university are so intense because the stakes are so low. — Wallace Stanley Sayre, 1905-1972, American political scientist 2 likes |
| What do you want to be a sailor for? There are greater storms in politics than you will ever find at sea. Piracy, broadsides, blood on the decks. You will find them all in politics. — David Lloyd George, 1863-1945, British Prime Minister [1916-1922] 2 likes |
| Men can have friends, statesmen cannot. — Charles de Gaulle, 1890-1970, French President 2 likes |
| I have against me the bourgeois, the military and the diplomats, and for me, only the people who take the Métro. — Charles de Gaulle, 1890-1970, French President 2 likes |
 | When a politician is in opposition he is an expert on the means to some end; and when he is in office he is an expert on the obstacles to it. — G. K. Chesterton, 1874-1936, English writer & critic 2 likes |
 | In the United States, politics is a profession, whereas in Europe it is a right and a duty. — Umberto Eco, 1932-2016, Italian writer 2 likes |
 | I seldom think of politics more than 18 hours a day. — Lyndon Johnson, 1908-1973, American President [1963-1969] 2 likes |
| Politicians should read science fiction, not westerns and detective stories. — Arthur Clarke, 1917-2008, British Sci-Fi writer 2 likes |
 | The important question is, “how many hands have I shaked?” — George W. Bush, 1946-, American President 2 likes |
 | All parties without exception, when they seek for power, are varieties of absolutism. — Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, 1809-1865, French anarchist 2 likes |
 | If you don’t want a man unhappy politically, don’t give him two sides to a question to worry him; give him one. Better yet, give him none. — Ray Bradbury, 1920-2012, American sci-fi writer 2 likes |
 | People who believe in politics are like people who believe in God: they are sucking wind through bent straws. |
 | In politics, as in every other sphere of life, there are two important principles for a man of any sense: don’t cherish too many illusions, and never stop believing that every little bit helps. |
 | Wise politics is the art of strengthening society and weakening the State. |
| The fact that so many successful politicians are such shameless liars is not only a reflection on them, it is also a reflection on us. When the people want the impossible, only liars can satisfy. |
 | To abstain from politics is in itself a political attitude. |
 | Now and then an innocent man is sent to the legislature. |
 | In politics, we must always have a bone to throw to the rebels. |
 | Sooner or later...one has to take sides – if one is to remain human. |
| A political leader must keep looking over his shoulder all the time to see if the boys are still there. If they aren’t still there, he’s no longer a political leader. — Bernard Baruch, 1870-1965, American businessman & statesman |
 | In politics, every day is filled with numerous opportunities for serious error. Enjoy it. |
| Don’t do or say things you would not like to see on the front page of The Washington Post. |
 | Nobody should have any illusions. The United States has essentially a one-party system and the ruling party is the business party. — Noam Chomsky, 1928-, American linguist, philosopher, social activist |
 | We all know what Parliament is, and we are all ashamed of it. |
 | Politics offers yesterday’s answers to today’s questions — Marshall McLuhan, 1911-1980, Canadian academic & media theorist |
| Politics will eventually be replaced by imagery. The politician will be only too happy to abdicate in favor of his image, because the image will be much more powerful than he could ever be. — Marshall McLuhan, 1911-1980, Canadian academic & media theorist |
| Politics is the art of harnessing the passions of others for your own benefit. |
| Religion is the venereal disease of mankind. Politics is the cancer. |
| Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation. |
| The most common illness among politicians is amnesia. |
 | I rarely meet a politician that I don't like personally. They are generally well endowed with charm. Therein lies the danger. |
| Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work, and then they get elected and prove it. |
| Politics is the business of getting power and privilege without possessing merit. |
 | Political tags - such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth - are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire. |
 | Politics: the art of appearing candid and completely open while concealing as much as possible. |
 | Politics in a literary work, is like a gun shot in the middle of a concert, something vulgar, and however, something which is impossible to ignore. |
| Man matures when he stops believing that politics solves his problems. |
| The first lesson of economics is scarcity: there is never enough of anything to fully satisfy all those who want it. The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics. |
 | That’s a crooked tree. We’ll send him to Washington. |
Personal Stories
 | When we got into office, the thing that surprised me most was to find that things were just as bad as we’d been saying they were. — John Kennedy, 1917-1963, American President [1961-1963] 3 likes |
| Jack was out kissing babies while I was out passing bills. Someone had to tend the store. — Lyndon Johnson, 1908-1973, American President [1963-1969] (“Jack” being the president J.F. Kennedy) 3 likes |
Latin Quotes
 | The voice of the people is the voice of God. Vox populi, vox dei. 50 likes |
Funny Quotes
 | In America, anyone can become president. That’s the problem. — George Carlin, 1936-2008, American comedian 24 likes |
| Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason. — Mark Twain, 1835-1910, American writer 17 likes |
| It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first. — Ronald Reagan, 1911-2004, American President [1981-1989] 13 likes |
| I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the US Congress. — Ronald Reagan, 1911-2004, American President [1981-1989] 9 likes |
 | Everything is changing. People are taking the comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke. — Will Rogers, 1879-1935, American actor 7 likes |
 | The way my luck is running, if I was a politician I would be honest. — Rodney Dangerfield, 1924-2004, American comedian 5 likes |
 | Too bad that all the people who know how to run the country are busy driving taxicabs and cutting hair. — George Burns, 1896-1996, American comedian 4 likes |
| Politicians are wonderful people as long as they stay away from things they don't understand, such as working for a living. |
| The Democrats said, “We don't know what's wrong with America, but we can fix it.” The Republicans said, “There's nothing wrong with America, and we can fix that.” |
Stupid Quotes
| I don't think there will be a woman prime minister in my lifetime. — Margaret Thatcher, 1925-2013, British Prime Minister (on “Val meets the V.I.P.s”, BBC, 5 March, 1973) 2 likes |
Ancient Greek
 | Cities are doomed when they are unable to distinguish the great men from the bad. Τότε τας πόλεις απόλλυσθαι, όταν μη δύνωνται τους φαύλους από των σπουδαίων διακρίνειν. — Antisthenes, 445-360 BC, Ancient Greek Cynic philosopher 15 likes |
 | Man is by nature a city animal. Ο άνθρωπος φύσει πολιτικόν ζώον. — Aristotle, 384-322 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher (or political animal) 8 likes |
 | We must look beneath every stone, lest it conceal some politician ready to sting us. Υπό λίθω γαρ παντί νου χρη μη δάκη ρήτωρ αθρείν. — Aristophanes, 445-386 BC, Ancient Greek comic playwright ‐ Thesmophoriazusae 5 likes |
 | Respect neither anarchy nor tyranny. Το μητ’ άναρχον μήτε δεσποτούμενον... σέβειν. — Aeschylus, 525-456 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Eumenides 2 likes |
