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George Will

George Will Quotes

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George Will (born May 4, 1941) is a prominent American conservative political commentator, columnist, and author. He is best known for his syndicated column in The Washington Post, which earned him a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1977. Will is also a regular contributor to Fox News and has written numerous books on politics, culture, and baseball. His work emphasizes traditional values, limited government, and free markets, making him a key figure in modern American conservatism.

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Famous George Will Quotes

“(Barry) Bonds' records must remain part of baseball's history. His hits happened. Erase them and there will be discrepancies in baseball's bookkeeping about the records of the pitchers who gave them up. George Orwell said that in totalitarian societies, yesterday's weather could be changed by decree. Baseball, indeed America, is not like that. Besides, the people who care about the record book - serious fans - will know how to read it. That may be Bonds' biggest worry.”

People Knows May Said Book Care America Worry Know How Records Happened Fans Changed Serious Baseball Yesterday Weather Who Cares Pitcher Erase Decree Well Said Discrepancies Bookkeeping

Author:George Will

“As Aristotle said, happiness is not a condition that is produced or stands on its own; rather, it is a frame of mind that accompanies an activity. But another frame of mind comes first. It is a steely determination to do well.”

Mind Firsts Wells Said Conditions Activity Determination Accompany Frame Of Mind

Author:George Will

“Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal.”

“The designs of the paper euros, introduced in 2002, proclaim a utopian aspiration. Gone are the colorful bills of particular nations, featuring pictures of national heroes of statecraft, culture and the arts, pictures celebrating unique national narratives. With the euro, 16 nations have said goodbye to all that.”

Art Said Culture Nations Gone Design Particular Hero Paper Unique Bills Celebrate Narrative Aspiration Goodbye Colorful Euro Utopian

Author:George Will

“Baseball is a habit. The slowly rising crescendo of each game, the rhythm of the long season--these are the essentials and they are remarkably unchanged over nearly a century and a half. Of how many American institutions can that be said?”

Long Said Games Half Century Habit Essentials Baseball Seasons Institutions Rhythm Rising Crescendo

Author:George Will

“As has been said, standards are always out of date - that is why we call them standards.”

Has Beens Said Political Standards

Author:George Will

“Mitch McConnell, 72, is second only to Henry Clay as the state's most consequential public servant. McConnell's skills have been honed through five terms. He is, however - let us say the worst - not cuddly. National Review has said he has 'an owlish, tight-lipped public demeanor reminiscent of George Will.' Harsh. But true.”

Has Beens Said States Term Five Worst Skills Servant Reviews Harsh Clay Notable Public Servants Demeanor

Author:George Will

“It is said that God gave us memory so we could have roses in winter. But it is also true that without memory we could not have self in any season. The more memories you have, the more you have. That is why, as Swift said, No wise man ever wished to be younger.”

Men Said Self Memories Wise Seasons Rose Winter

Author:George Will

“Recently the country has seen too much of our legislators, seeing them as a gaggle of check-kiting, judge-smearing deadbeats who don't pay their restaurant bills but raise their pay in the middle of the night. Many Americans-this columnist included-hitherto said tax increases are justified by the budget deficit now say: Give that mob more money? Never. Not a nickel of new taxes until term limits change the political culture on Capital Hill.”

“Once when the Yankee's Lou Pinella was batting he questioned a Palermo strike call. Pinella demanded, "Where was that pitch at?" Palermo told him that a man wearing Yankee pinstripes in front of 30,000 people should not end a sentence with a preposition. So Pinella, no dummy, said, "OK, where was that pitch at, asshole?"”

People Men Should Said Ends Fronts Sentences Strikes Yankees Umpires Batting Dummy Prepositions

Author:George Will

“Let's note, that in what I consider the most disgraceful performance abroad by an American official in my lifetime - something not exampled since Jane Fonda sat on the anti-aircraft gun in Hanoi to be photographed - Mr. McDermott said in effect, not in effect, he said it, we should take Saddam Hussein at his word and not take the President at his word. He said the United States is simply trying to provoke. I mean, why Saddam Hussein doesn't pay commercial time for that advertisement for his policy, I do not know.”

“Greek philosophers considered sport a religious and civic-in a word, moral-undertaking. Sport, they said, is morally serious because mankind's noblest aim is the loving contemplation of worthy things, such as beauty and courage.”

Said Sports Religious Moral Mankind Serious Aim Philosopher Worthy Greek Contemplation They Said Civics Undertakings Greek Philosopher Worthy Things

Book:Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball

Source: Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball

“For as long as I can remember the slogan has been ... the federal government ought to behave more like families, because families balance their budgets. It turns out that families looked around and said, "You know what? Let's behave more like the government!"”

Knows Long Has Beens Said I Can Government Remember Turns Business Ought Balance Finance Budgets Behave Federal Government Slogans Budgeting Like Family

Author:George Will

About the Author

Born: May 4, 1941
Known for: Columnist
Quotes: 252

Related Topics

Government Political People America Ifs Baseball Politics President Should Knows Men Nations Said Thinking World Sports States Term Firsts Politician

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

The pursuit of happiness, and other sobering thoughtsRelated source material

Suddenly: The American Idea Abroad and at Home, 1986-1990Related source material

With a Happy Eye, But...: America and the World, 1997--2002Related source material

One Man's America: The Pleasures and Provocations of Our Singular NationRelated source material

Statecraft as SoulcraftRelated source material

The Leveling Wind: Politics, the Culture, and Other News, 1990-1994Related source material

BuntsRelated source material

The Pursuit of Virtue and Other Tory NotionsRelated source material

The Morning After: American Successes and Excesses, 1981-1986Related source material

Men at Work: The Craft of BaseballRelated source material

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