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Sam Donaldson

Sam Donaldson Books

Journalist

Sam Donaldson is a renowned American journalist, known for his exceptional contributions to the field of television news. Born on March 11, 1934, he has held several key positions in his career, including anchoring important news programs, and is admired for his in-depth investigative reporting and direct questioning style.

Hold On, Mr. President

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“Call me a braggart, call me arrogant. People at ABC (and elsewhere) have called me worse. But when you need the job done on deadline, you'll call me.”

People Needs Done Jobs Call Me Elsewhere Arrogant Deadline Braggarts Arrogant People

Book:Hold On, Mr. President

Source: Hold On, Mr. President

“I saw a large, red dried swath that I immediately identified clearly as blood. I covered the war in Vietnam. I saw a lot of it [blood] there.”

War Saws Blood Red Covered Vietnam

Author:Sam Donaldson

“I don't know many people, if any, who have had some straight line toward success. I mean, they start here, they work hard, they've got what it takes, and they just go straight to the top over some number of years. Most people get a little failure.”

People Ifs Knows Years Mean Littles Hard Success Lines Numbers Hard Work Congratulations Straight Lines

Author:Sam Donaldson

“So when I cover the president, I try to remember two things: First, if you don't ask, you don't find out; and second, the questions don't do the damage. Only the answers do.”

Ifs Trying Firsts Two Remember Asks President Answers Damage Two Things

Book:Hold On, Mr. President

Source: Hold On, Mr. President

“The press . . . traditionally sides with authority and the establishment.”

Sides Authority Presses Establishment

Author:Sam Donaldson

“My personal opinion is that guns kill people.”

People Opinion Gun Personal Opinions

Author:Sam Donaldson

“Let's face it: Many on the political right believe this president ought not to be there - they oppose him not for his polices and political view but for who he is, an African American!”

Believe Faces Political President Views Policy Ought African American Political View

Author:Sam Donaldson

“In 27 years of reporting from Washington, I've never heard a President admit he made a mistake.”

Years Made President Mistake Heard Made A Mistake

Author:Sam Donaldson

“If you have a setback, and you're not doing well and then you overcome it somehow, it always sticks with you. You know it could happen again.”

Ifs Knows Wells Happens Overcoming Sticks Setback

Author:Sam Donaldson

“Well, I was born in El Paso, Texas, it was in the nearest hospital to the family farm.”

Wells Born Hospitals Texas Farms Hospitality Family Farms El Paso

Author:Sam Donaldson

“The questions don't do the damage. Only the answers do.”

Answers Damage Media Training

Book:Hold On, Mr. President

Source: Hold On, Mr. President

“The President's very shrewd”

President Stupid Humorous

Author:Sam Donaldson

“I was a typical farm boy. I liked the farm. I enjoyed the things that you do on a farm, go down to the drainage ditch and fish, and look at the crawfish and pick a little cotton.”

Looks Littles Boys Picks Fishes Enjoyed Farms Agriculture Typical Cotton Drainage Crawfish

Author:Sam Donaldson

“If you sent me to cover a pie-baking contest on Mother's Day, I'm going to ask dear old Mom why she used artificial sweetener or stole the apples!”

Ifs Used Mother Asks Mom Dear Journalism Apples Artificial Pie Contests Mothers Day Baking Sweeteners

Author:Sam Donaldson

“You really get the most out of sweet corn if you pick the corn off the stalk and rush it to a pot of boiling water. The longer you wait, the more sugar you lose. But if you get it in the first half hour, that is the sweetest corn ever.”

Ifs Firsts Waiting Water Hours Loses Half Sweet Picks Pot Sugar Corn Corny Sweetest Stalking Half Hours Boiling Boiling Water Sweet Corn

Author:Sam Donaldson

“It was kind of exciting being on the radio. Not everybody was on the radio.”

Kind Exciting Radio

Author:Sam Donaldson

“And from a military school which taught me that to fit into society, you can't just do anything you damn well please because it will suit you. And that it's much better to be with the winners than it is with the losers.”

Wells School Military Taught Fit Please Suits Winner Damn Loser Suits You Military School

Author:Sam Donaldson

“But in 1941, on December 8th, after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, my mother bought a radio and we listened to the war news. We'd not had a radio up to that time. I was born in 1934, so I was seven years of age.”

Years War Age Mother Born News Seven Radio Pearls Seven Years Harbors December

Author:Sam Donaldson

“I'd rather work with someone who's good at their job but doesn't like me, than someone who likes me but is a ninny.”

Inspirational Jobs Likes Like Me

Author:Sam Donaldson

“As I went to college, I went into radio and television. Now I suppose most people think that's one step ahead of basket weaving as a major in college, but it was part of the journalism department.”

People Thinking Steps Television College Majors Radio Journalism Department Baskets Weaving

Author:Sam Donaldson

“And really, the basis, I think, of achieving some success in what I want to do today comes from my mother's push to get me to read and to make something of myself from the standpoint of an education.”

Thinking Want Today Mother Achieve Bases Standpoint

Author:Sam Donaldson

“News conferences are the only chance the American public has to see Ronald Reagan use his mind.”

Mind Use Chance News Conferences

Author:Sam Donaldson

“There was a little bit of ham in me. And there's a lot of people say there's a lot of ham in me.”

People Littles Bits Little Bit Ham

Author:Sam Donaldson

“Some days the competition would beat me and I'd go home thinking awful thoughts, want to hide under the bed, depressed. But of course, in the news business, when you're working a daily news broadcast, you get your victories and defeats every day.”

Thinking Want Home Courses Victory Bed News Beats Competition Defeat Awful Victory And Defeat Daily News

Author:Sam Donaldson

“My mother gave me a push. If I hadn't had her, maybe I wouldn't have had the push. If I hadn't gone to military school, maybe I wouldn't have decided to get with the program. Maybe I'd be running a bulldozer, rather than going on and doing something more.”

Ifs Running School Mother Gone Military Program Decided Bulldozers Military School

Author:Sam Donaldson

“My mother did all she could to control me, but at age 14 she sent me to a military school.”

Age School Mother Military Military School

Author:Sam Donaldson

“It wasn't until the late '70s that a lot of people knew me.”

Author:Sam Donaldson

“I didn't come east of the Mississippi for the first time in my life until I was 26 years of age, but I knew. I read magazines, I listened to radio, I watched television. I knew there was something out there, and I wanted a part of it.”

Years Firsts Age Wanted Television First Time Radio East Magazines Mississippi

Author:Sam Donaldson

“And on election night I'd go down to city hall in El Paso, Texas and cover the election. In those days, of course, we didn't have exit polls. You didn't know who had won the election until they actually counted the votes. I thought that was exciting too.”

Knows Night Courses Cities Vote Exciting Election Halls Texas Polls Exit City Hall El Paso

Author:Sam Donaldson

“But as a young kid, I never did, really have an ambition to be a farmer. I never thought, gee, I would like to farm, and I want to raise these crops. I didn't quite know what I wanted to do.”

Knows Want Kids Wanted Young Ambition Raises Farms Farmers Crops

Author:Sam Donaldson

About the Author

Born: March 11, 1934
Known for: Journalist
Quotes: 30

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