“It will be an unusual dynamic [in Congress]. It won't be like the rallying behind President [Barack] Obama in 2009 or behind President [George W.] Bush, even at the beginning of his presidency, or even [Bill] Clinton in '93, when he got his budget through on a partisan vote.” PresidentBehindsVoteBillsClintonCongressBarackBudgetsUnusualPresidencyPartisansPresident Barack ObamaPresident George W BushRallying Author:William Kristol
“I think there was a moment in the middle part of the century into the 60s, 70s when at least elite journalism claimed to be non-partisan. You can go back and look at it and wonder about how non-partisan it was.” ThinkingLooksMomentsWonderMiddleCenturyJournalismElitesPartisans Author:William Kristol
“People read the Tribune or the Sun-Times, you know, way back when the Tribune was a right-wing paper.It's always been somewhat that way. We take 10, 20 years in the 50s and 60s as kind of the norm, when there was this sort of bi-partisan parent consensus.” PeopleKnowsWayYearsKindParentSunPaperWingsNormConsensusRight WingBack WhenPartisansWay Back When Author:William Kristol
“The media claimed to be non-partisan, centrist. It's not been that way for a lot of history.” WayMediaPartisans Author:William Kristol
“For all the talk about the bitterness and the partisanship in American politics, is it really that bitter and partisan? Think of American history. Think of Joseph McCarthy. Think of the New Left. Think of [George] McGovern. Think of [Ronald] Reagan. Think of George Wallace. We've had an awful lot of real extremism on both wings.” ThinkingRealLeftWingsBitterAwfulBitternessAmerican HistoryAmerican PoliticsExtremismPartisansPartisanshipJoseph MccarthyGeorge Wallace Author:William Kristol
“I think it's fine that there are five million people who are watching [politics on TV], and obviously I'm happy they are since they're on the air, and there are a couple hundred thousand people reading The Weekly Standard online, and that's great too, but most Americans aren't engaged that intensely, and are much less partisan.” PeopleThinkingReadingMillionsFiveAirTvsFineCoupleThousandStandardsHundredEngagedOnlinePartisans Author:William Kristol
