“He should release the tax returns tomorrow. It's crazy. You've got to release six, eight, ten years back tax returns. Take the hit for a day or two. He has to give a big speech in defense of capitalism, and that will elevate, I think, this race above this tactical back and forth, which I do think he's on the margin of losing.” ThinkingGivingShouldYearsTwoBigsRaceCrazyReturnTomorrowRepublicanTenTaxesSpeechSixLosingCapitalismEightDefenseReleaseBack And ForthMarginsTacticalTax Returns Author:William Kristol
“If we free the people of Iraq, we will be respected in the Arab world... and I think we will be respected around the world.” PeopleIfsThinkingWorldIraqAround The WorldArab World Author:William Kristol
“Whenever I hear anything described as a heartless assault on our children, I tend to think it’s a good idea.” ThinkingChildrenIdeasOur ChildrenGood IdeasAssaultHeartless Author:William Kristol
“I think [Donald Trump] will do something on immigration.” ThinkingTrumpImmigration Author:William Kristol
“Republican Congressmen and senators will be in a very interesting place, where they have to support the president-elect - president - what will be President [Donald] Trump when they - when they agree with him, try to guide him in certain ways, I think oppose him on some things.” ThinkingWayTryingCertainPresidentInterestingSupportTrumpRepublicanAgreeGuidesSenatorsVery InterestingCongressmanInteresting Places Author:William Kristol
“Donald Trump beat Jeb Bush and beat Hillary Clinton. And when everyone thinks of Donald Trump that's pretty impressive.” ThinkingTrumpBeatsClintonImpressive Author:William Kristol
“Look, at actual Republican and conservative think-tank proposals to replace ObamaCare all have the pre-existing condition provision in, done somewhat differently from [Barack] President Obama's.” ThinkingLooksDonePresidentConditionsRepublicanConservativeBarackPresident ObamaProposalTanksProvisionObamacare Author:William Kristol
“I think that's what's - one of the things that is alarming to me is [Donald] Trump, and I think Trump supporters seem to believe, he won, huge upset, full credit to him, and has got the wind at his back. And Republicans on The Hill do want him to succeed, obviously, and they're deferring to him more than they deep down in private sort of wish - want to, but they are going to defer to him publicly for awhile. But I think that is going to run out faster than people think.” PeopleThinkingWantBelieveSeemsRunningWishWindHugeTrumpRepublicanSucceedCreditHillsFasterUpsetSupporterDeep DownWant Him Author:William Kristol
“He has a competent person, I think who will be confirmed as HHS secretary, Congressman Tom Price.” ThinkingPersonsTomsSecretaryCompetentCongressman Author:William Kristol
“I don't think you want political parties that are entirely driven by some extremely doctrinal ideology.” ThinkingWantPoliticalPartyDrivenIdeologyPolitical Parties 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
“I am on the whole a defender of the current, despite being a conservative. I mean, I think things are better than when I was younger.” ThinkingMeanWholeConservativeCurrentsDespiteDefenders 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
“There's a sort of romanticizing of the past. When you actually think about the past, you know it's a little different.” ThinkingKnowsLittlesDifferentPast Author:William Kristol
“Obviously I think politics is interesting and important and educational.” ThinkingImportantInterestingEducational Author:William Kristol
“I think reading intelligent expressions of different points of view is a good thing, and there is a way in which being in academia in a classroom at the University probably gives you, can give you an academic view of things, and reading actual real time debates about what should we do in Syria or the Buffett rule, budget issues...gives you a kind of sense that's hard to get in a classroom.” ThinkingWayGivingShouldKindDifferentRealHardReadingViewsIssuesExpressionIntelligentGood ThingsUniversityPoint Of ViewDebateBudgetsAcademicClassroomSyriaAcademiaDifferent Points Of ViewBuffett Author:William Kristol
“In any case, open-seat presidential elections like 2008 just are different in character from incumbent reelects, and I think that's the most important thing about this election - is that once there's an incumbent running for reelection, most of the debate is about, "Has he [Barack Obama] done a good job?" Most of the judgment is, "Do you want to keep him or do you want to replace him?" Now, the opponent has to also be acceptable and has to make his own case.” ThinkingWantImportantDifferentDoneCharacterRunningJobsCasesJudgmentElectionImportant ThingsDebateBarackPresidentialOpponentsSeatsAcceptableGood JobPresidential ElectionIncumbentsReelection Author:William Kristol
“I don't think [Mitt] Romney can sit there and wait to win because perhaps people are disappointed with President [Barack] Obama.” PeopleThinkingWinningWaitingPresidentBarackDisappointedRomneyPresident Barack Obama Author:William Kristol
“I think the whole dynamic is different. Whereas in [Barack] Obama's case, even though there was no incumbent, he was able to run against eight years of Bush-Cheney and a Republican Congress, and everyone was tired of everything. He was able to benefit from that.” ThinkingYearsDifferentWholeRunningAbleCasesRepublicanBenefitsTiredCongressEightBarackIncumbents Author:William Kristol
“Some journalists just get too wrapped up in daily news cycles and tempests in a teapot that are not going to make any difference. As someone who is older and has been through a few election cycles, maybe this is just being an old fogey, but I think I know what's going to really matter and what's not.” ThinkingKnowsHas BeensMatterDifferencesNewsElectionJournalistCyclesJust BeingTempestTeapotsDaily News 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
“If you look at the polls - the conservatives are fine.I think there will be a fair amount of enthusiasm, or at least motivation. They very much want to remove President [Barack] Obama.” IfsThinkingWantLooksMotivationPresidentFineAmountFairsEnthusiasmBarackRemovePollsPresident Barack Obama Author:William Kristol
“I like [ Rick] Santorum personally and respect him, but you wouldn't say that he was really that strong of an opponent. At the end of the day it wasn't like [Ronald] Reagan running against [George] Bush, or [George W.] Bush against [John] McCain, even. It's sort of surprising that Romney had as much trouble as he did, and I think it shows a weakness in appeal to those voters.” ThinkingEndsShowsRunningStrongTroubleWeaknessAppealsOpponentsThe End Of The DayVotersSurprisingRomneyMccain Author:William Kristol
“And on this issue of the Shia in Iraq, I think there's been a certain amount of, frankly, Terry, a kind of pop sociology in America that, you know, somehow the Shia can't get along with the Sunni and the Shia in Iraq just want to establish some kind of Islamic fundamentalist regime. There's almost no evidence of that at all. Iraq's always been very secular.” ThinkingKnowsWantKindAmericaCertainIssuesAmountEvidenceIraqPopsIslamicRegimesSecularSociologyFundamentalistShia Author:William Kristol
“Recalling that a good chunk of the 47 percent who don't pay income taxes are Romney supporters - especially of course seniors (who might well 'believe they are entitled to heath care,' a position Romney agrees with), as well as many lower-income Americans (including men and women serving in the military) who think conservative policies are better for the country even if they're not getting a tax cut under the Romney plan. So Romney seems to have contempt not just for the Democrats who oppose him, but for tens of millions who intend to vote for him.” IfsThinkingMenBelieveWellsCountrySeemsMightCareCoursesPayMillionsCuttingPlansMilitaryPolicyPositionTaxesPercentMen And WomenVoteAgreeDemocratIncludingConservativeIncomeServingContemptEntitledSeniorSupporterRomneyIncome TaxTax CutsChunksServing In The Military Author:William Kristol
