“The reason we're governing right now is because we defeated moderate Republicans with moderate Democrats. And people need to be patient about that and realize that compromise is not evil.” PeopleNeedsReasonEvilRealizingRepublicanRight NowDemocratPatientCompromiseDefeatedModeratesBe PatientGoverning Author:Barack Obama
“[The Republican Party] consists of those who, believing in the doctrine that mankind are capable of governing themselves and hating hereditary power as an insult to the reason and an outrage to the rights of men, are naturally offended at every public measure that does not appeal to the understanding and to the general interest of the community.” MenBelieveDoeReasonGovernmentHateUnderstandingInterestCommunityPartyRightsMankindRepublicanCapableDoctrineAppealsInsultRepublican PartyOffendedGoverningOutrageHereditary Book:1829-1836 Source: 1829-1836
“Two-thirds of the Iranian people would like to be reconciled with the West. They don't like the fanaticism of the governing religious council. It's the only place in the world where the last six elections have been won by the more progressive candidate, two for president, two for the mayors, two for the parliament. So most people there are sympathetic to the world we Americans want to build, whether we're Republicans or Democrats. On the other hand, almost everybody there wants them to have nuclear power. They see it as a status symbol, and a sense of their own security.” PeopleWorldWantHas BeensTwoHandsLastsPresidentReligiousSecurityRepublicanSixThirdsElectionWestDemocratNuclearSymbolsCandidatesProgressiveParliamentCouncilGoverningFanaticismSympatheticMayorsPlaces In The WorldIranianNuclear PowerStatus Symbol Author:William J. Clinton
“With respect to some of the specific legislation or initiatives that I've made, it's true that Republicans often opposed these things. Sometimes they opposed them because I proposed them. Now that they are responsible for governing, I think they'll find that reversing them would be counterproductive.” ThinkingMadeSometimesWould BeRepublicanResponsibleMade ItInitiativeLegislationGoverningCounterproductive Author:Barack Obama
“We were very effective, and I was very effective, in shaping public opinion around my campaigns. But there were big stretches, while governing, where even though we were doing the right thing, we weren't able to mobilize public opinion firmly enough behind us to weaken the resolve of the Republicans to stop opposing us or to cooperate with us. And there were times during my presidency where I lost the PR battle.” EnoughBigsAbleLostBehindsOpinionRepublicanBattleCampaignsRight ThingResolvePresidencyPublic OpinionGoverningOpposingDoing The Right Thing Author:Barack Obama
“To sustain a governing majority, that requires an ability for Republicans and Democrats to find some common ground. And right now, the structure of the system is such where it makes it really hard for people to work together.” PeopleHardTogetherAbilityCommonRepublicanRight NowMajorityStructureDemocratWorking TogetherGoverningCommon Ground Author:Barack Obama
“Republicans - Reagan but also George W. Bush - believed in freedom, and they believed in America's role. To have the governing party speak in terms of a zero-sum world, or speak in terms of America's purpose as no more than grabbing the largest share possible in the short run, goes against our foreign policy tradition that goes back to 1900, really.” WorldRunningAmericaPurposeSpeakTermPartyRolesSharePolicyRepublicanTraditionZeroForeign PolicyGoverningGrabbing Author:Daniel Fried