I think that if you make a strong statement of principle, even if the folks disagree with you, people will respect you for it. Joe Klein More Quotes by Joe Klein More Quotes From Joe Klein For the past several years, I've been harboring a fantasy, a last political crusade for the baby-boom generation. We, who started on the path of righteousness, marching for civil rights and against the war in Vietnam, need to find an appropriately high-minded approach to life's exit ramp. Joe Klein baby war past Dictating to dictators doesn't work; they are congenitally delusional about their own indispensability. Joe Klein diplomacy dictator delusional We should never go to war unless we have been attacked or are under direct, immediate threat of attack. Never. And never again. Joe Klein threat should war You know, larger than life is always better than smaller than life in politicians. And, you know, God save us from mediocrities. Joe Klein larger-than-life mediocrity life-is What do you do in a novel? You take recognizable characters from your own life, and you fantasize about what they're really like. Joe Klein novel character We journalists are never so idiotic as when we analyze things that we shouldn't be analyzing. Joe Klein analyzing idiotic journalist Diversity has been written into the DNA of American life; any institution that lacks a rainbow array has come to seem diminished, if not diseased. Joe Klein rainbow diversity dna I'm in favour of politicians having extra-marital relationships. Oh yeah. It makes them more understanding of the flaws that the rest of us have. Joe Klein favour flaws understanding Back in George W. Bush's second term, when diplomatic realism began to overtake foolish bellicosity, the president developed one of his patented nicknames for the two most powerful neoconservative journalists, William Kristol and Charles Krauthammer: he called them 'the Bomber Boys.' Joe Klein powerful boys two Bush the Elder's stature as president grows with every passing year. He was the finest foreign policy president I've ever covered and a man who defied his party on tax increases while imposing budget restrictions on the Democrats. Joe Klein party men years Ever since John Kennedy, Democrats have had a weakness for dashing younger men like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama and, I suppose, Jimmy Carter. They balance their tickets with senior statesmen - Lyndon Johnson, Joe Biden, Walter Mondale. (Al Gore was young but played ancient). Joe Klein senior balance men In point of fact, 'Simpson-Bowles' has become a symbol, or SimBowl, rather than an actual plan, political shorthand for the process of long-term deficit reduction. Joe Klein political long facts For me, a really radical position for journalism to take is to stop being cynical. Cynicism is what passes for insight among the mediocre. Joe Klein cynical journalism cynicism Barack Obama's inspirational whoosh to the presidency in 2008 was unusual. Most campaigns are less exhilarating; indeed, they are downright disappointing - until someone wins. Joe Klein campaigns winning inspirational Political courage requires clarity. The Obama Administration chose the tortured route of arguing the legality of the individual mandate via the interstate commerce clause for one simple reason: it did not want to take the political risk of allowing opponents to call it a tax increase. That was stupid. The Republicans were calling it a tax increase anyway. Joe Klein political-courage clarity political Affirmative action was always racial justice on the cheap. Joe Klein affirmative action justice I invented the psychological histories and the relationship between Jack and Susan Stanton. I didn't know anything about the Clintons. I don't know more about the Clintons' marriage than you do. Joe Klein know you marriage relationship In 2012 there was a megafoolish, if well-funded, effort by a group called Americans Elect to raise an independent Cincinnatus to run for president via an Internet draft. It flopped, spectacularly. Joe Klein run group internet effort Republicans should embrace the possibility that Obamacare could pave the way toward lower health care entitlement spending overall. That won't be easy. But it's not unthinkable, either. Joe Klein care health easy way That was the miracle of Abraham Lincoln, politician. He pursued the high purpose of moving justice forward via the low arts of patronage and patronization. Indeed, in a democracy, it is usually the only way great deeds are done. Joe Klein great democracy justice way
