Peter Hart, the pollster, has a question when he asks about presidential or vice presidential candidates, what kind of a neighbor would they be? And several Democrats - George W. Bush was always seen to be a good friendly neighbor who would pick up the newspapers if you were out of town or check your mail.

Mark Shields

Categorized in : Friendly Good Friend Presidential

There is always strength in numbers. The more individuals or organizations that you can rally to your cause, the better.

Mark Shields

causes organization numbers

George Washington was the president who could never tell a lie, and Richard Nixon was the president who could never tell the truth. Donald Trump is truly the president who can't tell the difference.

Mark Shields

telling-the-truth president lying

There's nothing wrong with being organized.Things that change history tend to be organized.

Mark Shields

organized

Dan Coats, retiring senator from Indiana, a mild-mannered man, a former United States ambassador to Germany, former congressman, said of Ted Cruz he's the most self-centered, narcissistic, pathological liar I have ever seen.And he said, you can quote me on that.

Mark Shields

self liars men

This is America, where a white Catholic male Republican judge was murdered on his way to greet a Democratic Jewish woman member of Congress, who was his friend. Her life was saved initially by a 20-year old Mexican-American gay college student, and eventually by a Korean-American combat surgeon, all eulogized by our African American President.

Mark Shields

gay college white

The White House, as Warren Harding said, and I think accurately, is an alchemist. We find out the strengths, the weaknesses and the smarts and the dumbs of whoever those occupants are under the pressure of the presidency.

Mark Shields

smart white thinking

Everybody who served in John Kerry's boat under his command save one has stood with him.

Mark Shields

john-kerry boat sea

The fact is that it's the most dangerous place to be on the political scale is to brand those on the other side as racist. That's the atomic bomb. That's the nuclear weapon of an American.

Mark Shields

political sides facts

You've got people who didn't serve with John Kerry saying they did serve with John Kerry in the boat. With George Bush, we can't find anybody who did serve with him.

Mark Shields

john-kerry boat people

I have my disagreements with President Obama, but President Obama has run an amazingly scandal-free administration, not only he himself, but the people around him. He's chosen people who have been pretty scandal-free.

Mark Shields

president running people

You have to understand that Republicans are on lockstep on one issue. They will not raise taxes. Democrats are in lockstep on another issue, pro-choice in all cases on abortion.

Mark Shields

abortion issues choices

Mitt Romney looks like a secretary of state. He looks like the chancellor of the exchequer.

Mark Shields

secretary states looks

The economy of the United States gross domestic product doubled from 1996 to 2015, doubled, more than, $8.8 trillion to $17.1 trillion. And the median household income went down.

Mark Shields

income economy united-states

When you have got military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, they're intended for one purpose. And that is to inflict as much damage on human beings in as short as time as possible.

Mark Shields

assault-weapons style military

The problem with smear campaigns is that too often they work.

Mark Shields

smear-campaigns campaigns problem

Tim Kaine kind of gives the warmer, human face of the Democrats.

Mark Shields

kind faces giving

The stated objective and the mission of Vladimir Putin's Russia is to destabilize the North Atlantic Alliance.

Mark Shields

alliances putin russia

I believe devoutly that the national election is the closest thing we have to a civic sacrament of democracy. And I really do think that heed must be paid, and when people make a decision, those who are on the other side, including me, accept it, for that reason.

Mark Shields

believe people thinking

People in the White House work hard, whatever administration. They get rewarded in psychic income, a sense that they are involved in something bigger than themselves, that it's important.

Mark Shields

psychics hard-work white

I think part of Donald Trump's appeal is that he's a guy that does cut corners, that he's the guy that does get deals and maybe does break a speed limit. I think there was sort of a roguish, rascally, but I get things done even if I break the rules.

Mark Shields

cutting guy thinking