We are all encouraged that Bush appears, really for the first time in his experience on the stage of presidential politics, relaxed. His comfort is our comfort. John Dean More Quotes by John Dean More Quotes From John Dean I began by telling the President that there was a cancer growing on the presidency, and if the cancer was not removed, the president himself would be killed by it. John Dean cancerpresidentwould-be History never exactly repeats itself, but it does some rather good impressions. John Dean repeatsimpressiondoe Had the Senate or House, or both, censured or somehow warned Richard Nixon, the tragedy of Watergate might have been prevented. Hopefully the Senate will not sit by while even more serious abuses unfold before it. John Dean abusetragedyhouse There's a cancer on the presidency. John Dean presidencycancer I fear for the democratic system. And I fear for our liberties. Only a small group of people fights for our liberties. Once we start on the slippery slope and those people are put in jeopardy, then we're really in trouble. John Dean Americans like to give their President the benefit of the doubt. If you look at the poll numbers, people knew Nixon was deeply involved in Watergate and stayed with him for a long time. It's a natural tendency. John Dean numberslongpeople An answer is always a form of death. John Dean formanswers Who voted for Trump? Who are these people who, as he famously said, would let him shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and still support him? It's people who want too strong a leader, who would do what that leader tells them. Similar to the Europeans following Mussolini and Hitler. There's a streak in humanity that likes that kind of leader. That's Trump's core. Authoritarianism. John Dean supportstrongpeople There's no good that can come out of secrecy. John Dean secrecy Bush had expertise in one thing: How to run a Presidential campaign. He understands campaigns and Presidential politics. He has no interest or disposition or I think probably - he's not stupid, but he's not bright, he's not a rocket scientist - he isn't interested in policy. John Dean stupidrunningthinking 9/11 changed everything. We lose more Americans every year drowning in the bathtub than through terrorism. But terrorism has been used as a lever to frighten people, pass legislation, sound tough and coerce us into giving away our rights in pursuit of phantom problems. John Dean toughgivingpeople There's a political reality about impeachment. It's purely a political process. The interpretation of "high crimes and misdemeanors" can reach a long way, all the way to sex in the Oval Office, which was an absurd use of the impeachment clause. John Dean officelongreality Doing time is like climbing a mountain wearing roller skates. John Dean climbingmountaintime I don't think Trump is a deeply self-aware person. But he's absolutely off the charts as a narcissist. He is the consummate narcissistic salesman. He is in fact a sick man. And that's potentially very dangerous. The only positive thing about Trump is that he has no ideology, he is an empty vessel, surrounded by people who give him ideas, and it only matters which ideas will shine the light on Trump. John Dean menpeoplethinking Bill Rehnquist makes Barry Goldwater look like a liberal. John Dean billslooks I've been surfing so many years and it's a pretty strong part of my life so I'm not gonna give that up. John Dean stronggivingyears Trump hasn't really done anything yet to abuse his powers. I don't even know if he knows what all his powers are as president. And that worries me. He will learn. After he learns how the presidency works, he could become much more dangerous, because his personality doesn't change. Once presidents find their powers, they don't give them up. They use them. John Dean personalityworrygiving Americans like to give their President the benefit of the doubt. John Dean presidentdoubtgiving Donald Trump hasn't blown us up yet. But he terrifies me. For one thing, the incompetence. He doesn't have any real understanding of how the presidency works or even how Washington works. The only comfort I have is that he is so imcompetent that he can't do anything to cause a real problem. John Dean understandingrealcomfort There is only one thing Donald Trump is interested in, and that's Donald Trump. John Dean
