Presidental Quotes

Several times this past week, I began to pen a righteous post about July 4^th, the Declaration of Independence, and my feelings regarding the current state of American politics.  However after spending some time rummaging the web for quotes from American Presidents and Vice Presidents, I realized I didn’t need to write anything at all; instead the bits were already there, waiting for me to piece them together.

And so for my Fourth of July post, I present to you some of my favorite quotes taken from this nation’s most prominent leaders.  Some quotes are impressive for their intellect and understanding of the human condition, while others are impressive for their lack thereof. I hope you take a moment to revel in some of these thoughts from our country's leaders.  Meanwhile you should note that my research helped me recognize two things: 1) some of our past leaders were true visionaries and 2) I think it would be oodles of fun to play a long drunken game of beer bong quarters with Dan Quayle, and I don't even like beer.

George Washington:

“Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder.”

Richard Nixon:

''I was under medication when I made the decision to burn the tapes.''

Abraham Lincoln:

"It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt."

George Bush:

"Thank you, your Holiness. Awesome speech." (As spoken to Pope Benedict)

Barack Obama:

“UPS and FedEx are doing just fine, right? It's the Post Office that's always having problems." (Attempting to make the case for government-run healthcare)

Dan Quayle:

“What a waste it is to lose one's mind. Or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is.”

Joe Biden:

"If we do everything right, if we do it with absolute certainty, there's still a 30% chance we're going to get it wrong."

Dan Quayle:

"The future will be better tomorrow."

Al Gore:

“A zebra does not change its spots.”

George Washington:

“I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.”

Bill Clinton:

''I want to say one thing to the American people. I want you to listen to me. I'm going to say this again: I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.''

Harry Truman:

“If you can't convince them, confuse them.”

George Bush:

“And so the fact that they purchased the machine meant somebody had to make the machine. And when somebody makes a machine, it means there's jobs at the machine-making place." 

Barack Obama:

"The point I was making was not that Grandmother harbors any racial animosity. She doesn't. But she is a typical white person, who, if she sees somebody on the street that she doesn't know, you know, there's a reaction that's been bred in our experiences that don't go away and that sometimes come out in the wrong way, and that's just the nature of race in our society."

Joe Biden:

His mom lived in Long Island for ten years or so. God rest her soul. And although, she's…wait…your mom's still…your mom's still alive? Your dad passed. God bless her soul." (Referring to the mother of Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen, who is alive) 

Dan Quayle:
"The Holocaust was an obscene period in our nation's history. I mean in this century's history. But we all lived in this century. I didn't live in this century."

Teddy Roosevelt:

Believe you can and you're halfway there.

Barack Obama:

“I’ve now been in 57 states.” (Referring to touring the U.S)

Al Gore:

"During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet."

Dan Quayle:

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure."

Dwight Eisenhower:

“I shall make that trip. I shall go to Korea.”

George Bush:

I remember meeting a mother of a child who was abducted by the North Koreans right here in the Oval Office.”

Teddy Roosevelt:

"There can be no greater issue than that of conservation in this country."

Dan Quayle:

"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it."

Gerald Ford:

“There must be a belief on the part of both that there is nothing of a higher priority than the sanctity and continuation of the relationship." (Referring to his feeling on marriage)

Bill Clinton:

''If I were a single man, I might ask that mummy out. That's a good-looking mummy.” (Referring to Juanita, a then newly discovered Incan mummy).

Jimmy Carter:

“I’ve looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times. God knows I will do this and forgives me.”

John F. Kennedy:

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”

George Bush:
"Rarely is the questioned asked: Is our children learning?"

Dan Quayle:

“I was recently on a tour of Latin America and the only regret I have was that I didn’t study Latin harder in school so I could converse with those people.”

(See…now do you understand why I want to play quarters with Quayle? How much fun would that be?)