Our nation stands at a fork in the political road. In one direction lies a land of slander and scare; the land of sly innuendo, the poison pen, the anonymous phone call and hustling, pushing, shoving; the land of smash and grab and anything to win. This is Nixonland. But I say to you that it is not America.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Stevenson warns against a political style defined by smear tactics, contrasting it with true American values.
- In plain terms
- One path uses dirty tricks to win, but that is not what America should be.
- What can you take from it?
- Unethical tactics undermine the nation's core principles.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What defines legitimate political competition?
- How do we reject dirty tricks?
Another view
It frames political competition in binary terms.
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