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If the current polls are reliable... Nixon will be re-elected by a huge majority of Americans who feel he is not only more honest and more trustworthy than George McGovern, but also more likely to end the war in Vietnam. The polls also indicate that Nixon will get a comfortable majority of the Youth Vote. And that he might carry all fifty states... This may be the year when we finally come face to face with ourselves; finally just lay back and say it - that we are really just a nation of 220 million used car salesmen with all the money we need to buy guns, and no qualms at all about killing anybody else in the world who tries to make us uncomfortable. The tragedy of all this is that George McGovern, for all his mistakes... understands what a fantastic monument to all the best instincts of the human race this country might have been, if we could have kept it out of the hands of greedy little hustlers like Richard Nixon. McGovern made some stupid mistakes, but in context they seem almost frivolous compared to the things Richard Nixon does every day of his life, on purpose... Jesus! Where will it end? How low do you have to stoop in this country to be President?

Hunter S. Thompson#19

PoliticsSocietyLeadershipMoralityCritique

About this quote

What does it mean?
The author critiques American politics by suggesting voters prioritize comfort and aggression over genuine honesty or morality.
In plain terms
Voters chose leaders who promise safety and war over honest ideals.
What can you take from it?
Public opinion can favor comfort over moral integrity.

Where it applies

  • evaluating political leaders
  • discussing national values
  • analyzing polls

Putting it to work

  • question national priorities
  • critique voter behavior

Questions to consider

  • What qualities do you value in leadership?
  • How does society define a honest nation?

Another view

This reflects a specific historical moment rather than universal truth.

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