The most successful politician is he who says what everybody is thinking most often and in the loudest voice.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Politicians succeed by loudly echoing common public opinions rather than offering unique ideas.
- In plain terms
- Politicians win by saying what everyone thinks in a loud voice.
- What can you take from it?
- Echoing popular opinion often wins political support.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What drives political success?
- Should leaders follow or lead opinion?
Another view
True leadership may require saying unpopular truths instead of echoing common views.
More from Theodore Roosevelt
The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.
Permalink to quote #119 The one thing I want to leave my children is an honorable name.
Permalink to quote #121 The man who loves other countries as much as his own stands on a level with the man who loves other women as much as he loves his own wife.
Permalink to quote #118
Related quotes
Not at all; not at all... as is obvious now; now they admit that. He was hated by political opponents as he suppressed all opposition political forces, but he …
George GallowayGeorge Galloway quote #24 No foreign policy - no matter how ingenious - has any chance of success if it is born in the minds of a few and carried in the hearts of none.
Henry KissingerHenry Kissinger quote #40 What he's done -- what his supporters have done -- is astonishing... You can't dismiss the power of one man standing up with a powerful message... Washington i…
Ron PaulRon Paul quote #133