George C. Wallace Quotes

I don't want to spend the rest of my life in politics. When I'm finished with my term as governor, I'm going back to the life that's waiting for me in the private sector.

Shortly after the end of last season, I felt that I probably would not return for the 1999-2000 season. I also felt that I should take as much time as possible to sort through my feelings and make sure that my feelings were backed with conviction.

While I loved aspects of the law, my upbringing had shown me that in politics, you could make policy decisions that actually changed people's lives - so I made my decision, and ran for my father's old seat.

I quite clearly have made the right decision in my heart, retirement was the way.

Contrary to what people say, my wife never turned me away from the presidency. She told me to reflect on it and do what I wanted.

I'm not into politics. I have received offers to enter politics, but I have not been tempted so far. I can't say about the future.

I have been immeasurably honored to serve the people of Maine for nearly 40 years in public office and for the past 17 years in the United States Senate. It was incredibly difficult to decide that I would not seek a fourth term in the Senate.

I was embarrassed when I went and told my parents that I was thinking about running for public office.

You don't run for the presidency out of nostalgia.

If I wanted to be president of the United States, I'd run for the Senate in 1986. And I'm just not going to do it.

I have no intention of running for office again.

Going into politics is something people have asked me about forever.

Every member of my family knows that running for office is a personal decision.

I have absolutely no plans and no expectations of ever being a candidate again.

For me retiring wasn't hard once I knew that that was the decision I was going to make.

In the spring of 1994 I decided not to seek reelection to the Senate. I had made the decision 12 years earlier, Christmas Day of 1982, just after I had been first elected to a full term, that I would do the best I could for a limited time.

I think I do want to go into politics. I really, really do. And I don't know if I will.

Even when I retired, there was part of me that didn't want to retire. But once you decide it's time to move on then you have to stick with it.

I can remember the day I decided I would retire from competitive athletics as vividly as if it were yesterday.

I came to Congress hoping to change the world; I now hope to be able to leave with my dignity.

Lyndon, please tell me as soon as you can what the deal is … I am afraid its politics. I would hate for you to go into politics.

Public men rarely keep their promises to retire from public life.

One of the advantages of no longer running for public office is that I don’t have to pretend to be nice to people I dislike.

I am not going to participate in professional politics again.

I know I should have never got into politics. And I've learned my lesson. No more politics.