Thomas B. Edsall Quotes

In government, consensus is more important than command; persuasion not only works better than arrogance, it's vital to the democratic process.

I have never seen American politics so divisive…. We can’t have Congressman not voting for things America needs because it is not popular in their district. We have to put America first.

People don't like to vote against something that's so incredibly popular.

You can't please everybody all the time, but you can please a majority.

If a President doesn't make enemies, he just won't be a very good President, that's all.

You want consensus, but there are times when people are just not going to agree. So you just have to decide.

The problem for a politician of listening to the people, is that they don’t always agree.

Every member has his own way of sorting out the conflict between personal judgment and constituent opinion.

It is impossible for a Minister to please the many without displeasing the few

I have no delusions about my likability in every scenario. I know that in order to get things done the way you want them, oftentimes your position will be unpopular.

Peace comes when you talk to the guy you most hate. And that's where the courage of a leader comes, because when you sit down with your enemy, you as a leader must already have very considerable confidence from your own constituency.

The brave view is that talking it out helps work it out. Maybe the realistic view is that talking it out inflames the issues further. But that is America, especially these days.

The president in Finland has to understand that there are many different thoughts and opinions and that they must be taken into account so that he could be the president of the whole nation.

As a woman, my style defines my leadership. It's a gentler, more compassionate approach. I consult, I listen and I compromise where it's in the best interest of the citizens.

The job of a leader, the job of a governor, the job of a president, is to get the people in the room and bang enough heads together and rub enough arms and cajole enough to have them put the country and the state's greater interest ahead of their own personal partisan interest. That's what we did in New Jersey and that's the model for America.

Though the views of members of the House and Senate are as divergent as the people we represent, we bear the responsibility to work through our political differences and get things done. That's our job.

As long as we're in a democracy, I have to give what I think the majority of people will enjoy.

Giving people what they want isn't just good radio; it's also the right way to run a country.

You can never solve a problem without talking to people with whom you disagree. The United States Senate is predicated and based on consensus building. That was certainly the vision of the founding fathers.

I don't have the ability to find a middle ground with my audiences, and I know this too well.

In our so-called democracy we are accustomed to give the majority what they want rather than educate them to understand what is best for them.

When we run for office, our job is to work for everybody. You can't work for everybody if you don't listen to everybody.

Governing is hard. If you’re in the majority, you’ve got to do the hard work of governing

I trust the American people. They almost always get it right …

I grieve to see that the Government is governed by the hurrahs of the soldiers or the citizens. It does not lead opinion, but follows it.