John Selden Quotes

I'm not consumed with political machinations.

I have a bit of pride, which is always my downfall.

They say that the commons of England would first destroy the king's friends and afterward himself, and then bring the Duke of York to be king so that by their false means and lies they may make him to hate and destroy his friends, and cherish his false traitors.

I do not want to be a pawn in a political campaign.

Politics is a blood sport.

I think to be in politics you have to have the taste for blood on that.

I am doing my best to prevent the corporations and the Republican Party Machine making me the … candidate for the vice presidency in order to get rid of me here as governor.

Councilors of state sit plotting their high chess-game whereof the pawns are men.

Self-destruction is such an interesting thing for a dramatist, and what's particular to Nixon is how human the failings were that led to his downfall.

Ego is certainly there in many of the greatest and most dizzying tales of success - but it's there in some of the greatest stories of failure and self-implosion as well.

Put your puppet on the throne." said Talathain. "You may make her Queen but she won’t be Queen for long.

The devil knew what he did when he made men politic; he crossed himself by it.

Politics is ugly. Never doubt what small men will do for great power.

When I was on Raw, I was like Julius Caesar, an all-powerful conquering hero who became so powerful that everyone around him had to conspire against him.

It felt, like, so far from - or far enough from the reality of things that we can enjoy it purely as entertainment. And now it feels a little bit too in alignment, honestly, but yeah - so we'll see how season five [House of Cards] goes over there.

When ambitious men find an open passage, they are rather busy than dangerous; and if well watched in their proceedings, they will catch them selves in their own snare, and prepare a way for their own destruction.

It is curious how vanity helps the successful man and wrecks the failure.

in the very long run any success devours - and perhaps also corrupts.

One of the things that happens to careers out here is that people destroy themselves because they begin to think they're wonderful. They begin to think they know what they're doing, and the minute that happens, it's over.

When the wind is right, a faint odor of kerosene is exhaled from Senator McCarthy.

Despair ruins some, presumption many.

Fortune makes him fool, whom she makes her darling.

Till swollen with cunning, of a self-conceit, His waxen wings did mount above his reach, And, melting, Heavens conspir'd his overthrow.

Any effort that has self-glorification as its final endpoint is bound to end in disaster.

I will be my undoing If I become my obsession.