Robert M. La Follette Quotes

In Shahjahanpur, there was not much of a political fight. It was my family constituency and I knew all the voters and their problems and needs.

We have too many politicians who are poll-driven to excess. Polls are important. You've got to know what the public is thinking, but you can't let them drive you completely.

A Senate seat is a terrible thing to waste.

When the mayor's concerned about something, eveybody's concerned about it.

The public, by and large, trusts its leaders not only to tell the truth, but to get the job done. When they don’t get the job done, they get punished, and when they don’t get the job done and it comes out that they lied, they’re in really serious trouble. This is what happened to [Lyndon] Johnson and it’s what happened to [George W,] Bush. If you’re going to tell a lie, make sure the policy works out.

Politicians around the world are very different, but they all have one thing in common: The first thing they respond to is public opinion.

If you don't register to vote, politicians don't really care about you: politicians aren't really caring about what you have to say, what you have to do, anything.

The disconnect between what people think and what the political leaders are actually doing is something that we really need to start raising.

The midterms are a chance for people to vote out those they believe are failing to address the concerns of citizens.

As a politician, I should expect sharp challenge from those who disagree with my decisions.

I just want to faithfully represent the public that voted for me and diligently work for all the people in Israel. If I can do that, I don't care what anyone says about me.

I'll listen to the people. I will not put my party ahead of what the people want.

I do not represent public opinion. I represent the public. There is a wide difference between the two, between the real interests of the public and the public’s opinion of those interests.

Men and not measures are, no doubt, the very life of politics. But then it is not the fashion to say so in public places.

Political authorities should lead the way and not lag behind [public opinion].

He serves his party best who helps to make it instantly responsive to every need of the people.

The Congress of the United States, taken collectively, is a very timid body of men, composed individually of many highly intelligent, honest and industrious members who rarely have the courage to march in a body in advance of public sentiment or of the declared sentiment of their immediate constituencies.

Being a politician, I know how motivating it can be when the public is outraged.

Primaries are the place where you see whose message is connecting with the largest number of people.

Hillary had never run for office before, but she decided to give it a try. She began her campaign the way she always does new things, by listening and and learning. And after a tough battle, New York elected her to the seat once held by another outsider, Robert Kennedy.

When I ran for the Senate, I ran to bring change to Washington, not simply to become a woman senator.

I think I would just want to say that I do view serving in government as an honor, and I do view it as a responsibility.

The inertia of the governed cannot be disentangled from the indifference of the government. American leaders have both a circular and a deliberate relationship to public opinion.

Even if politicians spew confusing, convoluted jargon, these people are still meant to represent me, and the only way that happens is if I stay informed and vote.

The real fight is within the Republican Party to get it to nominate grassroots-type candidates who the public wants, and not just some 'echo' of the other side.