Chuck Robb Quotes

Governing is about selecting.

When you become president, they don't give you a magic wand that you wave. You have to get legislation passed. You have to get agencies to run programs.

When the president and the prime minister decide to implement reforms, they have all the measures they need to pass them and enforce them.

It's far from clear in general that Donald Trump is a guy who really thinks about the details of policy and is going to do the kind of heavy lifting you have to do as president to get those policies through in Congress. I think the hope is that Paul Ryan and his crew will push policies through Congress and Trump will just sign them. That's not really how policy works.

When the President makes something a priority, we see action.

As governor, I learned the importance of having an agenda.

Luckily, I'm a governor - so I get to tell you what I've already done not just what I'm going to do.

Given the daunting challenges that we face, it's important that president elect Obama is prepared to really take power and begin to rule day one.

I always felt the gifts you need as governor were more suited for my personality. I'm a good team player, but I'm not a policy wonk. In Congress, you need 218 votes to make anything happen. When you're governor, you're the CEO of the state. You establish the vision and standards for the state. You're the leader.

When you see how the President makes political or policy decisions, you see who he is. The essence of the Presidency is decision-making.

I have not had the cabinet here for 6 weeks. I can run the government better without them.

The president is the only one we have to make decisions. We have no one else.

If the President had his wife’s will and would use it rightly, our affairs would look much better.

Presidents ... become hermits only at their peril. Running the executive branch is now a team sport. It is operated best by politicians who thrive on command, possess a fine and sure touch for the levers of power and enjoy the company of those who serve them.

The Executive Branch, when they put the point on the spear, can get things done.

That’s what you do when you are Governor. You don’t necessarily agree with every law you are called upon to enforce.

The presidency is not a collegial body... He will surround himself with people who share his vision.

Governing has always been hard.

If you're in Congress, you vote and give speeches. But governors have to make decisions every day, and presidents have to make decisions every day.

Writing laws is easy, but governing is difficult.

There's a very big difference between campaigning and governing.

I see myself as more of a policy maker than a political leader.

Donald Trump has a grasp on what's important and what's marginalia.

To say that I'm going to veto something that I haven't read is just - or sign something that I haven't read - I don't think is good policy for any chief executive.

Prime ministers with full majority have behaved differently from each other. Jawaharlal Nehru was a leader who ruled by consensus while Indira Gandhi was considered more unilateral in her approach.