John Morley Quotes

Of two evils we must always choose the least.

I wouldn’t be too serious about bipartisanship. It’s a great myth that ought to be fostered. And don’t bring too damn much scholarship to bear on it. You’ll prove it out of existence if you’re not careful.

Politics presents few win-win situations for partisans on either side.

There are many men of principle in both parties in America, but there is no party of principle.

I think reconciliation is Obama's goal - but the fight with the Republicans is like a fight with pit bulls, they never let go. Even worse, now the Republicans feel they can keep pushing and he will keep giving. They have not seen a stiff resistance on his part.

One thing Republicans understand: In American elections, you have to choose from among only two people - not between the perfect and the good.

Partisan rancour and party politics and ideology have got in the way of compromise - and compromise is the only thing that has ever made politics successful.

Of two evils, the less is always to be chosen.

Yes, in the commercial world there's room for both McDonald's and Whole Foods, but in the realm of politics, we're told, it's either Filet-o-Fish or line-caught salmon: only one can prevail - and which is up to you.

We don't need bipartisanship, we need application of principle.

When it comes to politics, there's never a certain yes or no to any situation.

I think that quite often you can only find a choice between bad and worse. But I think it's worth making the effort, and I like to expose my characters to that sort of situation.

If you have difficulties making a decision, choose the lesser of the two evils.

If right and left are competing to be the biggest victim, who is competing to be the government?

Of two evils choose the prettier.

The dominant color of politics is gray; difficult choices and compromise are required at almost every step of the journey toward a major new program.

I often envy my colleagues on the right and the left for whom no vote is hard.

Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule-- and both commonly succeed, and are right.

Government is about hard choices.

Our politics are half noble and half mud wrestling.

We live in a world of competing sorrows ... to govern is to choose.

[In a political contest] If you are faced with the lesser of two evils, you have the evil of two lesser.

What good would politics be, if it didn’t give everyone the opportunity to make moral compromises?

One of Mitt Romney’s spokespeople said, “we will not be dictated to by the fact checkers”. What that really means is “we will not be dictated to by the facts.” But the changing demographics is a fact. The Republicans may not compromise with the Democrats, but they are going to have to compromise with reality.

I wasn't looking for a hobby. If I were looking for a hobby, it wouldn't be the United States Senate. That's one of the toughest jobs I'd probably ever do. I just felt there wasn't enough compromise going on: People were too far to the left, too far to the right, with no one trying to build a compromise.