Michael Ignatieff Quotes

My friends all say I'm going to be Secretary of State. But I don't see how that would be much different from the job I have now.

I'm not a professional politician, I'm a problem solver.

People just want to hear some common sense... and I bring to bear the experience in local government and state government and national government - I was the first woman in history on the Senate Finance Committee - not to mention the diplomatic international experience.

Our system does not know how to bring strength and intellect into the front rank of politics and government...

I think with the beginning of any political administration, you have to build trust, and it takes time.

I'm not a professional politician. I'm a professional problem solver.

Politics is the art of realizing what there is to realize.

My career was always about working with people, and understanding issues and problems and helping them to solve those issues and problems. How you deal with people - that's what diplomacy is all about. So while I'm not a career diplomat, many of the skills I had seemed to directly translate into the diplomatic arena.

A prime minister has to keep a certain balance when dealing with sensitive issues.

I haven't had vast amounts of ministerial experience - in fact, none at all. But I do have a lot of experience of people.

The experience of learning how to get straight to the core of a problem proved to be of immense value later when I had a long succession of responsibilities in large, complex government departments.

The first requirement of a statesman is that he be dull.

A statesman wants courage and a statesman wants vision; but believe me, after six months' experience, he wants first, second, third and all the time - patience.

When you're out of office, you can be a statesman.

Politics is a people business. I like people.

I have 15 years of executive experience as a big-city mayor and as a governor.

If I wanted a circus ringmaster, I'd hire Trump. If I wanted advice on brain surgery or hospital management, I'd turn to Carson. Fiorina would make an articulate television pundit. But for president?

Statesmanship is harder than politics. Politics is the art of getting along with people, whereas statesmanship is the art of getting along with politicians.

I think that I have very few personal gifts to bring to real politics.

In running Wilson Sonsini, it's all people-to-people skills. Those people-to-people skills translate into diplomatic skills.

The statesman's duty is to bridge the gap between his nation's experience and his vision.

I have the experience and ability to step in on day one in Washington and start working on the challenging problems facing our country.

Politics is not about winning for the sake of winning.

The best, most interesting years of my life were spent in government and politics.

He [President Warren G. Harding] is a kind, companionable fellow to go with on a fishing expedition or to play cards with; but he is not the man to have as President or leader.