Garrison Keillor Quotes

There were more moderate Republicans in those days than there are today.

You have to have been a Republican to know how good it is to be a Democrat.

Somehow liberals have been unable to acquire from birth what conservatives seem to be endowed with at birth: namely, a healthy skepticism of the powers of government to do good.

… the two factions (of the Republican Party) are at daggers drawn over government’s role, which one side sees as indispensable, the other as insidious..

Now, most of the time I'm going to agree with the Democrats and disagree with the Republicans.

Folks know that while I respect Barack Obama and do not cheap-shot the president, I am very skeptical of his big government, nanny-state philosophy.

The conservative movement today is like that tall ship with its proud captain: strong, accomplished but veering off course into the dangerous and uncharted waters of big government republicanism.

Friends, there is no Left in American politics.

The Obama presidency, and liberalism in general, are based on not trusting the American people - a belief that big government is better for people.

The Democrats have come right out and said it: the power of the central government shall have no limits at all.

If you feel the government should leave you alone, you're a Republican. If you think the job of the government is to go push people around and take things for you, then you're a Democrat.

If you want government to intervene domestically, you’re a liberal. If you want government to intervene overseas, you’re a conservative. If you want government to intervene everywhere, you’re a moderate. If you don’t want government to intervene anywhere, you’re an extremist.

Deregulation is a transfer of power from the trodden to the treading. It is unsurprising that all conservative parties claim to hate big government.

Big government flourishes under Republicans.

You know what the fastest growing religion in America is? Statism. The growing reliance on government.

Great drama is all about conflict, and what's a better conflict than Republican-Democrat?

Conservatives are winning offices, and champions of big government are cleaning out their desks right now.

I'm not really conservative. I'm conservative on certain things. I believe in less government. I believe in fiscal responsibility and all those things that maybe Republicans used to believe in but don't any more.

I was a Democrat for a period of time early on. And then I was also an independent. And then I became a Republican.

I'm not that conservative. I do feel - I guess I'm more of a Democrat at heart, although I've never affiliated myself with a particular party.

If I was to say what I am, I'd be a Labour man. I like Tony Blair a lot, I think he's a good man. And in America I'd definitely be a Democrat; I'd never be a Republican.

We have seen an outrageous increase in the size, scope, and intrusiveness of the federal government.

I don't understand how anybody's still a Democrat or a Republican. I don't know what they're basing it on.

The Democrats have essentially decided to move more toward central power, control of just about every aspect of our culture and economy.

Left-wing politicians take away your liberty in the name of children and of fighting poverty, while right-wing politicians do it in the name of family values and fighting drugs. Either way, government gets bigger and you become less free.