A. Bartlett Giamatti Quotes

As far as the job of President goes, its rewarding and I've given before this group the definition of happiness for the Greeks. I'll define it again: the full use of your powers along lines of excellence. I find, therefore, that the Presidency provides some happiness.

To govern is to choose. To appear to be unable to choose is to appear to be unable to govern.

Being responsible, I will direct, and will be responsible for nothing that I do not direct.

The person who manages the state is me.

I don't feel qualified to be President either, but I've got the job.

As president, I could run the Trump organization, great, great company, and I could run the company - the country. I'd do a very good job, but I don't want to do that.

To rule is easy, to govern difficult.

Being a leader doesn't mean you are the guy who runs things.

I like control.

I like to be in control of things.

Governance is a way of organizing, amplifying, and constraining power.

The wound-tight, travel-light Obama has a distaste for the adversarial and the random. But if you stick too rigidly to a 'No Drama' rule in the White House, you risk keeping reality at bay. Presidencies are always about crisis management.

Governments need to have both shepherds and butchers.

Every governor's got tough choices to make.

Yes, I'm your governor now. I'll take care of you.

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 wanted the influence. In the end I wasn't very good at being a president. I looked out of the window and thought that the man cutting the lawn actually seemed to have more control over what he was doing.

In a very real way, ownership is the essence of leadership. When you are 'ridiculously in charge,' then you own whatever happens in a company, school, et cetera.

The great constraint on the Presidency is time.

… essentially lacking in the quality of leadership.

He can't spend all his time running his mouth; he's got to run the country.

Running a country is much more difficult than running a campaign.

I micromanage the selection of the cabinet.

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

I was not a presider; I was a leader.