Dean Acheson Quotes

He appeals to their imagination; I do not. He is a real vivid person whom they have seen and shouted themselves hoarse over and voted for, millions strong: I am a vague, conjectural personality, more made up of opinions and academic prepossessions than of human traits and red corpuscles.

An excellent man; he has no enemies; and none of his friends like him.

… extreme, polarizing, moralistic, and unattractive

[Referring to LBJ:] ... one of the few politicians with whom I found it uncomfortable to be in the same room.

Where Mr. McKinley was patient, cautious, tactful and a very good listener…, Roosevelt is impetuous, impatient, and wholly lacking in tact.

The man [Richard Nixon] has no style. No style at all.

It's a horrible name, Coldplay. It doesn't conjure up any positive thoughts.

If you're likable, people will like you.

But if that was really true, why in the name of all that is holy would anyone have ever liked Nikki in the first place? I was becoming more and more convinced she was a cross between Heidi Montag and Hitler.

Waitresses, soldiers, rickshaw drivers, old ladies selling vegetables - my father would schmooze anybody. He was Clintonesque before the word existed. And, of course, it paid dividends. Ill-tempered guards at the most notorious border crossings waved him through with cheery smiles. Haughty maitre d's fawned over him.

I thought last week's game was ugly and this was even uglier.

You don't learn charm. It's not something that you can acquire. I have used it much in my life with great success, but it's not necessarily what makes me an actor. It became a very easy label to attach to me. It also feels a bit dismissive. People go, 'You're so lovely and charming', but it's a wee bit, 'That's all you are.'

It is better to be likable than to be talented.

If Chevy Chase had not been an actor, he might have been a very popular guy in advertising or whatever field he would have gone into, because of his charisma.

For me, Bloodshot was the least appealing character that Valiant had. He was so cold.

I am the character you are not supposed to like.

I don't find any presidents all that sexy. They're not very rock'n'roll.

Governor Blanco is like Packman without the looks.

A revolting, fat, beast.

You have all the characteristics of a popular politician: a horrible voice, bad breeding, and a vulgar manner

(Referring to General Hugh Johnson, administrator of the National Recovery Administration:)) ... a comic opera cream puff.

Resolved that when this house shall have seen Abraham Lincoln, they will have seen the ugliest man in the country.

I work for him [President Lyndon B. Johnson] despite his faults and he lets me work for him despite my deficiencies.

I can’t afford to have my Vice President who knows every reporter in town, go around saying we’re all screwed up, so we’re going to keep him happy. You are dealing with a very insecure, sensitive man with a huge ego. I want you to literally kiss his ass from one end of Washington to the other.

This man Bush is just about as mean as he can be.