Pete Gallego Quotes

I was always accused of being too stiff. In 1974, when I ran my first primary race for state rep, I was chief aide to the speaker of the House, I knew the issues and understood state government. But what I found out the hard way is that you can know all the ins and outs but people want to know you, your family.

In New York, we had primary elections for mayor. To improve their chances, all five candidates changed their name to Rudy Giuliani.

In politics, name recognition matters a lot.

I'll be glad to reply to or dodge your questions, depending on what I think will help our election most.

This election isn't about Barack Obama or Mitt Romney. It's about you. The other guys write $10 million checks and make $10,000 bets. But we've bet this campaign on you.

It is not through any combinations of politicians that the outcome of an electoral campaign is decided.

We should remember the campaign advertising will be only a smaller portion of the President's total exposure.

By all accounts, the senate race I ran in was a quality race in the wrong year.

As the 2012 elections approach the finish line, the chatter among columnists and political reporters is about upcoming books that take readers inside the campaigns, cutting-edge efforts to micro-target voters on Internet social applications, the enormous money flowing through super-PACs, and extreme political polarization.

Politicians do not like to alienate voters no matter how lofty the goals.

Polls move money as much as money moves polls.

The [TV evening] news usually defines the candidate for the public.

[On political campaigns:] Get an elbow, give an elbow.

[A prospective political candidate] should have a pleasing name, easy to pronounce and spell, and one suggesting statesmanship and Americanism, unless it is a name popular to nationalities and races among the electorate in his particular area.

When you run a campaign the idea is not to appeal to pundits but to appeal to people.

Without television, Richard Nixon would not have a chance. He would not have a prayer of being elected because the press would not let him get through to the people.

The tactics and strategy of every Presidential election campaign is most influenced by the previous Presidential election.

You can't win an election with money alone.

Nobody ever wins the first time they run for office. Nobody's ever supposed to win their first bid for office. Nobody's ever supposed to win without taking lobbyists' money. No one's ever supposed to defeat an incumbent. No one's ever supposed to run a grassroots campaign without running any ads on television. We did all of those things.

We understand that we're going to be outspent. But we still think we can win decisively because there's some things money can't buy. Among these are votes.

In 1960, John F. Kennedy rode a superior televised debate performance to victory over Richard Nixon.

The key here is that we're not going to beat them on commercials: They're always going to have more money than us. So what we have to try to do throughout is just ask people to make sure they vote.

One doesn't need money to run for Parliament, but it is undoubtedly expensive.

If you're a Texas Supreme Court Justice hopscotching across 254 counties, trying to tattoo your name onto the noggins of millions of voters, you must find creative ways to raise visibility and build awareness. Twitter, Facebook, etc. are low-cost but high-yield ways to leverage the support of key influencers and opinion leaders.

My legal name is Mulroney Lapham, but politically, 'Mulroney Lapham' just didn't work. Too much for a lawn sign.