James F. Clarke Quotes

The distinction between a statesman and a politician is that the former imposes his will and his ideas on his environment while the latter adopts himself to it.

Bush doesn't present himself as a realpolitik politician.

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 are President you have to get something done, and that often means compromise.

You don’t become a statesman unless you are first a good politician.

While not all politicians are statesmen, all statesmen are politicians.

Every statesman must attempt to reconcile what is considered just with what is considered possible.

In history lies all the secrets of statecraft.

Politics is the science of urgencies.

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

Politics and power is a realm of relative influence.

There are too many politicians in the world and too few statesmen.

Business is a useful tool in politics, but it's not enough. You need much more than to be a good businessman, to be a good politician.

I always tell people this: to be a savvy politician or a good head of state and to be charitable are not mutually exclusive things.

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

The purpose of a politician is to be a leader. A politician has to lead. Otherwise he's just a follower.

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

A statesman cannot afford to be a moralist.

A statesman who keeps his ear permanently glued to the ground will have neither elegance of posture nor flexibility of movement.

Politics is the art of the possible.

There is no school that teaches you how to run a state. You make mistakes, but you learn on the job.

Politics is the art of knowing and leading a multitude ... not where they want to go but where they should go.

A great statesman is he who knows when to depart from traditions, as well as when to adhere to them.

Politics is the science of the second best.