John Dickerson Quotes

In an ideological, polarized political environment, people see the reality that they want to see.

Primarily affecting low-information voters and members of the mainstream media, Obama Worship Syndrome attributes impossible capabilities to Obama's political opponents, finds excuses for every Obama failure in everyone around him and praises the president as the finest politician - nay, human being - of our time.

Politicians are trapped in their own views.

Politics has become a little like football. We cheer for our favorite team no matter how well they are playing.

This is in us: a certain sense of denial, a certain sense of groupthink. This is not something that sits on one party line or the other. We've seen it in all permutations throughout history, and at the core of it is a certain insistence that what we want to be true is now true, and what we don't like is now false.

The point is, folks, for people on the left - and I don't care what kind of clothes they wear, or where they live, people on the left, America is guilty. And there is not a set of facts in the world that's gonna change it. There's not a set of facts in the world that's gonna change anybody's mind.

Everybody seems to be imprisoned in their own sectarian or political affiliations. They don't seem to be able to rise above these things.

One thing about liberals: It doesn't even occur to them that there is another side to an argument. They are so convinced of the righteousness of their own position that it doesn't dawn on them that a reasonable person might have a different viewpoint.

As partisans of our own way of life, we cannot help thinking in a partisan manner.

Social reality is so complicated that, once you join one team or the other, you become specialized in detecting certain patterns, but you become blind to other patterns.

Ignorance makes most men go into a political party, and shame keeps them from getting out of it.

The main problem was that the senior administration officials have what I call faith-based intelligence. They knew what they wanted the intelligence to show. They were really blind and deaf to any kind of countervailing information the intelligence community would produce.

People of a certain political view tend to read material of only that point of view … except to cast contempt on the other points of view.

Ideological amplification happens when like minded people deliberate…they push each other to extreme points of views….The argument pool in a group of liberals will be only liberal. Likewise with conservatives, the other way…. Most of us on most issues do not have a ton of information…we might be steered away from moderation…. Political correctness is a good example of ideological amplification.

From the Moment that Men give themselves wholly up to a Party, they abandon their Reason, and are led Captive by their Passions. The Cause they espouse, presents such bewitching Charms, as dazzle the judgment; and the Side they oppose, such imaginary Deformity, that no Opposition appears too violent; nor any Arts to blacken and ruin it, incapable of a specious Varnish

The blind allegiance to party is killing us.

There are some people who are so partisan that they do not live in the word the rest of us are in.

The Republicans love the truth, but they hate facts.

Most of us employ the Internet not to seek the best information, but rather to select information that confirms our prejudices.

… the politically engaged will tend also to be the most closed-minded.

Logic, fact, morality, legality, ideology: All of it is irrelevant in understanding the Party of Trump. Republicans have made crystal clear that nothing matters to them other than partisanship.

The fact is that Democrats cannot stand dissent.

To be locked into partisan politics doesn't permit you to think clearly.

We think very few people sensible, except those who are of our opinion.

When people silo themselves by belief, only affiliating with like-minded media organizations and people, we lose the opportunity for genuine conversation, much less persuasion.