Ben Chandler Quotes

I grew up thinking that if I wanted to go be prime minister, I could.

You don't run for the presidency out of nostalgia.

I'm making this decision based on whether I believe in my heart that I'm ready to be president of the United States and that I want to be president of the United States right now.

I feel like I've learned a lot along the way and I'm ready to lead.

I have been immeasurably honored to serve the people of Maine for nearly 40 years in public office and for the past 17 years in the United States Senate. It was incredibly difficult to decide that I would not seek a fourth term in the Senate.

I have always said I will be in politics to serve as best as I can and it will take me wherever it will take me.

I'm not one of the people who have to be in public office.

School boards can be a steppingstone to higher forms of political leadership.

I have never been in doubt since I was old enough to think intelligently that I would someday be made president.

Public life is regarded as the crown of a career, and to young men it is the worthiest ambition. Politics is still the greatest and the most honorable adventure.

I know I'd be an absolutely horrendous politician.

After thinking carefully about how I can best help my fellow Minnesotans, I have decided to not seek election for a different office in 2014. The warm encouragement from many people to run for U.S. senator or the governorship was deeply humbling.

I don't want to become Washington.

I would be lying if I told you that I hadn't had aspirations to run for a statewide office.

I thought it completely absurd to mention my name in the same breath as the presidency.

The thing I love about political interviews is, if you're really prepared, you can make great headway because these are the people for whom, theoretically at least, the buck stops.

If I want to continue to build the kind of effort we have with Do Something, being in a public office would help. I wouldn't rule it out, but it's not something I feel determined to do.

I always wanted to become president! When I was a kid, I was obsessed with politics.

In the coming days, I know there will be some reflecting on my time as mayor. Many of you will search to find what's behind my decision. It's simple. I have always believed that every person, especially public officials, must understand when it is time to move on. For me, that time is now.

Yeah, well I'm not aspiring to be the Prime Minister.

I've had opportunities before to run for office - the Republicans recruited me when I was surgeon general, to run for Congress, to run against Gov. Napolitano. But I didn't feel it was my calling... I felt, 'Well, I'm flattered, but I really would rather stay and be the doctor of the nation and stay as surgeon general.'

One of the things about leadership is that you've got to show up. And if you want to be president of the United States you've got to make a case to the American people that Barack Obama needs to be dismissed from his position.

Whenever people say, 'You should be president,' I say, 'I thought you liked me.' Listen, I thought being mayor of Stamford was a wonderful job. Being governor of a state for a period of time is a wonderful job, and I'm not sure I'm at all attracted to Washington.

The interesting thing is that it seems like George W. Bush would have been happy being the president of anything. He could have been president of Major League Baseball.

You don't run for public office unless you have a specific vision. You are driven by ideas and a vision.