Political Capital Quotes

Any government, of whatever composition, needs to mobilise opinion way beyond its own ranks in order to do the difficult things that it does.

If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.

The social power of the Presidency is one of the most powerful tools a President can use.

The Democratic lawmakers are still trying to figure out how to capitalize on this new wave of leftist anger, if you want to call it that.

If nobody trusts you as president, then you can't get anything done.

The chance to be seen as a warm, witty guy is too good an opportunity for a politician to miss.

You have to spend your political capital on great causes for your country.

White House officials acknowledge in broad terms that a president's time and public rhetoric are among his most valuable policy tools.

The President wants to avoid being a lame duck. He’s trying not to limp and quack at the same time.

You're on the elevator of public opinion when you're in the presidency.

Once your name becomes well known, politicians come courting.

The functions of the president are prescribed by the Constitution, but his real achievements are not set by the letter of the law. They are determined rather by his personality, the weight of his influence, his capacity for managing men, and the strength and effectiveness of the party forces behind him.

I think it accrues to Hawaii's benefit that I have friends in Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer and Dick Durbin. We're already geographically isolated, so it's really critical that we don't become politically isolated.

Washington is built on power.

Executing the massive transformation they [the Chinese reform leaders] envision will take most of their political capital and will require firm political control, even as the reforms generate strong forces for social and political change.

Power does seep away from the President in his second term.

D.C. is known as Hollywood for ugly people.

Power in Washington is simply the perception of power.

At the start of first terms, presidents invariably have a measure of goodwill.

I believe strongly that when you have political capital, you should use it in a manner that helps improve the human condition. You shouldn't just compile power and hold onto power for power's sake.

You accumulate political capital to spend it on noble causes for Canada. If you're afraid to spend your capital, you shouldn't be there.

Extremely strong, effective, tenacious, and powerful political networks can be built when you fight losing battles as well as when you win.

Obama's ability to use his personality to push folks, whether on Capitol Hill or in Europe, means that he has to stay popular. What happens if he loses that popular mandate?

Man Up and use your political capital to support the Tea Party Candidates!... If the GOP strays from the Tea Party message, the GOP is through.

President tends to feel that he cannot go beyond what the public will support him in doing. So he tries not to decide what is the best course so much as to decide what the people will support.