Political Naivety Quotes

What experience and history teach is this — that nations and governments have never learned anything from history, or acted upon any lessons they might have drawn from it.

How I have been deceived! I was expecting a diplomatic mission, but you have brought me a quarrel! By virtue of your testimonials I have received you as an ambassador, but I have found you instead a challenger … you give me the impression of having studied many books, but not yet of having graduated to the books of Princes, rather remaining ignorant of the dealings between Kings.

Heaven’s Yes. I was hopelessly naïve regarding Joseph Stalin. I thought he just drove too hard.

The British who arrived in the United States in the eighteen-thirties and forties had imagined the young republic as a wide-eyed adolescent, socially ungainly and politically gauche, but with some hint of promise.

I love the 'Daily Show,' and I think Jon Stewart is hysterical. But literally, the answer to every single problem is, 'Congress should pass a new law.' It's this unbelievably optimistic view of, 'We can pass a law, and then everybody will get along.'

English politicians and diplomats are somewhat naive. They find it difficult to credit really bad intentions in others.

One can be a great poet and be politically stupid.

Only utopian liberals could be surprised that the Nazis were art connoisseurs.

The arts community is generally dominated by liberals because if you are concerned mainly with painting or sculpture, you don't have time to study how the world works. And if you have no understanding of economics, strategy, history and politics, then naturally you would be a liberal.

I'm not a career politician, so the ways of Washington may be a little obscure to me.

What was interesting about Trump, I mean, people always say they want a non-politician. Well, you got it with Donald Trump. And there's good to that, and there's bad to that. The bad is that he can be distracted by talking about these stupid things that - I promise you, no one cares about his taxes.

I'm just not political. I have opinions, but there's nothing about the process that has ever interested me. I'm 22, and this is the first interview I've ever done in my life.

I was not a Democrat; I was an independent. Here's the thing: You can't win that way. But I didn't know that.

I think that sometimes conservatives are way too naive to understand the zeal that liberals have in trying to destroy using Alinsky tactics the very humanity of their conservative opponents.

I entered politics from a filmi background and had no idea about that world. Slowly, I realised that it did not suit me, and that's when I decided to get out of it.

If anything is naive and lightweight, it's the traditional political conversation.

There's been a thread of coverage implying that Corbyn is a decent guy but he clearly doesn't understand how the world works. Ignoring the fact that for the majority of people, it doesn't.

Most voters assume because these political 'pros' are on TV or write for national papers, they know politics. Sadly, most don't have a clue.

Do you think when two representatives holding diametrically opposing views get together and shake hands, the contradictions between our systems will simply melt away? What kind of a daydream is that?

We have a large public that is very ignorant about public affairs and very susceptible to simplistic slogans by candidates who appear out of nowhere, have no track record, but mouth appealing slogans

Don't expect liberals to weigh the costs of their sweet-sounding policies.

A reformer thinks he was elected because he was a reformer, but the truth of the matter is he was elected because no one knew him.

The West Wing' is an extremely naive entry into politics and political thinking.

Rubio's supporters must believe rank-and-file Republican voters are really stupid - or so desperate they can be persuaded that up is down, a leopard can change its spots, and a dozen bilingual unicorns will lead off Rubio's inaugural parade.

... a political dreamer.