Political Openness Quotes

China has seen a great deal of economic progress. It's certainly rather of a miracle. The growing role of the market in the economy will force China to open up its political system over time and to move toward a more democratic society. So taken as a whole, the one real failure in this whole business has been Russia.

Do you think it's possible to discuss politics without preaching?

I have long enjoyed the friendship and companionship of Republicans because I am by instinct a teacher, and I would like to teach them something.

I would encourage anyone who shares our liberal values in or outside parliament to join our party and join our liberal movement. Our door is absolutely open.

Without glasnost there is not, and there cannot be, democratism, the political creativity of the masses and their participation in management.

I have friends who vote Tory, and I'm appalled, but that's not to say they're not great people in so many other ways.

When I first put my hat in the ring, several very tried and true and loyal Democratic activists from our community said, 'What? She's not a Democrat. She's a Republican.' I took that as a compliment, you know, that people didn't necessarily know what my ideology might be because I wasn't driven by that.

I do think the Cubans have to change some of the political structures there and allow critical voices, for their own sakes, because unless there is accountability the revolution will totally atrophy.

I have a record of wanting to make sure that campaigns are open and financing is fair, but it can't just be one sided.

I have a confession to make: I am a Labour parliamentary candidate but like and get on with some of the Conservative persuasion.

Texas has a lot of challenges, but if I choose to run I will talk about opening democracy to mainstream Texans and not just to a closed circle of entrenched ideologues.

All through my life, I have never disguised my sentiments about politics in general.

America is not doctrinaire. It's hard for an American politician to come up with an ideological position that is permanently unforgivable.

Without economic development, any potential for political openness and freedom will be questionable.

Communism everywhere has paid the price of rigidity and dogmatism. Freedom has the strength of compassion and flexibility. It has, above all, the strength of intellectual honesty.

We need a Democratic Party open, that is bringing working people into the party, that is bringing young people, that bringing all of the people of this country who are sick and tired of an economy that works well for the 1 percent while the middle class struggles.

I'm a Democrat, but I'm really bipartisan - some people might say nonpartisan.

You can be a namby-pamby leftie, a gun-toting neo-con, or a soft, indecisive moderate. I really don't care. Just don't lie to me.

I've always said I would never say never when it comes to politics.

If truth be told, certainly culturally, I never felt totally comfortable in the Labour party, because I've never really been a massively tribal politician.

I view myself more as a traditionalist than a conservative. But I like the traditions, so I tend to try to keep them alive. But I'm open to any kind of political thought - I don't care - I have people that I don't agree with, and I have good friends I don't agree with, but for me personally, I'm more comfortable with the traditional stuff.

We have to ask ourselves why younger women don't feel the need to be right up front with their politics. Is that going to set us back or is that itself a sign of progress? I don't know the answer.

Democrats are a big-tent party. You know, I'm not trying to impose an ideology on all, you know, several hundred members of Congress.

If greater openness is a key to economic success, I believe there is increasingly a need for openness in the political sphere as well.

Mr. Gorbachev initiated Glasnost, Perestroika, so he was already, you know, way disenchanted with the rigid Communist ideology, and he was looking to become an international leader. He was more accepted actually outside of the Communist Soviet Union than inside.