I don't think politics has anything to do with left right or center. It has to do with trying to do right by people.

Part of the reason that our politics seems so tough right now and facts and science and argument does not seem to be winning the day all the time is because we're hardwired not to always think clearly when we're scared. And the country's scared.

There is probably a perverse pride in my administration... that we were going to do the right thing even if short-term it was unpopular. And I think anybody who's occupied this office has to remember that success is determined by an intersection in policy and politics and that you can't be neglecting of marketing and P.R. and public opinion.

So long as we have enough people in this country willing to fight for their rights we'll be called a democracy.

Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time.

Do you ever get the feeling that the only reason we have elections is to find out if the polls were right?

In most places in the country voting is looked upon as a right and a duty but in Chicago it's a sport.

Politics it seems to me for years or all too long has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.

Inflation is as violent as a mugger as frightening as an armed robber and as deadly as a hit man.

No what I should really like to do right now in the full blaze of lights before this illustrious assembly is to shower every one of you with gifts with flowers with offerings of poetry - to be young once more to ride on the crest of the wave.