Bret Stephens Quotes

You cannot make elected officials … do what they will not do.

Presidents fall into second-term slumps for different reasons.

Part of the reason why I wanted to be involved in politics was to create and be a part of policy changes.

I want to steer the national conversation in the right direction, from my point of view. I want to get under Robert Gibbs' skin and Rahm Emanuel's skin and Barack Obama's skin.

On the strength of strong public support, I will have (the postal reform bills) passed within this session.

We've got a [Canadian] prime minister who seems to be intent on destroying our health system and education system. But I have gotten a thicker skin. I can get angry about these things without feeling like vomiting, if you know what I mean.

Politics doesn't matter, policy does.

Good policy makes good politics and what I've done has been good politics.

Politicians do what they hear from the American people.

If you can’t move the public, you can’t move the Congress.

Attacking lobbyists is a good lobbying technique.

Lobbying, in large part, is conducted to prevent change from happening.

At public meetings avoid specific discussion of public policy.

Sometimes political parties have a very short window to influence public policy

Campaigns have consequences.

What matters to the press matters perforce to politicians.

Public opinion in Britain demanded that we should make representations; we did so, to the cost of British material interests.

I don't care what kind of speeches you make as long as you don't vote against the appropriations.

It's up to us [pro-choice activists] to mobilize public opinion in such a way that these politicians know their jobs are at stake.

Politics is the management of expectations.

Half of my job is to help build public support for the President’s agenda.

We got to hit the country while the country's hot. That's the only thing that makes any impression to these goddamned senators.... We don't want to wait just for their convenience.... They'll move as the country moves.

Today's public opinion, though it may appear as light as air, may be tomorrow's legislation-for better or for worse.

In some countries the effort to debate and legislate the social and ethical implications of the new biological and genetic technologies often precedes their application. This observation confirms the realization by the public that biotechnological applications will interfere with all the basic and profound value systems considered by every human being

As long as public opinion influences politicians, those who can influence public opinion will have great political weight