Valerie Jarrett Quotes

I always saw politics as an expansion of my role as a mom.

I want to be part of a different kind of celebrity, one that thinks not just about charity but policy.

I was looking for a new challenge and got an interest in trying to make a difference for families. You become more aware of how important families are. They are the key institution in our culture. The reason I got into politics was to try to make a difference for that key institution, whether it was tax policy, education policy, or whatever.

There are a lot of ways to serve and only one is being president.

My first passion is politics.

My mother informed me that the way to be a change agent to create change, the first line of defense, or however you want to phrase that, is politics and government.

I became active in politics because I saw the possibility, if we all sat back and did nothing, of a world in which there would no longer be any stages for actors to act on.

At the moment I am a little bit politician, yes. I think that could be my next step. It is not because I want power, it is because of what I think I could do for the people.

I don't think there's any one definition, but to do effective political work you have to have vision and practicality, and learn how to persuade people that what you feel needs to be done does need to be done.

I've also said you don't rule any options out, because if you are in public life because you want to make a difference... obviously, you have to be open to those kind of possibilities.

I used to do some philanthropic work, but with the political platform, I can contribute in a bigger way.

There are a lot of good causes out there, but they can't possibly all be served by government.

I hope there have been times when I made you all proud, or made you all smile or at least piqued your interest in this wonderful institution we call government.

One of the things that defines a TEDster is you've taken your passion, and you've turned it into stewardship. You actually put action to the issues you care about.

To me, politics is an extension of what I do in medicine.

I get to advocate issues and ideas that I believe in.

Unfortunately, I don't think I can call myself an activist because I don't really do enough of anything.

For me politics is an extension of my role as a mother and a grandmother.

In every school, community center, city hall, and state capitol, there are women who are making their voices heard and standing up for the people they serve - women who aren't just demanding change but finding ways to create it. They are making an impact, and along the way, they're inspiring others to do the same.

We need the best and the brightest to go into public service.

When you travel and when you campaign, people tell you their problems. You see the problems and you become aware of them and you talk about them every day. And so you feel the responsibility for doing something about them.

I was in civil society long before I was ever in politics or my husband was ever even elected president.

I think politics is an incredibly noble and fulfilling enterprise, and it's the best way to do the most good for the most people.

Honestly, I'm interested in politics; I'm interested in giving back in some form, performing some sort of civic duty. But I'm not exploring a run for governor or senator or anything along those lines. I'm focused on running Disney.

I ran for public office to do something good.