Thomas Jefferson Quotes
I am sure that in estimating every man's value either in private or public life, a pure integrity is the quality we take first into calculation, and that learning and talents are only the second.
Jefferson, Thomas. "Letter to George Gilmer." 27 June 1790. The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, edited by Julian P. Boyd, vol. 16, Princeton University Press, 1961, p. 578.
For Mr. Ryan, this separation was a problem, but for most American political leaders, they have been able to maintain this separation without much problem. John F. Kennedy was particularly eloquent on how this is done, and even Presidents Carter and Obama—perhaps the most overtly religious presidents in our history, kept religion and politics separate. Ryan’s running mate, Mitt Romney also claimed to have no problem separating his Mormon religion from his political persona. Dwight Eisenhower never even belonged to a church when he was President. The Founding Fathers almost all followed this separation mode.
Thomas Jefferson was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He had previously served as the second vice president of the United States under John Adams between 1797 and 1801. The principal author of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson was a proponent of democracy, republicanism, and individual rights, motivating American colonists to break from the Kingdom of Great Britain and form a new nation; he produced formative documents and decisions at both the state and national levels.
