George Aiken Quotes

You are the President. You tell them to go to hell.

I have no delusions about my likability in every scenario. I know that in order to get things done the way you want them, oftentimes your position will be unpopular.

The art of politics is knowing what to do next.

I worked with a group of people who argued day and night - professors, officials, the Minister of Finance - but there were decisions that I had to make.

When you are President you have to get something done, and that often means compromise.

Part of your job as President is not only to make the tough calls, but to get people to agree with you.

The important thing is the boldness of the President. He will lead opinion and not follow it. He does not want war but will not shrink from it.

Effective Presidents are those who can achieve a balance between purpose and prudence.

Like Lyndon Johnson, President Obama understands that timidity in a time of troubles is a prescription for failure.

Politics and war are remarkably similar situations.

The important thing is that we recognize our President's leadership, that he is not saying: I am going to walk away from this. He is saying: I am going to do the right thing.

In no relationship at the top of any walk of life is it always easy, least of all in politics which matters so much and which is conducted in such a piercing spotlight.

If you want me to be a cry baby, I cannot: I am the leader of a country. If you want to give me something and then withdraw it, fine; I must respect your decision.

The wound-tight, travel-light Obama has a distaste for the adversarial and the random. But if you stick too rigidly to a 'No Drama' rule in the White House, you risk keeping reality at bay. Presidencies are always about crisis management.

If you want to be loved by everyone, don't go into politics.

A President is best judged by the enemies he makes when he has really hit his stride.

In this job, you're going to make decisions. You'll say things that some people are going to love them, some people are going to hate them. It's just part of the job.

Politics is the art of the possible.

The day-to-day making of policy is arguing all the time.

I could have been very popular if I had launched a military attack on Iran but I chose patience.

To be a great president you have to have a war. All the great presidents had their wars.

Effective leadership may now well require the strength to accept rejection and hostility from a substantial segment of the electorate, while making sure that the disaffected remain a functional minority, especially on election day.

In politics and in trade, bruisers and pirates are of better promise than talkers and clerks.

A ruler must learn to be other than good.

Mr. President, we need to be strong and firm, but that doesn't mean you have to commit political suicide.