Tony Blankley Quotes

It seems like you can't actually have really bad hair or be bald and run for President of the United States.

We all know that looks matter, and modern politicians have always assumed that their battles are decided on both substance and image.

Modern politics today requires a mastery of television. I've never really warmed up to television and, in fairness to television, it's never warmed up to me.

People tell me, 'You better lose weight if you want to run for mayor.' I said, 'I got the Chris Christie look.'

One hazard of our job on TV is people are always checking us out and noting every pound we've gained or haven't quite lost.

Don't worry about polls, but if you do, don't admit it.

If my shirt's off all the time on national TV, with 20 million people watching, I want to look my best.

I wouldn't even get elected. I'd probably deck a couple of people, too which would not play very well with the national media.

I don't understand why the press is so interested in speculating about my appearance, anyway. What does my face have to do with my music or my dancing?

People always expect Hulk Hogan to be standing up straight, or to have the bandanna on, or to not have my arms covered up. If I have an extra large shirt on people go 'oh yeah you look small.' It kind of ruins the mystique.

I think Obama is handling his image very well, but I think he lacks boldness.

You often see politicians who try to put on a different persona; they think they should be more jolly or serious. Invariably, the persona they choose is worse than their own.

I'm really interested in how we view the public figure, what makes a public figure, what makes a celebrity, and how images make politicians, so I take an interest in politics, but it's really an interest in the image.

As an actor, you have to understand how you are seen and then play with that. Otherwise, my looks are not important.

Sometimes heads of state have to make statements for [local] public consumption.

It’s not only what you do in politics. It’s what you appear to do.

It is very important to look good in the entertainment industry.

I want people to see the full measure of Donald Trump.

The reality here is, these are people that campaign for votes, and nobody wants to be associated with pictures that would certainly exist, even if they were fake, and they most likely would be. You know, can you imagine 150 pictures of that federal agent storming the home in Florida to kidnap Elian Gonzalez and send him back to Cuba?

Jennifer [Palmieri], could it possibly be that Hillary Clinton just doesn't connect with people, that she just doesn't relate to people, that Hillary Clinton doesn't have anything in common with anybody?

There were tactical decisions that I wish I could have done differently: mission accomplished, not revealing my drunken driving charge prior to my run for the presidency, flying over New Orleans on Katrina and the pictures being released and people saying, "he's aloof and doesn't really care."

In politics, reality and appearance are of equal importance. You cannot attend to one and neglect the other. A man must determine both what he is, and what others believe him to be.

Media hosts just talk about Golda Meir and Margaret Thatcher and again miss the point. I was talking about AMERICAN culture, ladies and gentlemen. As I pointed out, if Margaret Thatcher or Golda Meir, by the way, she didn't care, and Margaret Thatcher didn't care how she look like. If Margaret Thatcher were running for president today, as she was when she was the Iron Lady, we wouldn't have her mom doing television commercials telling us how wonderful she was when she was a kid and how nice she is.

Television has changed how we choose our leaders. It elected Ronald Reagan and a host of Kennedy-look-alike congressmen with blow-dried hair and gleaming teeth. It destroyed Senator Joe McCarthy by showing him in action and it created Jerry Falwell.

Nowadays, you cannot be a very Effective political figure without Having a demonstrable sense of humor. People take to it.