Political Civility Quotes

Do you know people on the Right who are tolerant of people who are for gay marriage and are pro-choice? I actually do, plenty of them. When there is a disagreement, I see way more people on the Right... more often willing to agree to disagree rather than to de-friend or to smear.

It's a sad indication of where Washington has come, where policy differences almost necessarily become questions of integrity. I came to Washington in the late '70s, and people had the ability in the past to have intense policy differences but didn't feel the need to question the other person's character.

I don't say bad things about my Republican colleagues, ever.

I am a pretty level-headed person, but that person, Harry Reid, has been the most destructive entity in Washington when it comes to civility. By far.

Do you think it's possible to discuss politics without preaching?

When I first came to the Senate, people in both parties went out of their way to have personal relationships.

So we, Democrats, have a responsibility there, every one of us, both to try to treat the Republicans with respect and as human beings to try to work with them on every issue we can, and then if those cannons are fired at us, we've got to stand up and fight back. If you lay down and you look like a deer caught in the headlights, then you will confirm the assault. And so we have to fight back.

Friends, I will disown and repudiate any man of my party who attacks with … vile, foul slander and abuse any opponents of another party.

I've gained great respect for the Republican leadership. I've gained great respect for many - and I'm going to even say - I mean, in different forms for the people on the dais, in different forms.

I will always remember and we must all remember that Democrats are our political rivals, not our enemies, and they deserve our respect.

Gratitude is not an active sentiment in politics.

My unpleasantness was political, not personal. I don't believe in carrying political disputes into social life.

We mistake politics for legislative debate. You can be passionate without being personal.

When I was in office I expressed admiration and respect and even affection for Republicans that I knew and liked and cared about, and I tried to find ways to work with them. I think the Democrats should do that, and just keep trying to lower the temperature.

I would attend a State of the Union by a president with whom I disagree if I felt she or he was otherwise respectful and adhered to basic moral values or basic tenets of civility and respect.

The language has changed. When I grew up and watched the campaigns of John Kennedy, even with Richard Nixon, there was a lot higher level of civility. Now we describe a disagreement as an attack.

I have been thinking that I would make a proposition to my Republican friends... that if they will stop telling lies about the Democrats, we will stop telling the truth about them.

I think people are kind of tired of the really amped-up rhetoric that passes for a lot of political dialogue, and they appreciate the fact that that's not the way we are participating in this process.

I would argue that the next President, either Bush or Gore, should strike a 'national' posture, exhibiting generosity toward the defeated opponent, but proceeding with determination to implement an agenda.

I want us to war over principles, policies, programs and alternative visions of the future ... but I want us to be able to do that without turning the place [the House of Representatives] into a political Beirut.

I'm concerned about the negative aspect of political campaigning in american nation, which is a new phenomenon. When I ran for president against Gerald Ford and later against Ronald Reagan we never referred to each other except as 'my distinguished opponent'. And had we criticised personally our opponent it would have been political suicide, we would have been castigated and condemned for it.

While it's true that Washington would benefit from more civility, the Senate, behind the scenes, is an extraordinarily collegial institution.

Obama has been perhaps the most partisan President since Truman. He hasn't learned to be civil - note his insulting speech to Paul Ryan, who did us the courtesy of scoring a budget. The president has to talk to Republicans when it comes to the debt ceiling. He has reached the debt ceiling before anyone expected.

It's not beneficial when you have a presidential candidate like Donald Trump, telling his supporters "punch that guy in the face." I think everyone candidate ought to aspire toward civility, towards decency, towards bringing us together. I don't think we should be using angry and hateful rhetoric.

I believe in Ronald Reagan's 11th commandment, thou shall not speak unfavorably of another Republican.