Quote

I think Americans expect optimism in their leadership. The most popular and effective leaders, whether it was Bill Clinton or Ronald Reagan or Jack Kennedy, brought to it a sense of optimism and possibility.

David Brooks

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

David Brooks
Age: 63
Born: 1961
Born: August 22
Editor
Journalist
Politician
Pundit
City of Toronto
Possibility
Effective
Leadership
Popular
Leader
Bills
Ronald
Whether
Leaders
Kennedy
Sense
Brought
Reagan
Think
Expect
Jack
Thinking
Clinton
Optimism
Americans
Bill

More quotes by David Brooks

Image
I came to the conclusion is that we have a very shallow view of human nature in the policy world. We're really good at talking about material things, really bad at talking about emotions, really good at stuff we can count, really bad at the deeper stuff that actually drives behavior.
David Brooks
Image
The ugliness can sometimes be super ugly, but also a warning sign of something down below.
David Brooks
Image
We have the choice to choose how we're going to educate our emotions.
David Brooks
Image
[Mitch Daniels] was not a bad governor. He could be playful, but - or communicator.I'm just saying it will - I think will be - every candidate comes into the White House, assuming if [Hillary Clinton] wins, or if she does win, with strengths and weaknesses. This will be a weakness, because this was such an easy moment to show some heart.
David Brooks
Image
... trash talk ... Washington floats on a river of aspersion.
David Brooks
Image
On the [Betsy] DeVos case, I agree that the gun - her gun position is kind of weird, kind of crazy, but I do think she does know about public schools.
David Brooks
Image
We are all fundamentally equal souls, and if you make a zillion dollars, you're not any better than anybody else spiritually. You're still an equal soul.
David Brooks
Image
President-elect [Donald] Trump's ambassador to Israel is further to the right than almost anyone in Israel, further to the right than Bibi Netanyahu on the settlements, and almost opposes the two-state solution, doesn't he?
David Brooks
Image
Maybe you're willing to tolerate a lot of bigotry from Donald Trump if you say, just change things, just change things.
David Brooks
Image
Empathy makes you more aware of other people's suffering, but it's not clear it actually motivates you to take moral action or prevents you from taking immoral action.
David Brooks
Image
Everyone is dividing based on demographic categories.
David Brooks
Image
One of the frustrations about the modern world is that we don't even have a good vocabulary to describe our state. The word sentiment sounds mushy. [...] Sentiment is not mushy.
David Brooks
Image
It's rare in an administration for a secretary of state and a secretary of defense to get along really well.
David Brooks
Image
We shouldn't just allow gay marriage. We should insist on gay marriage. We should regard it as scandalous that two people could claim to love each other and not want to sanctify their love with marriage and fidelity.
David Brooks
Image
Republicans are living in a hermetically sealed Republican universe, just as Democrats are. And so they're responding to their own universe, even if it leads to electoral downfall.
David Brooks
Image
People who give money in large amount in politics are basically not altruistic.
David Brooks
Image
What's interesting about the Trump administration is how bitterly divided they are in their attitudes towards Putin.
David Brooks
Image
When you talk about the problem of illegal immigration, people are angry and polarized. When you talk about the answers, the debate gets a little different.
David Brooks
Image
Donald Trump tried to set up this debate where it was going to be globalists vs. nationalists, and the Republicans were going to be the nationalists. But, if anything, the Democrats looked more patriotic and more nationalist at the end of these two.
David Brooks
Image
Nonetheless, so whether it's unconstitutional or not [for judges to overruling presidents], I leave to others.
David Brooks