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I was Never Trump. But it turned out never republican was really the theme of this election.

William Kristol

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William Kristol
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More quotes by William Kristol

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Having defeated and then occupied Iraq, democratizing the country should not be too tall an order for the world's sole superpower.
William Kristol
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My sense from talking to college students is that you have a healthier sense of the diversity of opinions or arguments or analysis about issues. In our day it was just sort of, Well gee, this is what the news says so that's the way it is. It didn't really get challenged that much.
William Kristol
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I think it's fine that there are five million people who are watching [politics on TV], and obviously I'm happy they are since they're on the air, and there are a couple hundred thousand people reading The Weekly Standard online, and that's great too, but most Americans aren't engaged that intensely, and are much less partisan.
William Kristol
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Since Ronald Reagan's election in 1980, conservatives of various sorts, and conservatisms of various stripes, have generally been in the ascendancy. And a good thing, too! Conservatives have been right more often than not - and more often than liberals - about most of the important issues of the day.
William Kristol
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Many of Bush's defenders have praised him for keeping the country safe since Sept. 11, 2001. He deserves that praise, and I'm perfectly happy to defend most of his surveillance, interrogation and counterterrorism policies against his critics.
William Kristol
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Political parties are complicated coalitions and aren't excessively theoretical.
William Kristol
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[the war in Iraq] could have terrifically good effects troughout the Middle East
William Kristol
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Shouldn't Democrats insist that Sen. Durbin step down as their whip, the number two man in their leadership?
William Kristol
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I am on the whole a defender of the current, despite being a conservative. I mean, I think things are better than when I was younger.
William Kristol
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Conservatives shouldn't count on the Supreme Court to do our work for us on Obamacare. The Court may rule as it should, and strike down the mandate. But it may not. And even if it does, the future of health care in America - and for that matter, the future of limited government - depends ultimately on the verdict of the American people.
William Kristol
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These soldiers deserve a better defense secretary than the one we have.
William Kristol
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[Among conservatives] there's been too much pseudo-populism, almost too much concern and attention for, quote, 'the people'.... After all, we conservatives are on the side of the lords and barons.... We...are pulling up the drawbridge against the peasants.
William Kristol
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For all the talk about the bitterness and the partisanship in American politics, is it really that bitter and partisan? Think of American history. Think of Joseph McCarthy. Think of the New Left. Think of [George] McGovern. Think of [Ronald] Reagan. Think of George Wallace. We've had an awful lot of real extremism on both wings.
William Kristol
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I've always rebelled a little when people say, 'My Jewish values lead me to really care about the poor.' I know some Christians who care about the poor, too.
William Kristol
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If terror groups are to be defeated, it is national governments that will have to do so. In nations like India, governments will have to call on the patriotism of citizens to fight the terrorists. In a nation like Pakistan, the government will have to be persuaded to deal with those in their midst who are complicit.
William Kristol
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People used to complain in the 50s and 60s and even in the 70s when I was in school, studying political science, that if only we could have two political parties that presented a choice, but there were all these liberal Republicans and there were all these southern Democrats who are conservative so people just don't have a clear choice.
William Kristol
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If we free the people of Iraq, we will be respected in the Arab world... and I think we will be respected around the world.
William Kristol
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Maybe one thing that has happened is that the claims of non-partisanship of the mainstream media have been a little bit exploded. Mostly I'd say what, if anything has caused the change, are just the obvious technological changes - proliferation of easier access to getting your opinions out and the proliferation of media.
William Kristol
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Conservatism as an ism is always going to be somewhat in tension with a political party.
William Kristol
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The trouble with politics and political coverage today is that there's too much liberal bias.... There's too much tilt toward the left-wing agenda. Too much apology for liberal policy failures. Too much pandering to liberal candidates and causes.
William Kristol