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I think the Democrats are going to have to be willing to give up, maybe, some short-term political gain by whipping up fears on some of these things - if it's a reasonable Social Security proposal, a reasonable Medicare proposal. We've got to deal with these things. You cannot have health care devour the economy.
William J. Clinton
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Clinton advocates for making sacrifices for long-term solutions in healthcare instead of pursuing short-term political gains.

In this quote, William J. Clinton emphasizes the necessity for political leaders, particularly those in the Democratic Party, to prioritize sustainable healthcare policies over immediate political advantages. He suggests that addressing critical issues like Social Security and Medicare requires courage and a willingness to face fears, ensuring that healthcare does not overwhelm the economy in the long run.

Themes

HealthcarePoliticsSacrificeEconomyLong-Term Solutions

In practice

Example use cases

During a political debate on healthcare, a candidate could quote Clinton to emphasize the importance of sustainable policies over short-term wins.

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For too long we've been told about 'us' and 'them.' Each and every election we see a new slate of arguments and ads telling us that 'they' are the problem, not 'us.' But there can be no 'them' in America. There's only us.
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There is a huge body of business evidence now showing that energy savings give better service at lower cost with higher profit. We have to tear down barriers to successful markets and we have to create incentives to enter them.
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Demand that your government pays more attention. It's immoral that people in Africa die like flies of diseases that no one dies of in the United States. And the more disease there is, the more political unrest there will be, leading to more Darfurs, which the U.S. will have to pay to fix.
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I was not elected to produce a pile of vetoes.
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Quote by William J. Clinton | QuoteProject