Life is not a static thing. The only people who do not change their minds are incompetents in asylums, and those in cemeteries.
Everett DirksenRead
During a political campaign everyone is concerned with what a candidate will do on this or that question if he is elected except the candidate; he's too busy wondering what he'll do if he isn't elected.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Candidates focus more on their own election fears than on the promises they make.
This quote highlights the irony of political campaigns, where candidates often become preoccupied with the anxieties of losing rather than addressing the issues they campaign on. It suggests that the pressure of electoral success can overshadow genuine political discourse, as candidates are torn between their responsibilities and their personal stakes in the election outcome.
Themes
PoliticsElectionCampaignAnxietyCandidates
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the integrity of political campaigns.
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I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be flexible at all times.
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There is no force so powerful as an idea whose time has come.
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