My favorite recent political quote is this one by John Edwards:
On many nights, my phone would ring and I would hear the senator [Edwards] on the other end. Sometimes he sounded petty and irritated by ordinary events. He especially hated making appearances at county fairs, where ‘fat rednecks try to shove food down my face. I know I’m the people’s senator, but do I have to hang out with them?‘ ” [emphasis added]
Actually, it’s hard for me not to sympathize with Edwards here at least somewhat. I would probably find many campaign events even more irritating than he did. On the other hand, unlike Edwards, I didn’t run for president as a populist/man of the people.
Cornellian says:
I’m guessing Sen. Edwards’s thoughts on the subject constitute the norm among politicians, not the exception.
February 1, 2010, 12:57 amOrin Kerr says:
My favorite quote from that review is the one attributed to Ted Kennedy, allegedly said to the author of the book:
I have no idea if Kennedy actually said this, but it’s quite a quote.
February 1, 2010, 1:01 amMaryG says:
This quote comes from the guy whose job it was to collect poopy diapers for DNA, and take care of Edwards’ mistresses? There’s a job.
Second Corneillian above. Wish we could sometimes read President Obama’s thought bubbles…
February 1, 2010, 1:01 amIlya Somin says:
I’m guessing Sen. Edwards’s thoughts on the subject constitute the norm among politicians, not the exception.
That may be. But most of the others didn’t get caught saying it to someone who would later record it for posterity.
February 1, 2010, 1:04 amMaryG says:
Orin, If it’s not true Kennedy said it, of course it’s quite a quote.
Fiction trumps reality, and anybody can make up a good line and pin it on a dead guy, no?
(I’m guessing the Senator chased, but didn’t himself put it down for posterity, especially the timing of the afternoon hunt. An inside the White House? Wasn’t his MO clear from the Palm Beach trial, he met them at bars? Plenty on the record about Kennedy that we don’t have to quote unconfirmed tales.)
February 1, 2010, 1:05 amCato The Elder says:
Kennedy, that man…he was a saint!
February 1, 2010, 1:07 amMaryG says:
But most of the others didn’t get caught saying it to someone who would later record it for posterity.
Again, consider the sources, fellas!
(Books to sell before I sleep…)
February 1, 2010, 1:07 amOff Kilter says:
And yet we still believe that voting for these people is somehow more ennobling than anything done in a whorehouse, when the evidence is solely otherwise…
February 1, 2010, 1:09 amCato The Elder says:
Come on, John Edwards trusted this guy to be the liaison between him and his baby’s mama! To the point of having him procure her checks from political contributors! That’s quite a bit of trust for a politician to invest in one man — I think we can extend him a little credibility on the other juicy material he was undoubtedly party to.
February 1, 2010, 1:44 ameyesay says:
MaryG wrote, “Wish we could sometimes read President Obama’s thought bubbles….” Well, we actually got the chance to read George W. Bush’s thought bubbles. He called New York Times Reporter Adam Clymer a “major league asshole,” and Dick Cheney agreed, both believing their mikes were not live. And Dick Cheney’s thought bubbles burst out of his mouth unedited when he told Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), on the Senate floor, “Go fuck yourself.” Afterward, rather than apologizing, he said he had no regrets. In this 19-second Fox News video, he proudly admits his foul words.
February 1, 2010, 2:00 amMaryG says:
Cato — what kind of man plays baby daddy to another guy’s mistress, to the point of taking her from hotel to hotel, rented house to rented house, with the baby and his own wife, in order to cover for the boss?
Puts back in the case an unraveled sex video between the boss and mistress?
Collectes a poopy diaper to determine DNA evidence?
Did this guy have a mancrush (or more) on Edwards? What kind of man at his age goes along with those job requirements, to the extent of foisting another man on us as presidential material?
If someone wrote a book expose on this Andrew Young, I’d love to see that dirt excerpted here. Never cared for Edwards’ schtick myself, clearly not genuine, he’s a trial lawyer. He was getting something (sex, potential presidency).
But to these eyes, Young is the bigger mouse.
February 1, 2010, 2:08 amdirc says:
It seems that Sen. Edwards agrees with Charles Schulz (as spoken by Linus Van Pelt), “I love mankind. It’s people I can’t stand.”
February 1, 2010, 2:59 amC.T. says:
reminds me of the movie Separate but equal.
Frankfurter: “[William O] Douglas loves humanity, he just can’t stand people.”
Great line. I have no idea if Frankfurter actually said it in real life.
February 1, 2010, 3:04 amneurodoc says:
Interesting that Fred Baron was Edwards’ principal enabler, financially at least. Baron was a plaintiffs bar all-star and president of ATLA. It seems he put up very substantial sums, made available his private jet, and lent his vacation home in Aspen all in an effort to keep Rielle Hunter under wraps and protect Edwards against exposure as a big-time philanderer. Pretty cynical stuff, but I suppose Baron really wanted to see a trial lawyer in the White House. (Reportedly, Bunny Mellon, an enthusiastic Edwards supporter, didn’t know how her money was to be used for these purposes.)
Any speculation on Edwards’ future? Did he put away enough money from his trial lawyer days and his brief time on Wall Street to be financially secure, or might he have to look for work? What employment possibilities? I do realize that many politicians have managed to go on after public humiliation, but no guarantee of it, right? Elliot Spitzer, who doesn’t have to worry about money, is currently trying. (What ever happened to John Jenrette?) Gary Hart took a big fall, but he didn’t fall as far and as low as Edwards, did he, and he was more substantive than Edwards, wasn’t he?
February 1, 2010, 5:42 amtrial lawyer says:
neurodoc,
Edwards appears to be set for life, he hasn’t really worked in a long time.
As for whether he could work- there’s no doubt his name still carries a certain cachet among trial lawyers, but he’s so disgraced that you wouldn’t want him on your team. Why would I associate him in a class action case, for example, when credibility with the judge is important?
He could hang his own shingle, taking referrals from other lawyers. He could get some work that way. I hear he was a fine trial lawyer.
February 1, 2010, 7:18 amSwede says:
There really are 2 Americas!
One where fat rednecks try to shove food down your face.
And another, more civilized one, where people know their place.
February 1, 2010, 7:46 amalkali says:
The second part of this quote (“I know I’m the people’s senator, but do I have to hang out with them?”) sounds at least plausible as something coming out of Edwards’ mouth, at least ironically. The first part, complaining about “fat rednecks,” does not sound even barely plausible.
February 1, 2010, 8:42 amtomhynes says:
I second alkali -it was likely an attempt at ironic humor. Have you never joked with a colleague about clients/customers/students?
February 1, 2010, 10:09 amgregorya57 says:
I’m pretty sure no self-respecting redneck (and I am one) would be caught dead at any Edwards function. As far as shoving something down Edwards’ throat, there are a number of non-food items that would be far more appropriate…
February 1, 2010, 10:42 amLTR says:
I remember first paying attention to Edwards in late 2003. I immediately felt that the guy was unusually phony even for a trial-lawyer-turned-U.S. Senator.
February 1, 2010, 10:58 amzuch says:
Prof. Somin:
… is an unverifiable one in a “tell-all” book (quoted in the WSJ opinion pages).
Granted, Edwards is not a viable candidate for “Man of the Year”, but wouldn’t it be a bit more fair to use a verifiable quote (rather than an inflammatory unverifiable one) for your favourite quote? Or should I start using some ‘revealing’ snippets from your late-night private e-mails to me to embarrass you in turn?
Cheers,
February 1, 2010, 12:16 pmgeokstr says:
Absolutely. Not many clairvoyants, even the trial lawyers among them, have the ability to channel dead babies in closing arguments, and I hear he was the best at it.
February 1, 2010, 12:19 pmzuch says:
Precisely. It’s a quote. Whether it actually was said by Kennedy can’t detract from that fact.
Cheers,
February 1, 2010, 12:20 pmLTR says:
Speaking of apocryphal quotes, my favorite is this one:
“A man who, beyond the age of 26, finds himself on a bus can count himself as a failure.”
Can anyone guess to whom it was attributed?
February 1, 2010, 1:00 pmSteve says:
I think this post neglected to put the word “quote” in quotes. Edwards is clearly a contemptible character, but that doesn’t mean we need to take everything in a tell-all book by a former confidant at face value. I mean, the author is someone with so little regard for the truth that he was willing to publicly claim paternity of someone else’s child – and here we are assuming whatever he says about John Edwards must be true? Come on.
February 1, 2010, 1:11 pmRealistLiberal says:
LTR~
My recollection is that is attributed to Margaret Thatcher but I admit it’s been a while since I’ve heard the quote.
zuch~
Unfortunately, politicians have gotten pretty good about not saying anything of substance in a way that is verifiable so the only quotes we have are the unverifiable ones that are said to a confidant who later gets pissed off. I agree we should view them with skepticism (for the same reason I was skeptical of a lot of the stuff in the book about George W. Bush by his first press secretary). I admit, I’m not sure what the solution is. There were many questionable quotes attributed to Edwards in the book and many questionable quotes attributed to GWB in a few other books.
February 1, 2010, 1:49 pmzuch says:
You mean McClellan? That was his second PS. AFAIK, Fleischer’s still carrying Dubya’s and (Ctheney’s) water….
Cheers,
February 1, 2010, 2:18 pmFrank Drackman says:
At least John Edwards didn’t abandon a young woman to drown in his Oldsmobile…
February 1, 2010, 2:35 pmOh, I’m sorry to ASPHYXIATE in his Oldsmobile…
That we know of anyway…
LTR says:
@RealistLiberal
Yes, it was attributed to Thatcher, but the true originator of the quote was actually Brian Howard, British poet and he placed cutoff age for failures somewhat more mercifully at 30. I think about it every time I use public transport.
@Frank Drackman
I thought it was his mother’s Oldsmobile?
February 1, 2010, 2:46 pmHerb Spencer says:
Since you asked for a guess, here’s mine, based more on syntax than substance: Somerset Maugham
February 1, 2010, 3:54 pmSwan Trumpet says:
One of Obama’s very revealing gems: While campaigning in San Francisco, Obama was heard to remark that “Working class Americans are bitter and that bitterness causes them to cling to their guns and religion.” I’m sure Obama understood that in San Francisco, his disparaging views of Americans are shared and appreciated.
February 1, 2010, 4:18 pmLN says:
Well, I’m glad you’re not bitter about it, Swan Trumpet.
February 1, 2010, 4:57 pmleo marvin says:
You shouldn’t put words in quotation marks unless you’re quoting somebody, which you aren’t.
February 1, 2010, 5:41 pmSarcastro says:
Yes, Frank Drackman and Swan Trumpet. NEVER FORGET, NEVER FORGIVE!!!!
February 1, 2010, 5:47 pmeyesay says:
Swan, candidate Obama’s remarks were far more nuanced than either your badly garbled misquote or more common correct excerpts. You can read the transcript of Barack Obama’s remarks at the San Francisco fundraising event and see that he was far more thoughtful and respectful, not disparaging, of a group of Americans often left behind by politicians.
February 1, 2010, 5:53 pmjccamp says:
I’m late to the thread, and I second OK’s comment early on, re: the quote about Senator Kennedy, which by the way, comports with that of the late Senator from young Mr Smith’s rape trial in Palm Beach. That was of a tipsy Ted in the living room, wearing dress shirt, tie, and boxer shorts, drink in hand, greeting the young men and women as they arrived at the Kennedy mansion and headed to the bedrooms.
Nothing but class.
February 1, 2010, 8:51 pmNorton says:
Hilarious, simply hilarious. Though Sen. Edwards probably should stick to funnel cake and ladies of the evening instead carrying on long affairs that could catch up to him: http://lawblog.legalmatch.com/2010/01/26/the-wave-of-the-future-same-sex-prostitution/
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