Sublime
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Lyndon Johnson had looked for power in the Senate, and had found it—and now that he was Majority Leader, he was using it. During his first six years in the Senate, he had concealed certain aspects of his character, adapting his personality to the institutional personality of the Senate, but now, in the seventh year, he was forcing the Senate to ada
... See moreRobert A. Caro • Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson III
Washington’s understated style had an inevitable appeal. Amid gifted talkers, he was a masterful listener who characterized his role as that of “an attentive observer and witness.”28 It was slowly becoming clear that, in a fractious, boisterous gathering, a calm figure of sound judgment such as Washington could inspire confidence and serve as a uni
... See moreRon Chernow • Washington
During his first eleven years in Congress, he delivered a total of ten speeches—less than one a year.
Robert A. Caro • Means of Ascent: The Years of Lyndon Johnson II
Reagan’s first drug czar, Carlton Turner, was quoted in Time magazine as saying, “Marijuana leads to homosexuality, the breakdown of the immune system, and therefore to AIDS.” He also said marijuana use was directly linked to “the present young-adult generation’s involvement in anti-military, anti-nuclear power, anti-big business, anti-authority de
... See moreAlfred Ryan Nerz • Marijuanamerica
Johnson’s admirer Rowe was to explain the contrast between Johnson’s treatment by Roosevelt and his treatment by Truman by saying simply, “You’ve got to have a reason to see a President.” With Roosevelt, there had been reasons: Johnson’s fund-raising capabilities; his role, through the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, as link between th
... See moreRobert A. Caro • Means of Ascent: The Years of Lyndon Johnson II
Thomas Jefferson, in his first inaugural address, articulated one of the clearest assertions about “good government” consistent with the spirit of the Declaration.
“…a wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall n
... See moreInstead, Reagan asked a question: “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?”
Daniel H Pink • To Sell Is Human
No one better demonstrated the virtues of American free enterprise—particularly the low-tax, low-regulation variety beloved by Reagan—than the high-tech entrepreneurs (“no older than you,” he reminded the students) who started out tinkering in suburban garages and ended up leading hugely successful computer companies.
Margaret O'Mara • The Code
The 2024 election will be the critical one because it will elect the last president of the Reagan cycle. As with Jimmy Carter or Herbert Hoover, the president will face significant economic and social problems, and what he will do is apply the basic principles of the Reagan era: lowering taxes and reducing regulations. This will be the case with ei
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