Most Famous Quotes of the Presidents

[Spoke]

“I will never lie to you.” -Jimmy Carter, 1976.

[Elendil_s_Heir]

This might be of interest, given what day it is: Happy Washington's Birthday! - Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share - Straight Dope Message Board

[Miller]

@Debaser

If you really want it straightened out, here goes:

BrainGlutton thinks that Obama was saying that small business owners didn’t build the infrastructure that small businesses use like roads and bridges. His focus is narrowed like a laser on that alone and thus the thinks Obama is right: Small business owners didn’t build the roads and bridges personally.

However, when you look at Obama’s comments in context it was clear that he was making a broader statement that revealed some deeply flawed assumptions: That small business owners aren’t successful primarily because of their own hard work and intelligence, but rather because of the community they depend on.

It’s generally insulting to small business owners. By saying this Obama was very much wrong and he deserves the flak he gets for it.

But Obama’s defenders have proven not to be capable of understanding that rather than a snippet taken out of context the entire statement was poorly worded and insulting. They can’t see fault in it because they agree with the underlying and flawed assumptions that Obama is coming from. Thus they think it’s all about an out of context sound bite.

Regardless of whether this interpretation is objectively correct, the results of the recent election indicate that most voters either disagreed with it or felt that the entire issue was too petty to sway their vote. As such, it’s unlikely that “You didn’t build that,” will be remembered as Obama’s “most famous” quote. Had he lost re-election, it might have been in the running as an example of the attitude and/or policies that cost Obama the election. But as it stands, it will be remembered (when it is remembered at all) chiefly as a failed Romney campaign strategy.

[Elendil_s_Heir]

@Miller

…“You didn’t build that” … will be remembered (when it is remembered at all) chiefly as a failed Romney campaign strategy.

Hell, they built a whole day of the Republican National Convention around it!: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2012/08/gop-convention-chris-christie-rick-santorum-/1#.USmT71qsb-A

[kjckjc]

GBI: “Read my lips, no new taxes”

and on a similar note

Obama: “If your family earns less than $250,000 a year, you will not see your taxes increased a single dime. I repeat: not one single dime.”

[Really_Not_All_That_Bright]

Did anyone’s taxes go up under Obama?

[thelurkinghorror]

Yes, everyone making under a certain amount (~$100k depending on year) had their Social Security/FICA go up, it’s 7.65% (15.3% including employer portion/self employed). Last year it was IIRC 5.65%/11.3%. Damn him.

…but that wasn’t Obama’s fault, and it won’t stop someone from blaming him, it also first went down under his administration…

[Marley23]

A slightly more complete quote, kjckjc:

@Obama

I want to pass a budget next year that ensures that each dollar we spend reflects only our most important national priorities.
[…]
In order to save our children from a future of debt, we will also end the tax breaks for the wealthiest 2% of Americans. But let me perfectly clear, because I know you’ll hear the same old claims that rolling back these tax breaks means a massive tax increase on the American people: if your family earns less than $250,000 a year, you will not see your taxes increased a single dime. I repeat: not one single dime. In fact, the recovery plan provides a tax cut – that’s right, a tax cut – for 95% of working families. And these checks are on the way.

So he was discussing a tax proposal that never happened because Congressional Republicans objected to the idea of raising taxes on households that made $250,000 a year. It finally sort of happened last month as a tax increase on households making more than $400,00 a year. It’s not comparable to “read my lips.”

[kjckjc]

Oops, sorry. This isn’t Great Debates, is it? Are you debating that what I posted was not, in fact, a quote spoken by Pres. Obama? Or that it won’t stand the test of time? Or that it is or isn’t true? Because it is all over my Facebook wall. And the hashtags relating to the quote were trending on Twitter more than once. So it is a famous quote. So what is the issue?

[Marley23]

The issue is that the quote doesn’t say what you were suggesting it did. And no, as a quote from Obama’s first speech to Congress about a tax proposal that never happened, it’s not going to be a quote of enduring fame. That’s not to say that people who don’t like Obama won’t try to use that quote to call him a liar or something, but it’s not really a defining statement.

[Really_Not_All_That_Bright]

@thelurkinghorror

Yes, everyone making under a certain amount (~$100k depending on year) had their Social Security/FICA go up, it’s 7.65% (15.3% including employer portion/self employed). Last year it was IIRC 5.65%/11.3%. Damn him.

…but that wasn’t Obama’s fault, and it won’t stop someone from blaming him, it also first went down under his administration…

Right, but that was more than offset by the previous cuts.

@kjckjc

Oops, sorry. This isn’t Great Debates, is it? Are you debating that what I posted was not, in fact, a quote spoken by Pres. Obama? Or that it won’t stand the test of time? Or that it is or isn’t true? Because it is all over my Facebook wall. And the hashtags relating to the quote were trending on Twitter more than once. So it is a famous quote. So what is the issue?

You implied that it’s famous because it turned out to be untrue, like the Bush I quote.

[Clothahump]

@minlokwat

LBJ: Can’t think of one.

LBJ: “I’ll have those niggers voting Democratic for the next 200 years.”

Absolute vintage LBJ.

[Elendil_s_Heir]

Hadn’t heard that one - his prediction that the Civil Rights Act would lose the Democratic Party the previously-Solid South for generations is well-known, though.

My favorite LBJ story was when he was leaving an Air Force base and started heading towards a particular helicopter. His military guide pointed in another direction and said, “Uh, sir, your helicopter is over here.” The President threw his arm around the man’s shoulders and said, “Son, they’re all my helicopters!”

[ElvisL1ves]

And the time he was asked about Vice President Humphrey’s contributions to his administration: “Hell, I keep Hubert’s balls in my back pocket.”

[bup]

Reagan: “My fellow Americans, I’m pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.”

GW Bush: “I’m not gonna fire a $2 million missile at a $10 empty tent and hit a camel in the butt.”

[bup]

@Clothahump

LBJ: “I’ll have those niggers voting Democratic for the next 200 years.”

Absolute vintage LBJ.

I’ve googled that, and can only find it on sites I don’t trust. Do you have a good source for it?

[Siam_Sam]

For LBJ, he supposedly said of J Edgar Hoover something like: “I’d rather have him inside the tent pissing outside than outside the tent pissing inside.”

I see different wordings on the Internet, but this is the gist.

[Elendil_s_Heir]

@Siam_Sam

For LBJ, he supposedly said of J Edgar Hoover something like: “I’d rather have him inside the tent pissing outside than outside the tent pissing inside.”

I see different wordings on the Internet, but this is the gist.

Yes, I’ve read that one in a number of reputable books on the Presidency.

[WillFarnaby]

The business of America is business. - Calvin Coolidge

[morgensd]

@ShibbOleth

Kennedy:* “Ich bin ein Berliner”*

This gets my vote as well.

“I am a jelly donut”

Kinda sings doesn’t it.

morgensd