Citas

If one vote per precinct had changed in 1960, John Kennedy would never have been President of this nation. And if a few more people had gone to the polls and voted in 1968, Hubert Humphrey would have been President; Richard Nixon would not. - during his closing statement in the 1980 Presidential debate

John Wayne was bigger than life. In an age of few heroes, he was the genuine article. But he was more than a hero; he was a symbol of many of the qualities that made America great - the ruggedness, the tough independence, the sense of personal conviction and courage - on and off the screen - that reflected the best of our national character.

Unless both sides win, no agreement can be permanent.

"I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history." (20 May 2007)

On Wednesday, August 17th, 1977, one day after Elvis Presley's life-loss, he personally said, "Elvis Presley's death deprived our country of apart of itself. He was unique and irreplaceable."

When I told my mother I was running for president, she said, "president of what?"

We kept our country at peace. We never went to war. We never dropped a bomb. We never fired a bullet. But still we achieved our international goals. We brought peace to other people, including Egypt and Israel. We normalised relations with China, which had been non-existent for 30-something years. We brought peace between US and most of the countries in Latin America because of the Panama Canal Treaty. We formed a working relationship with the Soviet Union.

My favourite president, and the one I admired most, was Harry Truman. When Truman left office he took the same position. He didn't serve on corporate boards. He didn't make speeches around the world for a lot of money.

[on not going to war with Iran over the hostages]: ... it would probably have resulted in the death of maybe tens of thousands of Iranians who were innocent, and in the deaths of the hostages as well. In retrospect I don't have any doubt that I did the right thing. But it was not a popular thing among the public, and it was not even popular among my own advisers inside the White House. Including my wife.

[on the failed hostage rescue attempt] We had to have six [helicopters], to bring back the hostages. We planned on seven. At the last minute I ordered eight. And, incredibly, three of them were decommissioned. One turned back to the aircraft carrier. One went down in a sandstorm in the desert, and the other had a hydraulic leak and crashed. Complete surprise to all of us, particularly to the military experts. We lost three out of eight helicopters. So then we had to withdraw. But if I'd had one more helicopter we could have brought back our hostages, and I would have been looked upon as a much more successful president.

[on father] My father was the dominant person in our family and in my life.

(on his greatest concern about America in 2012) Every one of my successors has been in gratuitous wars. I think we could have resolved most of these conflicts in a peaceful way. And we share very little of our wealth with other people. These are a violation of the teachings of the Prince of Peace.

I can't deny that I am a better ex-president than I was a president.

Politicians are experts at naps. Then you have to wake up and absorb your briefing quickly.