I personally never expected anything of Obama, and wrote about it before the 2008 primaries. I thought it was smoke and mirrors.

People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.

In politics, as in religion, it is equally absurd to aim at making proselytes by fire and sword. Heresies in either can rarely be cured by persecution.

I’m going to stay active as long as I can politically, and with the Carter Center primarily, and if I’m able mentally and physically, will continue to be quite active.

In my opinion, there is no aspect of reality beyond the reach of the human mind.

All impeachments, I guess, are political.

How can we help President Obama?

I think we ought always to entertain our opinions with some measure of doubt. I shouldn’t wish people dogmatically to believe any philosophy, not even mine.

Politics is just like show business. You have a hell of an opening, coast for a while, and then have a hell of a close.

Be extra careful in the work environment with those who like to maintain their position through charm and being political, rather than getting things done. They are very prone to envying and hating those who work hard and get results. They will slander and sabotage you without any warning.

I can easily imagine Obama sitting down and talking to any leader – or any person – in the world, with no baggage of past servitude or race supremacy to mar their talks.

In a time of domestic crisis, men of goodwill and generosity should be able to unite regardless of party or politics.

It’s been my experience in politics that you can try and plan it out: ‚I’m going to hit the three ball which will hit the eight ball.‘ You’ve just got to go run and try to do everything right. And then have a little luck.

People do not make wars; governments do.

If somebody’s dumb enough to ask me to go to a political convention and say something, they’re going to have to take what they get.

I read the NY Times but I don’t trust all of it.

Obama’s primary constituency was financial institutions. They were the core of the funding for his campaign. They expect to be paid back. And they were. They were paid back by coming out richer and more powerful than they were before the crisis that they created.

Some say our national pastime is baseball. Not me. It’s gossip.

I am not a crook.

Democratic societies are unfit for the publication of such thunderous revelations as I am in the habit of making.

I think where political issues invade moral situations, spiritual leaders have to speak out.

The fundamental question I believe is, ‚Is political Islam in our best interest?‘ If not, what is our policy to authoritatively support the countervailing forces?

I don’t think I would run for president.

A politician is an arse upon which everyone has sat except a man.

Be thankful we’re not getting all the government we’re paying for.

Half a truth is better than no politics.

Criticism is prejudice made plausible.

The British constitution has always been puzzling and always will be.

Knowledge is true opinion.

Governments tend not to solve problems, only to rearrange them.

The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would steal them away.

One often contradicts an opinion when what is uncongenial is really the tone in which it was conveyed.

Politically there were failures. And also on the personal level, there were tremendous failures.

Fidel Castro, whatever people may think of him, is a hero in Latin America, primarily because he stood up to the United States.

Some say we should not engage in activism. Instead we should leave everything to our politicians and just vote for a change instead. But what do we do when there is no political will? What do we do when the politics needed are nowhere in sight?

I haven’t trusted polls since I read that 62% of women had affairs during their lunch hour. I’ve never met a woman in my life who would give up lunch for sex.

Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can’t, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it.

So people are talking about revolution. What a revolution it would be to have a woman president.

Dogmatism and skepticism are both, in a sense, absolute philosophies; one is certain of knowing, the other of not knowing. What philosophy should dissipate is certainty, whether of knowledge or ignorance.

Young people these days don’t trust anything at all. They want to be free.

I am opposed to the accumulation of executive power anywhere.

I have written too much history to have faith in it; and if anyone thinks I’m wrong, I am inclined to agree with him.

Only the aspirants for president are fool enough to believe what they read in the newspapers.

You know why Foo Fighters have been a band for 20 years? Because I’ve never really told anybody what I think of them. The last thing you ever want to do is go to therapy with your band.

I have always hated bowling, and I don’t mind admitting it.

Free government is the most difficult of all government. But it is everlastingly true that the plain people will make fewer mistakes than any other group of men, no matter how powerful.

The FBI should not be a political body.

There might be some serious fun in politics.

Of course we all know Biden is the intellect of the Democratic Party. Kind of a grin with a body behind it.

If men were angels, no government would be necessary.

The world embarrasses me, and I cannot dream that this watch exists and has no watchmaker.

I’m the president of the United States. I’m not the emperor of the United States.

I’ve never been able to understand why a Republican contributor is a ‚fat cat‘ and a Democratic contributor of the same amount of money is a ‚public-spirited philanthropist‘.

And I think it’s that time. And I think if you just step aside and Mr. Romney can kind of take over. You can maybe still use a plane. Though maybe a smaller one. Not that big gas guzzler you are going around to colleges and talking about student loans and stuff like that.

All government, of course, is against liberty.

Nothing is more obstinate than a fashionable consensus.

I don’t watch it, but I know enough to comment on it.

I don’t say very much I don’t really think through. I know that sounds inconsistent with Joe Biden.

Everything is political. I will never be a politician or even think political. Me just deal with life and nature. That is the greatest thing to me.

Suppose I criticise Iran. What impact does that have? The only impact it has is in fortifying those who want to carry out policies I don’t agree with, like bombing.

I don’t think there’s anything unique about human intelligence.