Political Debates Quotes

“Most of the time, we aren't really talking about the things that we think we are talking about - because most people care much more about the things beneath the surface of a conversation. This is especially true when someone disagrees with us and we feel attacked. If someone calls my view of, say, capital punishment 'stupid,' then the only argument that I really want to make in return is 'I'm not stupid.' Whatever I say next will appear to be about capital punishment but will really make the argument that I am a smart, moral person whose opinions deserve respect.”
― Michael Austin, We Must Not Be Enemies: Restoring America's Civic Tradition

“A purely and passionately political person, as I understand, is a person who can find anybody pleasant so long as Politics is never present.”
― Criss Jami