Quotes by Jeff Greenfield

“Something about her eyes or voice has always suggested the hint of a free spirit, trapped in a Peck & Peck cage, dreaming of making rude noises at public gatherings of Republicans.”

“Victory has 1,000 fathers; defeat has 1,000 kibitzers.”

“He was the voice, the person of ABC News. Its always hard to replace, but when its unexpected, its devastating.”

“Gee, Im not sure I really like this.”

“If youre a brand aligning yourself with the daytime show, the nighttime show could affect you adversely. The hard-edged personality of Martha is going to sell different types of products than the nice Martha who arranges flowers.”

“I got into television because I hated it so, ... And I thought ... theres some way of using this fabulous instrument to be of nurture to those who would watch and listen.”

“[His speech amounts to a painful poke in the eye for Democrats, according to Greenfield.] Oh, its a real poke, ... Its a way of embodying the idea that Republicans have done better than the Democrats, because even prominent members of their own party are supporting the other side.”

“There was a rip in the fabric. Everyone who saw it got the sense that everything after that would be different.”

“Somebody is going to have to do fancy footwork to make sure Elizabeth and John Edwards get their prime-time shot .”

“I really have never heard an acceptance speech where 20 years of a guys life in the U.S. Senate is kissed off in three sentences.”

In politics, Bugs Bunny always beats Daffy Duck. Daffys always going berserk, jumping up and down, yelling. Bugss got that sly smile, like he always knows whats up, like nothing can ruffle him.

A citizen at his home in Rockford, Illinois, or Boulder, Colorado, could read a newspaper, listen to a radio, or watch the round-the-clock coverage on television, but he had no way of connecting with those who shared his views. Nor was there a quick, readily available tool for an ordinary citizen to gather information on his own. In 1960, communication was a one-way street, and information was fundamentally inaccessible. The whole idea of summoning up data or reaching thousands of individuals with the touch of a finger was a science-fiction fantasy.

It was more than just material prosperity. America in 1960 was a country where restraint and boundaries were the natural conditions in all arenas. People married younger and stayed married; even with those added twenty-eight million, there were fewer divorces in 1960 than there had been a decade earlier. People did not have children unless they were married—only 2.5 percent of children were born out of wedlock, though the number in black households was disturbingly high—some 20 percent.

The niftiest turn of phrase the most elegant flight of rhetorical fancy isnt worth beans next to a clear thought clearly expressed.

I grew up in New York City, where we played highly unorganized sports: stick ball, stoop ball, and the occasional game of baseball with no adult supervision.

When Al Gore picked Joe Lieberman, it was a clear declaration of independence from President Clinton; no Democrat had been more critical of Clintons misconduct.

Men and women in my lifetime have died fighting for the right to vote: people like James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, who were murdered while registering black voters in Mississippi in 1964, and Viola Liuzzo, who was murdered by the Ku Klux Klan in 1965 during the Selma march for voting rights.

This is part of the involuntary bargain we make with the world just by being alive. We get to experiences the splendor of nature, the beauty of art, the balm of love and the sheer joy of existence, always with the knowledge that illness, injury, natural disaster, or pure evil can end it in an instant for ourselves or someone we love.

There is something discordant about a team of speechwriters and political operatives hammering away to create an image of the real, inner candidate. And, to be blunt, there is no necessary connection between a moving life experience and the skills necessary for leadership.

For millions, Roger Ebert will be remembered as a writer and television personality who brought a sense of passion and excellence to his craft. For me, he is a man who fused joy and courage as few others ever have. My life was enriched by having such a friend; it is poorer for losing such a friend.