--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Would it not be much better to have a…" description: "\"Would it not be much better to have a president who deliberately lied to the people because he thought a war was essential than to have one who was so ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce0/andrew-greeley-14152_dumb_would-it-not-be-much-better-to-have-a-pr_136650.jpg" --- # Would it not be much better to have a president who… ![“Would it not be much better to have a president who deliberately lied to the people because he thought a war was essential than to have one who was so dumb as to be taken in by intelligence agencies, especially those who told him what he wanted to hear?” quote by Andrew Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce0/andrew-greeley-14152_dumb_would-it-not-be-much-better-to-have-a-pr_136650.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce0/andrew-greeley-14152_dumb_would-it-not-be-much-better-to-have-a-pr_136650.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce0/andrew-greeley-14152_dumb_would-it-not-be-much-better-to-have-a-pr_136650.jpg) > “Would it not be much better to have a president who deliberately lied to the people because he thought a war was essential than to have one who was so dumb as to be taken in by intelligence agencies, especially those who told him what he wanted to hear?” [Andrew Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-greeley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A president who lies for war may be preferable to a naive one easily misled by intelligence agencies. **In simple terms:** A deceitful leader might be better than an uninformed one. Key Takeaway Critical thinking in leadership is essential. Themes politics leadership truth Mood critical skeptical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - elections - policy debates Key Concepts war intelligence decision‑making Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards prevent manipulation? - How to balance honesty and security? A Different Perspective Deception erodes public trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-president-486879/) [Deliberately Lied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deliberately-lied-999300/) [Dumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dumb/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Intelligence agencies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence-agencies/) [Lied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lied/) [Lied People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lied-people-379222/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [President Deliberately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president-deliberately-1555717/) [Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [We're in more wars today under Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton than under George W. 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But the question…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-huntsman-jr/i-respect-the-president-he-and-i-have-a-difference-of-opinion-on-how/) [Jon Huntsman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-huntsman-jr/) > [I believe in term limits for presidents because I think that there is no doubt I'm a better president now than I was when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-believe-in-term-limits-for-presidents-because-i-think-that-there-is/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I think JR would make a better President than the one we have now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-hagman/i-think-jr-would-make-a-better-president-than-the-one-we-have-now/) [Larry Hagman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-hagman/) ## More by Andrew Greeley > [Priest organizations around the country, both local and national, should realize that their membership has a serious image problem and undertake programs to improve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-greeley/priest-organizations-around-the-country-both-local-and-national/) [Andrew Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-greeley/) > [The leadership lost its nerve. 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I now say it's a learning disability... but a nun who was a very troubled woman hit me over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-greeley/i-have-terrible-handwriting-i-now-say-it-s-a-learning-disability-but/) [Andrew Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-greeley/) > [Yet, if the most frequent sex and apparently the best sex is that between married partners who are faithful to one another, is there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-greeley/yet-if-the-most-frequent-sex-and-apparently-the-best-sex-is-that/) [Andrew Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-greeley/) > [Everyone takes surveys. Whoever makes a statement about human behavior has engaged in a survey of some sort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-greeley/everyone-takes-surveys-whoever-makes-a-statement-about-human-behavior/) [Andrew Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-greeley/) > [When I can go just where I want to go, There is a copse of birch trees that I know; And, as in Eden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-greeley/when-i-can-go-just-where-i-want-to-go-there-is-a-copse-of-birch-trees/) [Andrew Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-greeley/) > [Nobody puts constraints on God. She doesn't like it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-greeley/nobody-puts-constraints-on-god-she-doesn-t-like-it/) [Andrew Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-greeley/) > [Well, religion has been passed down through the years by stories people tell around the campfire. Stories about God, stories about love. 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I love the absurdity of it. I love the kind of intelligence that's required to be dumb in comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-mazin/i-love-comedy-i-love-the-absurdity-of-it-i-love-the-kind-of/) [Craig Mazin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-mazin/) > [Marilyn was a great actress, not a dumb blond bombshell. She was very smart, very astute and a good businesswoman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-schiller/marilyn-was-a-great-actress-not-a-dumb-blond-bombshell-she-was-very/) [Lawrence Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-schiller/) > [I'm a meathead. I can't help it, man. You've got smart people and you've got dumb people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keanu-reeves/i-m-a-meathead-i-can-t-help-it-man-you-ve-got-smart-people-and-you-ve/) [Keanu Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keanu-reeves/) > [I always wanted to make big action movies as a kid, and that was my dream. 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