--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Certain political figures think when you…" description: "\"Certain political figures think when you call them and ask them for a comment; that you are somehow doing something that you shouldn't be doing.\" — Bob..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de6/bob-woodward-5424_certain_certain-political-figures-think-when-you_27284.jpg" --- # Certain political figures think when you call them and ask… ![“Certain political figures think when you call them and ask them for a comment; that you are somehow doing something that you shouldn't be doing.” quote by Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de6/bob-woodward-5424_certain_certain-political-figures-think-when-you_27284.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de6/bob-woodward-5424_certain_certain-political-figures-think-when-you_27284.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de6/bob-woodward-5424_certain_certain-political-figures-think-when-you_27284.jpg) > “Certain political figures think when you call them and ask them for a comment; that you are somehow doing something that you shouldn't be doing.” [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It highlights the tendency of some politicians to view media inquiries as intrusive or threatening, rather than as a normal part of public accountability. **In simple terms:** Politicians often see media calls as hostile. Key Takeaway Media scrutiny can be perceived as a challenge to authority. Themes power dynamics media relations political accountability perception of criticism public scrutiny Mood skeptical cautious Type observation commentary When to use this quote - press conference preparation - interview request - public statements - media strategy meetings Key Concepts political communication journalistic inquiry authority perception Practical Applications - media training for officials - public relations crisis management Questions to Reflect On - How does this perception affect transparency? - What strategies can mitigate defensive reactions? A Different Perspective Some officials view media engagement as an opportunity to shape narrative rather than a threat. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Certain Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain-political-415767/) [Comment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comment/) [Comment Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comment-doing-415768/) [Figures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figures/) [Figures Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figures-think-415769/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political Figures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-figures-310770/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) ## Related quotes > [When public figures think they can open a business even though they've got no business experience, it's a bad idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/when-public-figures-think-they-can-open-a-business-even-though-they/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) > [“They never say to you, 'What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies?' Instead, they demand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/they-never-say-to-you-what-does-his-voice-sound-like-what-games-does/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Grown-ups love figures. When you tell them that you have made a new friend, they never ask you any questions about essentail matters. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry-2/grown-ups-love-figures-when-you-tell-them-that-you-have-made-a-new/) [Antoine de Saint Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry-2/) > [Grown-ups love figures... When you tell them you've made a new friend they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/grown-ups-love-figures-when-you-tell-them-you-ve-made-a-new-friend/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [The thing political figures fear most is a terror event that will ruin their careers. The biggest thing they fear is that a bomb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-noonan/the-thing-political-figures-fear-most-is-a-terror-event-that-will/) [Peggy Noonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-noonan/) > [Even people 'in the norm' are political figures, if people look to them for advice on what to believe politically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-consani/even-people-in-the-norm-are-political-figures-if-people-look-to-them/) [Alex Consani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-consani/) > [One thing about D.C. that's funny to me is that you end up running into famous political figures who you've seen on television who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maz-jobrani/one-thing-about-d-c-that-s-funny-to-me-is-that-you-end-up-running/) [Maz Jobrani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maz-jobrani/) > [I still am of the opinion that the establishment types and the left, they still don't know what they're dealing with here. They're still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-still-am-of-the-opinion-that-the-establishment-types-and-the-left/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Anyway, the way political history is passed down is influenced and spoiled by the closeness of the writers to the political figures that they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-pettibon/anyway-the-way-political-history-is-passed-down-is-influenced-and/) [Raymond Pettibon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-pettibon/) > [World leaders and major political figures have often had delusions of grandeur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-esler/world-leaders-and-major-political-figures-have-often-had-delusions-of/) [Gavin Esler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-esler/) > [Political figures who talk a lot about liberty and freedom invariably turn out to mean the freedom to not pay taxes and discriminate based…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/political-figures-who-talk-a-lot-about-liberty-and-freedom-invariably/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [When political figures are shown on television or in movies, it's always the liberal Democrats that are shown to be humane, caring people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-boone/when-political-figures-are-shown-on-television-or-in-movies-it-s/) [Pat Boone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-boone/) > [Fashion is a language, and therefore says something about politics, and certain fashion styles get associated with certain political standpoints.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grayson-perry/fashion-is-a-language-and-therefore-says-something-about-politics-and/) [Grayson Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grayson-perry/) > [I noticed that the work of my non - I noticed that the work of my friends who were white and male, specifically, existed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/i-noticed-that-the-work-of-my-non-i-noticed-that-the-work-of-my/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [It's important to ask candidates about their beliefs, in part because politicians frequently exploit religious faith - often with the idea that voters will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-to-ask-candidates-about-their-beliefs-in-part-because/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) ## More by Bob Woodward > [“Maybe that would be less crucial under Obama, Podesta thought, because Obama's approach was so intellectual. He compared Obama to Spock from Star Trek…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/maybe-that-would-be-less-crucial-under-obama-podesta-thought-because/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) > [Way before Watergate, senior administration officials hid behind anonymity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/way-before-watergate-senior-administration-officials-hid-behind/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) > [Not a season passes without new disclosures showing Nixon's numerous attempts at criminal use of his presidential powers and in fact the scorn he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/not-a-season-passes-without-new-disclosures-showing-nixon-s-numerous/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) > [The cloud of doubt that surrounds political figures tends to remain and never dissipate or be clarified.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/the-cloud-of-doubt-that-surrounds-political-figures-tends-to-remain/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) > [Sometimes,doing nothing is the best reaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/sometimes-doing-nothing-is-the-best-reaction/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) > [Getting up in the morning and having work you love is what makes life different for people. 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It's not something Carl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/the-biggest-rap-on-me-is-that-i-don-t-find-a-watergate-every-couple/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) > [There are people who take rumors and embellish them in a way that can be devastating. And this pollution has to be eradicated by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/there-are-people-who-take-rumors-and-embellish-them-in-a-way-that-can/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) > [“I'm done doing this!' Obama said, finally erupting. 'We've all agreed on a plan. And we're all going to stick to that plan. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/i-m-done-doing-this-obama-said-finally-erupting-we-ve-all-agreed-on-a/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) > [“He never really voice pure, raw outrage to me about Watergate or what it represented. The crimes and abuses were background music. Nixon was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/he-never-really-voice-pure-raw-outrage-to-me-about-watergate-or-what/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) > [It was accountability that Nixon feared.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/it-was-accountability-that-nixon-feared/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) > [Lawyers didn't seriously get involved in the Watergate stories until quite late, when we realized we were on to something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/lawyers-didn-t-seriously-get-involved-in-the-watergate-stories-until/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) > [I think journalism gets measured by the quality of information it presents, not the drama or the pyrotechnics associated with us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/i-think-journalism-gets-measured-by-the-quality-of-information-it/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) [Explore all 100 Bob Woodward quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) ## More Certain quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. 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I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [Why do we love certain homes, and why do they seem to love us? It is the warmth of our individual hearts reflected in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-robsjohn-gibbings/why-do-we-love-certain-homes-and-why-do-they-seem-to-love-us-it-is/) [T. H. 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