---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The truth is, the 'Fortune' 500 prefer…"
description: "\"The truth is, the 'Fortune' 500 prefer lobbying to campaigning.\" — Bradley A. Smith"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a02/bradley-a-smith-29245_campaigning_the-truth-is-the-fortune-500-prefer-lobb_3007532.jpg"
---

#  The truth is, the 'Fortune' 500 prefer lobbying to…

![“The truth is, the 'Fortune' 500 prefer lobbying to campaigning.” quote by Bradley A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a02/bradley-a-smith-29245_campaigning_the-truth-is-the-fortune-500-prefer-lobb_3007532.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a02/bradley-a-smith-29245_campaigning_the-truth-is-the-fortune-500-prefer-lobb_3007532.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a02/bradley-a-smith-29245_campaigning_the-truth-is-the-fortune-500-prefer-lobb_3007532.jpg)

> “The truth is, the 'Fortune' 500 prefer lobbying to campaigning.”

[Bradley A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-a-smith/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Corporations often choose lobbying over campaigning to influence policy.

**In simple terms:** Big firms prefer lobbying over campaigning.

Key Takeaway

Recognize influence of corporate lobbying.

Themes

politics corporate power democracy

Mood

critical analytical

Type

political analytical

When to use this quote

- elections
- policy advocacy
- public relations

Key Concepts

economics ethics

Questions to Reflect On

- Should corporations have a voice in politics?
- How to balance influence and fairness?

A Different Perspective

Lobbying can undermine democratic processes.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[500 Prefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/500-prefer-4804416/) [Campaigning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaigning/) [Fortune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortune/) [Lobbying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lobbying/) [Lobbying Campaigning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lobbying-campaigning-4804415/) [Prefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prefer/) [Prefer Lobbying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prefer-lobbying-4804414/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-is/)

## Related quotes

> [Politics colours everything, and anyone who wants change is necessarily political. As an environmental campaigner more or less since I left school in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zac-goldsmith/politics-colours-everything-and-anyone-who-wants-change-is/)

[Zac Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zac-goldsmith/)

> [Family law is institutionally anti-male. I've been lobbying MPs, and I'm not going to give up campaigning for equality until I get equality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-de-bernieres/family-law-is-institutionally-anti-male-i-ve-been-lobbying-mps-and-i/)

[Louis de Bernieres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-de-bernieres/)

> [Few developments in campaigning have been as vilified and misunderstood as independent expenditure PACs, or, as they are colloquially known, super PACs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-a-smith/few-developments-in-campaigning-have-been-as-vilified-and/)

[Bradley A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-a-smith/)

> [Business is recognizing the role it can play in combatting climate change. Thank God, is all I can say, for there is a desperately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-charles/business-is-recognizing-the-role-it-can-play-in-combatting-climate/)

[Prince Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-charles/)

> [Certainly, my advice is that communicating, lobbying, fundraising and engaging the public in policy and politics is far more exciting and inexpensive via the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chellie-pingree/certainly-my-advice-is-that-communicating-lobbying-fundraising-and/)

[Chellie Pingree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chellie-pingree/)

> [“I'm frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-goldwater/i-m-frankly-sick-and-tired-of-the-political-preachers-across-this/)

[Barry Goldwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-goldwater/)

> [I'm a lobbyist and had a career lobbying. The guy who gets elected or the lady who gets elected president of the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-barbour/i-m-a-lobbyist-and-had-a-career-lobbying-the-guy-who-gets-elected-or/)

[Haley Barbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-barbour/)

> [For years all I seemed to be doing was lobbying politicians and others to persuade them that European culture needed movies, and that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-wenders/for-years-all-i-seemed-to-be-doing-was-lobbying-politicians-and/)

[Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/)

> [You become an anti-Semite. And as powerful as the Israeli lobby is, the Saudi lobby is just as powerful. In fact, the Saudis probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/you-become-an-anti-semite-and-as-powerful-as-the-israeli-lobby-is-the/)

[Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/)

> [Lobbying is the world's second - oldest profession.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-press/lobbying-is-the-world-s-second-oldest-profession/)

[Bill Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-press/)

> [When the power of private prisons is diminished, so, too, is their ability to engage in back-door political lobbying that has an impact on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/when-the-power-of-private-prisons-is-diminished-so-too-is-their/)

[Clint Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-smith/)

> [The American creationist movement has entirely bypassed the scientific forum and has concentrated instead on political lobbying and on taking its case to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/the-american-creationist-movement-has-entirely-bypassed-the/)

[Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/)

> [When the desirable jobs are spending other people's money, reporting on spending other people's money and lobbying to spend other people's money then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-worstall/when-the-desirable-jobs-are-spending-other-people-s-money-reporting/)

[Tim Worstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-worstall/)

> [Lobbying' is the activity of attempting to influence legislation by privately influencing the legislators. It is the result and creation of a mixed economy-of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/lobbying-is-the-activity-of-attempting-to-influence-legislation-by/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [Lobbying is not a bad thing. I'm not trying to say that we shouldn't have lobbyists or we shouldn't have lobbying to petition our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-abramoff/lobbying-is-not-a-bad-thing-i-m-not-trying-to-say-that-we-shouldn-t/)

[Jack Abramoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-abramoff/)

## More by Bradley A. Smith

> [With super PACs, we've seen voter turnout go up; interest in elections rise; and the number of competitive races increase. The campaigns of 2010…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-a-smith/with-super-pacs-we-ve-seen-voter-turnout-go-up-interest-in-elections/)

[Bradley A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-a-smith/)

> [The next time you download a book on Kindle, buy a Michael Moore screed at Barnes &amp; Noble, or order up a political movie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-a-smith/the-next-time-you-download-a-book-on-kindle-buy-a-michael-moore/)

[Bradley A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-a-smith/)

> [Elections are a competition with only one winner. Giving more money to the opponent every time one speaks on behalf of a favored candidate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-a-smith/elections-are-a-competition-with-only-one-winner-giving-more-money-to/)

[Bradley A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-a-smith/)

> [Few developments in campaigning have been as vilified and misunderstood as independent expenditure PACs, or, as they are colloquially known, super PACs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-a-smith/few-developments-in-campaigning-have-been-as-vilified-and/)

[Bradley A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-a-smith/)

> [Tax rates should never be raised in some brackets without being raised in all brackets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-a-smith/tax-rates-should-never-be-raised-in-some-brackets-without-being/)

[Bradley A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-a-smith/)

> [Americans may not always live up to the Bill of Rights, but Americans do not ban books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-a-smith/americans-may-not-always-live-up-to-the-bill-of-rights-but-americans/)

[Bradley A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-a-smith/)

> [By law, super PACs are required to disclose their donors. There are groups that have never had to disclose their donors, non-profits such as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-a-smith/by-law-super-pacs-are-required-to-disclose-their-donors-there-are/)

[Bradley A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-a-smith/)

> [The DISCLOSE Act is a testament to the wisdom of the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United. The First Amendment sought to place political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-a-smith/the-disclose-act-is-a-testament-to-the-wisdom-of-the-supreme-court-s/)

[Bradley A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-a-smith/)

> [Even leaving aside government policy, whole industries are already making expensive changes around the perceived need to 'go green.' Al Gore and countless other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-a-smith/even-leaving-aside-government-policy-whole-industries-are-already/)

[Bradley A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-a-smith/)

> [Unlike many in the conservative camp, I accept theories of global warming, and accept that man-made activity has played a part in global warming.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-a-smith/unlike-many-in-the-conservative-camp-i-accept-theories-of-global/)

[Bradley A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-a-smith/)

> [Incumbents don't like it, but political competition is a good thing. Incumbents usually outspend challengers by better than 3 to 1. Super PACs, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-a-smith/incumbents-don-t-like-it-but-political-competition-is-a-good-thing/)

[Bradley A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-a-smith/)

> [Ultimately, the court is heading to a doctrine of 'separation of campaign and state.' This doctrine, like separation of church and state or separation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-a-smith/ultimately-the-court-is-heading-to-a-doctrine-of-separation-of/)

[Bradley A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-a-smith/)

> [If candidates spend money on ads and other political speech and their opponents are rewarded with government handouts to attack them, that chills speech…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-a-smith/if-candidates-spend-money-on-ads-and-other-political-speech-and-their/)

[Bradley A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-a-smith/)

> [The reality is that asking the public to fund political campaigns accomplishes nothing. Candidates continue to seek interest-group support through other channels, both financial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-a-smith/the-reality-is-that-asking-the-public-to-fund-political-campaigns/)

[Bradley A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-a-smith/)

> [The usual test under the Federal Election Campaign Act for whether something counts as a campaign expenditure is whether the obligation would have existed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-a-smith/the-usual-test-under-the-federal-election-campaign-act-for-whether/)

[Bradley A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-a-smith/)

[Explore all 18 Bradley A. Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-a-smith/)

## More Campaigning quotes

> [It is only because of the love of masses that I am campaigning for the SP.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaya-prada/it-is-only-because-of-the-love-of-masses-that-i-am-campaigning-for/)

[Jaya Prada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaya-prada/)

> [Perhaps the most important reason to be skeptical of government inflation numbers is that the government, like a fox campaigning to guard a hen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/perhaps-the-most-important-reason-to-be-skeptical-of-government/)

[Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/)

> [Campaigning actress ASHLEY JUDD refuses to 'breed' with her racing star husband DARIO FRANCHITTI while there are starving children in the world. . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-judd/campaigning-actress-ashley-judd-refuses-to-breed-with-her-racing-star/)

[Ashley Judd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-judd/)

> [I mean, you can agree or disagree with Iraq or Afghanistan, but by the way, now the great campaigning cause out there is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-mean-you-can-agree-or-disagree-with-iraq-or-afghanistan-but-by-the/)

[Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/)

> [For me, respect is an extremely important political term. Since I began campaigning, it has been at the heart of each of my speeches.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/for-me-respect-is-an-extremely-important-political-term-since-i-began/)

[Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/)

> [I heard you're campaigning on my behalf." He walked over to me. "That wouldn't be because you'd miss me too much if I were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-hocking/i-heard-you-re-campaigning-on-my-behalf-he-walked-over-to-me-that/)

[Amanda Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-hocking/)

> [In an era when party fundraising is badly tainted, dinners are a really good way of raising cash for campaigning. Lots of people giving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-powell/in-an-era-when-party-fundraising-is-badly-tainted-dinners-are-a/)

[Lucy Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-powell/)

> [Anybody who wants the presidency so much that he'll spend two years organizing and campaigning for it is not to be trusted with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anybody-who-wants-the-presidency-so-much-that-he-ll-spend-two-years/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [George W. Bush is very vulnerable but not if you campaign the way the major candidates - except for Dean and Kucinich - are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/george-w-bush-is-very-vulnerable-but-not-if-you-campaign-the-way-the/)

[Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/)

> [Only in Washington would the Republican operatives get the entire press corps ginned up over the notion that I'm going to be home campaigning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-mccaskill/only-in-washington-would-the-republican-operatives-get-the-entire/)

[Claire McCaskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-mccaskill/)

> [Family law is institutionally anti-male. I've been lobbying MPs, and I'm not going to give up campaigning for equality until I get equality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-de-bernieres/family-law-is-institutionally-anti-male-i-ve-been-lobbying-mps-and-i/)

[Louis de Bernieres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-de-bernieres/)

> [I would not ask anyone to vote for me based on my last name. I am certainly not campaigning to be president because my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/i-would-not-ask-anyone-to-vote-for-me-based-on-my-last-name-i-am/)

[Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/)

> [Solutions-oriented campaigning with a little passion and a little humor; I think that will go a long way. I think people are desperate for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/solutions-oriented-campaigning-with-a-little-passion-and-a-little/)

[Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/)

> [I went down to the sewers in London and looked at a campaigning group in London called RATS, Rowers Against Thames Sewage, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-george/i-went-down-to-the-sewers-in-london-and-looked-at-a-campaigning-group/)

[Rose George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-george/)

> [Doing politics in a democracy costs money for campaigning and getting our message across and that's what we intend to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hazel-blears/doing-politics-in-a-democracy-costs-money-for-campaigning-and-getting/)

[Hazel Blears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hazel-blears/)

[Browse all 185 Campaigning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaigning/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The truth is, the 'Fortune' 500 prefer lobbying to campaigning.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bradley A. Smith"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-a-smith/the-truth-is-the-fortune-500-prefer-lobbying-to-campaigning/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Campaigning"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-a-smith/the-truth-is-the-fortune-500-prefer-lobbying-to-campaigning/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a02/bradley-a-smith-29245_campaigning_the-truth-is-the-fortune-500-prefer-lobb_3007532.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a02/bradley-a-smith-29245_campaigning_the-truth-is-the-fortune-500-prefer-lobb_3007532.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a02/bradley-a-smith-29245_campaigning_the-truth-is-the-fortune-500-prefer-lobb_3007532.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The truth is, the 'Fortune' 500 prefer lobbying to campaigning.” — Bradley A. Smith",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Bradley A. Smith",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-a-smith/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The truth is, the 'Fortune' 500...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-a-smith/the-truth-is-the-fortune-500-prefer-lobbying-to-campaigning/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-a-smith/the-truth-is-the-fortune-500-prefer-lobbying-to-campaigning/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
