--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: 'Character Doesn't Count' has become a de…" description: "\"'Character Doesn't Count' has become a de facto G.O.P. motto. 'Virtue Doesn't Matter' might be another. But character does count, and virtue does matte..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52b/bret-stephens-3977_become_character-doesn-t-count-has-become-a-de_2622439.jpg" --- # 'Character Doesn't Count' has become a de facto G.O.P… ![“'Character Doesn't Count' has become a de facto G.O.P. motto. 'Virtue Doesn't Matter' might be another. But character does count, and virtue does matter, and Trump's shortcomings prove it daily.” quote by Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52b/bret-stephens-3977_become_character-doesn-t-count-has-become-a-de_2622439.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52b/bret-stephens-3977_become_character-doesn-t-count-has-become-a-de_2622439.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52b/bret-stephens-3977_become_character-doesn-t-count-has-become-a-de_2622439.jpg) > “'Character Doesn't Count' has become a de facto G.O.P. motto. 'Virtue Doesn't Matter' might be another. But character does count, and virtue does matter, and Trump's shortcomings prove it daily.” [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that personal integrity and moral values matter despite political slogans that dismiss them. **In simple terms:** Character and virtue matter despite slogans. Key Takeaway Uphold integrity in public discourse. Themes politics ethics integrity Mood critical reflective Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - political campaigns - leadership decisions - public statements - media commentary Key Concepts moral philosophy public discourse Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure personal values guide your political actions? - What role should character play in leadership? A Different Perspective Slogans can oversimplify complex moral issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) ## Related quotes > [Pastor: One employed by the wicked to prove to them by his example that virtue doesn't pay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/pastor-one-employed-by-the-wicked-to-prove-to-them-by-his-example/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [The fact of the matter, it's that Trump is getting money from blue-collar workers who send him checks for $250. Why? Who is Donald…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-beckel/the-fact-of-the-matter-it-s-that-trump-is-getting-money-from-blue/) [Bob Beckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-beckel/) > [“In Bannon’s view: (1) Trump was never going to change; (2) trying to get him to change would surely cramp his style; (3) it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/in-bannon-s-view-1-trump-was-never-going-to-change-2-trying-to-get/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [ There's a whole lot of reasons people are supporting \[Donald\] Trump. Don't misunderstand. And one of those reasons, and it may be the reason… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/there-s-a-whole-lot-of-reasons-people-are-supporting-donald-trump-don/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Just because I've played this character doesn't mean I have any understanding of what Diana was like, at all. Although I'd want to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-corrin/just-because-i-ve-played-this-character-doesn-t-mean-i-have-any/) [Emma Corrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-corrin/) > [ Just because Rachel \[from the Girl On The Train\] is an unreliable character doesn't mean she has sex with anybody who walks by her.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-cressida-wilson/just-because-rachel-from-the-girl-on-the-train-is-an-unreliable/) [Erin Cressida Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-cressida-wilson/) > [I could never be the kind of writer who went to the set of the movie and fussed and fretted about, 'Oh, that dialogue's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/i-could-never-be-the-kind-of-writer-who-went-to-the-set-of-the-movie/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [The endless teen franchises that come out of Hollywood... more often than not, the central character doesn't have any discernible character traits. They're just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taron-egerton/the-endless-teen-franchises-that-come-out-of-hollywood-more-often/) [Taron Egerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taron-egerton/) > [Honestly, my character doesn't have much in common with Harry Potter besides the fact that he's an unlikely hero who's thrown into a huge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/logan-lerman/honestly-my-character-doesn-t-have-much-in-common-with-harry-potter/) [Logan Lerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/logan-lerman/) > [It's great finding a comic book character that doesn't care about following traditional comic book rules by breaking the fourth wall and being explicit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-kapicic/it-s-great-finding-a-comic-book-character-that-doesn-t-care-about/) [Stefan Kapicic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-kapicic/) > [As long as a character doesn't die, the character can always come back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cote-de-pablo/as-long-as-a-character-doesn-t-die-the-character-can-always-come-back/) [Cote de Pablo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cote-de-pablo/) > [There's a lot about the character. It doesn't always happen, but there are some characters you really create a relationship with, almost as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salma-hayek/there-s-a-lot-about-the-character-it-doesn-t-always-happen-but-there/) [Salma Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salma-hayek/) > [When you are writing a character, what the character says is obviously crucial. But what the character doesn't say is absolutely as important as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-busch/when-you-are-writing-a-character-what-the-character-says-is-obviously/) [Frederick Busch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-busch/) > [You are playing a character obviously, and everything you are saying is filtered through that person. It is not you that is saying it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-louise-plowman/you-are-playing-a-character-obviously-and-everything-you-are-saying/) Anna-Louise Plowman > [I feel like a good director provokes you to ask questions about your character, but doesn't answer them for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-reed/i-feel-like-a-good-director-provokes-you-to-ask-questions-about-your/) [Crystal Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal-reed/) ## More by Bret Stephens > [The hater always suffers more than the object of his hatred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/the-hater-always-suffers-more-than-the-object-of-his-hatred/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [Listen carefully to the global warming alarmists, and the main theme that emerges is that what the developed world needs is a large dose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/listen-carefully-to-the-global-warming-alarmists-and-the-main-theme/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > ['Democratic socialism' is awful as a slogan and catastrophic as a policy. And 'social democracy' - a term that better fits the belief of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/democratic-socialism-is-awful-as-a-slogan-and-catastrophic-as-a/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [When you work at 'The Wall Street Journal,' the coins of the realm are truth and trust - the latter flowing exclusively from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/when-you-work-at-the-wall-street-journal-the-coins-of-the-realm-are/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [No adviser to a president is going to get his way all of the time, but at a minimum, that adviser should be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/no-adviser-to-a-president-is-going-to-get-his-way-all-of-the-time-but/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [Every president inherits a mixed bag when he comes to office, and Obama's was hardly the worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/every-president-inherits-a-mixed-bag-when-he-comes-to-office-and/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [There was a time when the conservative movement was led by the likes of Bill Buckley and Irving Kristol and Bob Bartley, men of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/there-was-a-time-when-the-conservative-movement-was-led-by-the-likes/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [We elected Donald J. Trump to keep us jittery and entertained. He's delivered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/we-elected-donald-j-trump-to-keep-us-jittery-and-entertained-he-s/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [The United States survives so long as at least one of its major parties is politically and intellectually healthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/the-united-states-survives-so-long-as-at-least-one-of-its-major/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [Censoriously asserting one's moral superiority and treating skeptics as imbeciles and deplorables wins few converts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/censoriously-asserting-one-s-moral-superiority-and-treating-skeptics/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [What is absolutely clear is that if Trump is the nominee, Republicans cannot win. Maybe they can't win with Rubio or Cruz or Kasich.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/what-is-absolutely-clear-is-that-if-trump-is-the-nominee-republicans/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [Everything Republicans once claimed to advocate - entitlement reform, free trade, standing up to dictators, encouraging the march of freedom around the world -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/everything-republicans-once-claimed-to-advocate-entitlement-reform/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [The best scientific evidence suggests temperatures are rising, and the best scientific evidence suggests man-made anthropogenic carbon emissions have some substantial thing to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/the-best-scientific-evidence-suggests-temperatures-are-rising-and-the/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [The intelligent defense of free speech should not rest on the notion that we must tolerate every form of speech, no matter how offensive.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/the-intelligent-defense-of-free-speech-should-not-rest-on-the-notion/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [When George W. Bush decided to save the American position in Iraq by going against the advice of all of his wise men, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/when-george-w-bush-decided-to-save-the-american-position-in-iraq-by/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) [Explore all 118 Bret Stephens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) ## More Become quotes > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. 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So, I wanted to become someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjay-mishra/i-had-a-talent-for-copying-the-signatures-of-dignitaries-like-indira/) [Sanjay Mishra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjay-mishra/) > [In the Tea Party era, it is the restless conservative Republican who has become passion's plaything, the toy of impetuous romance, an erotomania only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wolcott/in-the-tea-party-era-it-is-the-restless-conservative-republican-who/) [James Wolcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wolcott/) > [You can never tell when a commercial space venture will suddenly become viable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/you-can-never-tell-when-a-commercial-space-venture-will-suddenly/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) > [My first bill to become law repeals regulations to make everyday life easier and more affordable for Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-husted/my-first-bill-to-become-law-repeals-regulations-to-make-everyday-life/) [Jon Husted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-husted/) > [At one point when I was very young, when I was first starting out, I thought, 'Well, one day I'll be able to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-burnham/at-one-point-when-i-was-very-young-when-i-was-first-starting-out-i/) [Bo Burnham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-burnham/) > [For many of us, work is the one place where we feel appreciated. The things that we long to experience at home - pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlie-russell-hochschild/for-many-of-us-work-is-the-one-place-where-we-feel-appreciated-the/) [Arlie Russell Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlie-russell-hochschild/) > [With every interview you feel like you lose a piece of yourself, and with every bad review you become just that little bit more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-march/with-every-interview-you-feel-like-you-lose-a-piece-of-yourself-and/) [Jane March](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-march/) > [Canada has become such a staging area for Chinese money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/canada-has-become-such-a-staging-area-for-chinese-money/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [Sometimes when you're in different countries, everything has become so homogenised and there's a Starbucks and McDonald's everywhere, and you could feel like you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-yun-lee/sometimes-when-you-re-in-different-countries-everything-has-become-so/) [Will Yun Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-yun-lee/) Browse all 4,184 Become quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "'Character Doesn't Count' has become a de facto G.O.P. motto. 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