--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You remember had this gigantic clock in…" description: "\"You remember had this gigantic clock in the arena showing the size of the national debt. And Paul told America, if you elect Republicans, we can fix th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56f/chris-van-hollen-25753_america_you-remember-had-this-gigantic-clock-in_2912728.jpg" --- # You remember had this gigantic clock in the arena showing… ![“You remember had this gigantic clock in the arena showing the size of the national debt. And Paul told America, if you elect Republicans, we can fix that. But, if Paul Ryan was being honest, he would've pointed to the debt clock and said, we built that.” quote by Chris Van Hollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56f/chris-van-hollen-25753_america_you-remember-had-this-gigantic-clock-in_2912728.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56f/chris-van-hollen-25753_america_you-remember-had-this-gigantic-clock-in_2912728.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56f/chris-van-hollen-25753_america_you-remember-had-this-gigantic-clock-in_2912728.jpg) > “You remember had this gigantic clock in the arena showing the size of the national debt. And Paul told America, if you elect Republicans, we can fix that. But, if Paul Ryan was being honest, he would've pointed to the debt clock and said, we built that.” [Chris Van Hollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-hollen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A political figure claims responsibility for national debt, suggesting partisan blame is misleading. **In simple terms:** Politicians may shift blame for debt. Key Takeaway Seek factual accountability. Themes politics economics accountability partisanship Mood critical serious Type political analytical When to use this quote - election debates - budget discussions - media analysis Key Concepts public policy fiscal responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can voters discern true causes of debt? - What reforms improve fiscal transparency? A Different Perspective Simplifies complex fiscal issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Arena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arena/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Being honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-honest/) [Built](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/built/) [Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) [Debt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debt/) [Debt Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debt-paul-4202863/) [Elect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elect/) [Fix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fix/) [Gigantic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gigantic/) [Had](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) [He](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/he/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [National](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national/) [National debt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-debt/) [Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paul/) [Paul ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paul-ryan/) [Pointed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pointed/) [Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) [Republicans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republicans/) [Republicans Fix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republicans-fix-721950/) [Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ryan/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Showing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/showing/) [Size](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/size/) [Told America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/told-america-510448/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [I will not negotiate the demise of the ACA with the Trump administration, but I would certainly be willing to work with responsible Republicans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-gomez/i-will-not-negotiate-the-demise-of-the-aca-with-the-trump/) [Jimmy Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-gomez/) > [The money in the stabilization fund, $130 billion which I call an insurance bailout, is put in to try to cure the adverse selection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/the-money-in-the-stabilization-fund-130-billion-which-i-call-an/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [In addition to myself and a number of others, President Clinton talked about the deficit and the debt issue. And he pointed out, really,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-van-hollen/in-addition-to-myself-and-a-number-of-others-president-clinton-talked/) [Chris Van Hollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-hollen/) > [I get along very well with Paul Ryan personally. We have very deep differences on policy issues. But we express them civilly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-van-hollen/i-get-along-very-well-with-paul-ryan-personally-we-have-very-deep/) [Chris Van Hollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-hollen/) > [When I was growing up, I don't remember being told that America was created so that everyone could get rich. I remember being told…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/when-i-was-growing-up-i-don-t-remember-being-told-that-america-was/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [I received a call from America after finishing 'Suspect', and I told them that I would go to America if things are ready.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gong-yoo/i-received-a-call-from-america-after-finishing-suspect-and-i-told/) [Gong Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gong-yoo/) > [The majority of the people in this country love America, do not dislike it, do not distrust it. The majority of people in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-majority-of-the-people-in-this-country-love-america-do-not/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Despite all that good news, there's plenty of horror stories being told. All of them are untrue, but they're being told all over America,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/despite-all-that-good-news-there-s-plenty-of-horror-stories-being/) [Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/) > [Biden told America that if we voted for Ossoff and Warnock, we're going to get $2,000 checks the next day. That is misinformation because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-dore/biden-told-america-that-if-we-voted-for-ossoff-and-warnock-we-re/) [Jimmy Dore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-dore/) > [“He had been told that in America, if you worked hard, anything was possible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/he-had-been-told-that-in-america-if-you-worked-hard-anything-was/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [We're being told that America is a zero sum game - that the dreams of immigrants come at the expense of those native born…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reshma-saujani/we-re-being-told-that-america-is-a-zero-sum-game-that-the-dreams-of/) [Reshma Saujani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reshma-saujani/) > [“But while Sasha told us that in America even the most successful men can have but one wife at once--my father had six--and talked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/but-while-sasha-told-us-that-in-america-even-the-most-successful-men/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [We are watching people who've been educated in the public school system and in colleges for the last 25 or 30 years become adults.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-are-watching-people-who-ve-been-educated-in-the-public-school/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Napster has pointed the way for a new direction for music distribution, and we believe it will form the basis of important and exciting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/napster-has-pointed-the-way-for-a-new-direction-for-music/) [Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/) > [“Snape pointed at the parchment, on which the words of Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs were still shining.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/snape-pointed-at-the-parchment-on-which-the-words-of-messrs-moony/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) ## More by Chris Van Hollen > [In addition to myself and a number of others, President Clinton talked about the deficit and the debt issue. And he pointed out, really,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-van-hollen/in-addition-to-myself-and-a-number-of-others-president-clinton-talked/) [Chris Van Hollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-hollen/) > [As we have all said, we understand that electronic surveillance is a vital tool in the war on terror. We all want to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-van-hollen/as-we-have-all-said-we-understand-that-electronic-surveillance-is-a/) [Chris Van Hollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-hollen/) > [I have been privileged to have the opportunity to work with many of African American fraternal and social organizations that are active in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-van-hollen/i-have-been-privileged-to-have-the-opportunity-to-work-with-many-of/) [Chris Van Hollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-hollen/) > [It is widely known that the effects of childhood poverty follow children through adolescence and into adulthood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-van-hollen/it-is-widely-known-that-the-effects-of-childhood-poverty-follow/) [Chris Van Hollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-hollen/) > [We waste an awful lot of energy as a Nation through inefficient use of energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-van-hollen/we-waste-an-awful-lot-of-energy-as-a-nation-through-inefficient-use/) [Chris Van Hollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-hollen/) > [Every day, families in the United States face the stark choice between a roof over their heads and food on the table. Buying health…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-van-hollen/every-day-families-in-the-united-states-face-the-stark-choice-between/) [Chris Van Hollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-hollen/) > [America stands as a beacon of hope and the possibility of a better life - but it is also a nation where nearly 1…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-van-hollen/america-stands-as-a-beacon-of-hope-and-the-possibility-of-a-better/) [Chris Van Hollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-hollen/) > [I think America understands that energy security is a very important part of our national security. But if we are going to address energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-van-hollen/i-think-america-understands-that-energy-security-is-a-very-important/) [Chris Van Hollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-hollen/) > [We must have systems of checks and balances to make sure that those people who are making critical decisions for our country are held…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-van-hollen/we-must-have-systems-of-checks-and-balances-to-make-sure-that-those/) [Chris Van Hollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-hollen/) > [In fact, if you look upon the situation today, there is great division in the world and we have failed to capitalize on that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-van-hollen/in-fact-if-you-look-upon-the-situation-today-there-is-great-division/) [Chris Van Hollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-hollen/) > [Why would you hand the keys to the car back to the same guys whose policies drove the economy into the ditch and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-van-hollen/why-would-you-hand-the-keys-to-the-car-back-to-the-same-guys-whose/) [Chris Van Hollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-hollen/) > [It is Basic Management 101 that if you reward failure you are going to get more failure, and if you want success you should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-van-hollen/it-is-basic-management-101-that-if-you-reward-failure-you-are-going/) [Chris Van Hollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-hollen/) > [Although awareness of cancer's prevalence in the United States improves and medical advances in the field abound, pancreatic cancer has largely been absent from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-van-hollen/although-awareness-of-cancer-s-prevalence-in-the-united-states/) [Chris Van Hollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-hollen/) > [Instead, we did take our eye off the ball. We decided, instead of finishing the job in Afghanistan, to go into Iraq. And today,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-van-hollen/instead-we-did-take-our-eye-off-the-ball-we-decided-instead-of/) [Chris Van Hollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-hollen/) > [The confusing thing, I thought, was that most of America already knew that we were overly reliant on oil, especially on foreign oil. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-van-hollen/the-confusing-thing-i-thought-was-that-most-of-america-already-knew/) [Chris Van Hollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-hollen/) [Explore all 22 Chris Van Hollen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-hollen/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You remember had this gigantic clock in the arena showing the size of the national debt. And Paul told America, if you elect Republicans, we can fix that. 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