--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The conventional wisdom in an election…" description: "\"The conventional wisdom in an election year is that nothing will get done until after the election.\" — Christine Todd Whitman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56f/christine-todd-whitman-17954_conventional-wisdom_the-conventional-wisdom-in-an-election-y_964168.png" --- # The conventional wisdom in an election year is that… ![“The conventional wisdom in an election year is that nothing will get done until after the election.” quote by Christine Todd Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56f/christine-todd-whitman-17954_conventional-wisdom_the-conventional-wisdom-in-an-election-y_964168.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56f/christine-todd-whitman-17954_conventional-wisdom_the-conventional-wisdom-in-an-election-y_964168.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56f/christine-todd-whitman-17954_conventional-wisdom_the-conventional-wisdom-in-an-election-y_964168.png) > “The conventional wisdom in an election year is that nothing will get done until after the election.” [Christine Todd Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-todd-whitman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Notes that political inertia often stalls progress until after elections. **In simple terms:** Politics stalls until after voting. Key Takeaway Plan for post‑election action. Themes politics inertia timing Mood analytical pragmatic Type political strategic When to use this quote - campaign strategy - policy advocacy - government reform Key Concepts policy cycles strategic planning legislative delay Questions to Reflect On - How can progress be made during campaigns? - What mechanisms reduce post‑election lag? A Different Perspective Waiting can miss urgent opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conventional wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conventional-wisdom/) [Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election/) [Nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothing/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [I feel that this is my first year, that next year is an election year, that the third year is the mid point, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quayle/i-feel-that-this-is-my-first-year-that-next-year-is-an-election-year/) [Dan Quayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quayle/) > [In a year of re-election he was desperate to impress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-stewart/in-a-year-of-re-election-he-was-desperate-to-impress/) [Rod Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-stewart/) > [ I happen to believe that this election year \[2016\] is...one of the most important elections that we're going to face in a very long… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-happen-to-believe-that-this-election-year-2016-is-one-of-the-most/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [If you had found the right candidate in 2000 or 2004, and you could have put that man or woman, given them ballot access…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/if-you-had-found-the-right-candidate-in-2000-or-2004-and-you-could/) [Hamilton Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-jordan/) > [The way to get people civically engaged, not just during the election but throughout the year, is to tap into Facebook and let them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-way-to-get-people-civically-engaged-not-just-during-the-election/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'll tell you the truth, even in an election year, and that's what people are ready for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-cotton/i-ll-tell-you-the-truth-even-in-an-election-year-and-that-s-what/) [Tom Cotton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-cotton/) > [Congress can't take the year off, election or no election.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-bailey-hutchison/congress-can-t-take-the-year-off-election-or-no-election/) [Kay Bailey Hutchison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-bailey-hutchison/) > [Donald Trump and his team have not provided any evidence of widespread fraud in this year's election.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audie-cornish/donald-trump-and-his-team-have-not-provided-any-evidence-of/) [Audie Cornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audie-cornish/) > [ This \[2016\] is not simply another four-year election. This is a crossroads in the history of our civilization that will determine whether or not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/this-2016-is-not-simply-another-four-year-election-this-is-a/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Analysts may be correct that the presidential election won't primarily turn on entitlements reform, but by choosing Paul Ryan as his running mate, Mitt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-limbaugh/analysts-may-be-correct-that-the-presidential-election-won-t/) [David Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-limbaugh/) > [Most pundits regard an election year session as an opportunity for the two parties to frame issues and garner political advantage in advance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-ehrlich/most-pundits-regard-an-election-year-session-as-an-opportunity-for/) [Bob Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-ehrlich/) > [I think that what I'm doing is right. And election-year politics, which intensifies everything, is not going to drive me off that course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/i-think-that-what-i-m-doing-is-right-and-election-year-politics-which/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [It was a presidential election year, and as a member of a consortium of Ivy League radio stations, we participated in 'network' coverage of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-mitchell/it-was-a-presidential-election-year-and-as-a-member-of-a-consortium/) [Andrea Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-mitchell/) > [As we enter this election year, let’s not forget the most important decision anyone can make-choosing Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/as-we-enter-this-election-year-let-s-not-forget-the-most-important/) [Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/) > [“It's an election year. We would prefer that voters didn't use common sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/it-s-an-election-year-we-would-prefer-that-voters-didn-t-use-common/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) ## More by Christine Todd Whitman > [For years, I have been a strong supporter of clean, safe nuclear energy as an important part of our energy mix.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-todd-whitman/for-years-i-have-been-a-strong-supporter-of-clean-safe-nuclear-energy/) [Christine Todd Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-todd-whitman/) > [I am struck by how many leading women... today started as Girl Scouts. It is an organization that obviously develops strong women leaders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-todd-whitman/i-am-struck-by-how-many-leading-women-today-started-as-girl-scouts-it/) [Christine Todd Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-todd-whitman/) > [Neglecting clean energy sources such as solar, wind, and especially nuclear, can result in blackouts, increased power bills, and will take a heavy toll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-todd-whitman/neglecting-clean-energy-sources-such-as-solar-wind-and-especially/) [Christine Todd Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-todd-whitman/) > [Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference has never tried to fall asleep with a mosquito in the room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-todd-whitman/anyone-who-thinks-that-they-are-too-small-to-make-a-difference-has/) [Christine Todd Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-todd-whitman/) > [The irony here is this administration is spending more money on climate change research and development than any administration in all the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-todd-whitman/the-irony-here-is-this-administration-is-spending-more-money-on/) [Christine Todd Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-todd-whitman/) > [The climate has always changed - after all, we've had numerous ice ages without human influence - but human activity has undoubtedly exacerbated Earth's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-todd-whitman/the-climate-has-always-changed-after-all-we-ve-had-numerous-ice-ages/) [Christine Todd Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-todd-whitman/) > [Americans are finally realizing that once you lose land, you can't get it back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-todd-whitman/americans-are-finally-realizing-that-once-you-lose-land-you-can-t-get/) [Christine Todd Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-todd-whitman/) > [Regulations have certainly gone too far in a number of areas, but it's important to remember that regulations are meant to be protective, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-todd-whitman/regulations-have-certainly-gone-too-far-in-a-number-of-areas-but-it-s/) [Christine Todd Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-todd-whitman/) > [Trump is not the victim of the judicial system; he is or has been the defendant in 3,500 lawsuits - that's not the mark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-todd-whitman/trump-is-not-the-victim-of-the-judicial-system-he-is-or-has-been-the/) [Christine Todd Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-todd-whitman/) > [Republicans believe that problems are best solved at the level closest to the people and that the nation's strength comes from the diversity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-todd-whitman/republicans-believe-that-problems-are-best-solved-at-the-level/) [Christine Todd Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-todd-whitman/) > [For too many years, those eligible to vote in primary or general elections did not bother to do so. Those sensible centrists who do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-todd-whitman/for-too-many-years-those-eligible-to-vote-in-primary-or-general/) [Christine Todd Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-todd-whitman/) > [I don't believe the government should determine what a woman does in this area any more than it should tell a chief executive how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-todd-whitman/i-don-t-believe-the-government-should-determine-what-a-woman-does-in/) [Christine Todd Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-todd-whitman/) > [We need elected officials who care more about policy than politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-todd-whitman/we-need-elected-officials-who-care-more-about-policy-than-politics/) [Christine Todd Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-todd-whitman/) > [Beyond combating global warming and supporting domestic business interests, remaining a part of the Paris Agreement has clear benefits to the U.S. at large.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-todd-whitman/beyond-combating-global-warming-and-supporting-domestic-business/) [Christine Todd Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-todd-whitman/) > [Jill Stein does not have the experience necessary to lead at a national level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-todd-whitman/jill-stein-does-not-have-the-experience-necessary-to-lead-at-a/) [Christine Todd Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-todd-whitman/) [Explore all 36 Christine Todd Whitman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-todd-whitman/) ## More Conventional wisdom quotes > [Whether you are buying a car or casting a ballot, choosing a job or planning a family, follow your moral compass. Don't let others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/whether-you-are-buying-a-car-or-casting-a-ballot-choosing-a-job-or/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [Contrarian thinking at its best simply asks, Is this really true? It speaks up when the politically correct answer or the conventional wisdom doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-osborne/contrarian-thinking-at-its-best-simply-asks-is-this-really-true-it/) [Larry Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-osborne/) > [“Ferguson also takes a swipe at the conventional wisdom surrounding aspects of World War I. “The key to the Allies’ victory was not an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-williams/ferguson-also-takes-a-swipe-at-the-conventional-wisdom-surrounding/) Luke Williams > [What's different now is that while political leaders used to give talking points to talk radio, now talk-radio hosts are giving talking points to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/what-s-different-now-is-that-while-political-leaders-used-to-give/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [“You have to remain critically vigilant.” Question every premise, challenge conventional wisdom, and never accept the truth of something merely because everyone else views…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/you-have-to-remain-critically-vigilant-question-every-premise/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“It is hard to find many better examples of values-first leadership than Ventura, California-based outdoor clothing company Patagonia. For more than 30 years, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-haaff/it-is-hard-to-find-many-better-examples-of-values-first-leadership/) [Brian de Haaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-haaff/) > [Hurricane Katrina overwhelmed levees and exploded the conventional wisdom about a shared American prosperity, exposing a group of people so poor they didn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/hurricane-katrina-overwhelmed-levees-and-exploded-the-conventional/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [All conventional wisdom has an element of truth to it, but good design requires more than an element of truth - it requires an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/all-conventional-wisdom-has-an-element-of-truth-to-it-but-good-design/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [“If you're careful to listen to your instincts and question conventional wisdom, set priorities, and make thoughtful choices, eventually you will figure out how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlene-dickinson/if-you-re-careful-to-listen-to-your-instincts-and-question/) [Arlene Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlene-dickinson/) > [Conventional wisdom on government's role in inequality often has it backwards. Tax reforms have resulted in a more progressive federal income tax; government transfer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/conventional-wisdom-on-government-s-role-in-inequality-often-has-it/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [The line that I am urging as today's conventional wisdom is not a denial of consciousness. It is often called, with more reason, arepudiation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willard-van-orman-quine/the-line-that-i-am-urging-as-today-s-conventional-wisdom-is-not-a/) [Willard Van Orman Quine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willard-van-orman-quine/) > [Conventional wisdom tells us we'll only be happier after a divorce if the marriage itself was a war zone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-gore/conventional-wisdom-tells-us-we-ll-only-be-happier-after-a-divorce-if/) [Ariel Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-gore/) > [“What is carved on rocks were away in time. What is told from mouth to mouth will live forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vietnamese/what-is-carved-on-rocks-were-away-in-time-what-is-told-from-mouth-to/) Vietnamese > [Science is based on experiment, on a willingness to challenge old dogma, on an openness to see the universe as it really is. Accordingly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/science-is-based-on-experiment-on-a-willingness-to-challenge-old/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“For all the tenure of humans on Earth, the night sky had been a companion and an inspiration. The stars were comforting. They seemed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/for-all-the-tenure-of-humans-on-earth-the-night-sky-had-been-a/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) [Browse all 249 Conventional wisdom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conventional-wisdom/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The conventional wisdom in an election year is that nothing will get done until after the election.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Christine Todd Whitman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-todd-whitman/the-conventional-wisdom-in-an-election-year-is-that-nothing-will-get/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conventional wisdom" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-todd-whitman/the-conventional-wisdom-in-an-election-year-is-that-nothing-will-get/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56f/christine-todd-whitman-17954_conventional-wisdom_the-conventional-wisdom-in-an-election-y_964168.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56f/christine-todd-whitman-17954_conventional-wisdom_the-conventional-wisdom-in-an-election-y_964168.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56f/christine-todd-whitman-17954_conventional-wisdom_the-conventional-wisdom-in-an-election-y_964168.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The conventional wisdom in an election year is that nothing will get done until after the election.” — Christine Todd Whitman", "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": "Christine Todd Whitman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-todd-whitman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The conventional wisdom in an election...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-todd-whitman/the-conventional-wisdom-in-an-election-year-is-that-nothing-will-get/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-todd-whitman/the-conventional-wisdom-in-an-election-year-is-that-nothing-will-get/#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 } } ] } ```