Five years Quote by David Halberstam
![“He had spent the last five years, he [JFK] said ruefully, running for office, and he did not know any real public officials, people to run a government, serious men. The only ones he knew, he admitted, were politicians, and if this seemed a denigration of his own kind, it was not altogether…” quote by David Halberstam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2c0/david-halberstam-9032_five-years_he-had-spent-the-last-five-years-he-jfk_2105807.jpg)
““He had spent the last five years, he [JFK] said ruefully, running for office, and he did not know any real public officials, people to run a government, serious men. The only ones he knew, he admitted, were politicians, and if this seemed a denigration of his own kind, it was not altogether displeasing to the older man. Politicians did need men to serve, to run the government. The implication was obvious. Politicians could run Pennsylvania and Ohio, and if they could not run Chicago they could at least deliver it. But politicians run the world? What did they know about the Germans, the French, the Chinese? He needed experts for that””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Best and the Brightest, 1972
Political leaders often lack expertise, relying on politicians rather than specialists for complex foreign affairs.
In simple terms: Politicians need experts for foreign policy, not just other politicians.
Key Takeaway
Seek expert advice in governance.
Themes
politics
expertise
foreign policy
leadership
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
analytical
cautionary
When to use this quote
- campaign strategy
- policy formulation
- international negotiations
- public discourse
Key Concepts
decision making
specialist knowledge
government competence
Questions to Reflect On
- Who should have the final say on foreign policy?
- How can expertise be better integrated into politics?
A Different Perspective
Relying on politicians can lead to uninformed decisions.
![“Theodore Sorensen wrote for [Robert Kennedy's 1968] announcement speech: “At stake is not simply the leadership of our party, and even our own country, it is our right to the moral leadership of this planet.” The sentence absolutely appalled all the younger Robert Kennedy advisers, who felt it…” quote by David Halberstam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f6e/david-halberstam-9032_communication_theodore-sorensen-wrote-for-robert-kenne_12566.jpg)
