---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don't just vote for people because they…"
description: "\"Don't just vote for people because they have a 'D' or an 'R' next to their name - make them have an 'A' next to their name for 'American.'\" — David Hogg"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/david-hogg-14908_american_don-t-just-vote-for-people-because-they_2785393.jpg"
---

#  Don't just vote for people because they have a 'D' or an…

![“Don't just vote for people because they have a 'D' or an 'R' next to their name - make them have an 'A' next to their name for 'American.'” quote by David Hogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/david-hogg-14908_american_don-t-just-vote-for-people-because-they_2785393.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/david-hogg-14908_american_don-t-just-vote-for-people-because-they_2785393.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/david-hogg-14908_american_don-t-just-vote-for-people-because-they_2785393.jpg)

> “Don't just vote for people because they have a 'D' or an 'R' next to their name - make them have an 'A' next to their name for 'American.'”

[David Hogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hogg/)

## About This Quote

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

Voters should evaluate candidates on merit, not just party affiliation.

**In simple terms:** Vote based on quality, not party letters.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize competence over partisan labels.

Themes

politics citizenship accountability

Mood

critical encouraging

Type

civic thought‑provoking

When to use this quote

- Election campaigns
- voter education workshops
- candidate debates
- policy forums

Key Concepts

Democracy ethical voting civic duty

Questions to Reflect On

- What qualities define an 'A' candidate?
- How can voters assess merit objectively?

A Different Perspective

Party loyalty can cloud judgment.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vote/)

## Related quotes

> [Don't worry about what candidates have done or said, just vote for the Democrats. Then, afterwards, you can go eat fried chicken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/don-t-worry-about-what-candidates-have-done-or-said-just-vote-for-the/)

[Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/)

> [We need to vote people out of office that are perpetuating issues affecting young people, like gun violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hogg/we-need-to-vote-people-out-of-office-that-are-perpetuating-issues/)

[David Hogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hogg/)

> [There's a total separation between the federal government and the people. So running for president was an attempt on my part to get people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-walsh/there-s-a-total-separation-between-the-federal-government-and-the/)

[Joe Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-walsh/)

> [To me, it's not necessarily about whom you vote for, it's more about the fact that you go out and exercise that right. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-griffin-iii/to-me-it-s-not-necessarily-about-whom-you-vote-for-it-s-more-about/)

[Robert Griffin III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-griffin-iii/)

> [Elections are a kind of business. I have to present myself: 'I can do this and that for this area so please give me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takafumi-horie/elections-are-a-kind-of-business-i-have-to-present-myself-i-can-do/)

[Takafumi Horie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takafumi-horie/)

> [The key is to vote because we need a vote to put the people in power that we want to represent us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-khaled/the-key-is-to-vote-because-we-need-a-vote-to-put-the-people-in-power/)

[DJ Khaled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-khaled/)

> [When I make an American movie it's going to come out all over the world-it doesn't happen the same way for an Italian film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-bellucci/when-i-make-an-american-movie-it-s-going-to-come-out-all-over-the/)

[Monica Bellucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-bellucci/)

> [The white, the Hispanic, the black, the Arab, the Jew, the woman, the Native American, the small farmer, the businessperson, the environmentalist, the peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/the-white-the-hispanic-the-black-the-arab-the-jew-the-woman-the/)

[Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/)

> [We set forth on a journey to bring our vision to our country, to keep the American dream alive for all who are willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/we-set-forth-on-a-journey-to-bring-our-vision-to-our-country-to-keep/)

[William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/)

> [“Sitting at the table doesn't make you a diner, unless you eat some of what's on that plate. Being here in America doesn't make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/sitting-at-the-table-doesn-t-make-you-a-diner-unless-you-eat-some-of-2/)

[Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/)

> [If you wave a flag, make it an American Flag.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-villaraigosa/if-you-wave-a-flag-make-it-an-american-flag/)

[Antonio Villaraigosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-villaraigosa/)

> [Sitting at the table doesn't make you a diner. You must be eating some of what's on that plate. Being here in America doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/sitting-at-the-table-doesn-t-make-you-a-diner-you-must-be-eating-some/)

[Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/)

> [The vote is the important thing. Just go and vote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-mccormack/the-vote-is-the-important-thing-just-go-and-vote/)

[Eric McCormack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-mccormack/)

> [I knew how to influence the people, but it's really just one vote. But the party is being handled in a very good way .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-newton/i-knew-how-to-influence-the-people-but-it-s-really-just-one-vote-but/)

[Huey Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-newton/)

> [I don't want to come to Washington to be just another vote. I want to lead on issues that are important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-martinez/i-don-t-want-to-come-to-washington-to-be-just-another-vote-i-want-to/)

[Mel Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-martinez/)

## More by David Hogg

> [I get to a certain point where I just get so tired that I keep going. It creates a positive feedback loop in some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hogg/i-get-to-a-certain-point-where-i-just-get-so-tired-that-i-keep-going/)

[David Hogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hogg/)

> [It's the individual effort of everybody working together towards a collective goal that causes real, effective change in America and in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hogg/it-s-the-individual-effort-of-everybody-working-together-towards-a/)

[David Hogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hogg/)

> [When politicians send their thoughts and prayers with no action, we say, 'No more.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hogg/when-politicians-send-their-thoughts-and-prayers-with-no-action-we/)

[David Hogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hogg/)

> [In the same way we all have a right to bear arms, we all have a right to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hogg/in-the-same-way-we-all-have-a-right-to-bear-arms-we-all-have-a-right/)

[David Hogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hogg/)

> [We will change things if people stand up for what they believe in against injustice and death to save themselves and the future of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hogg/we-will-change-things-if-people-stand-up-for-what-they-believe-in/)

[David Hogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hogg/)

> [The youth don't vote lawmakers into office, and as a result, they don't work for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hogg/the-youth-don-t-vote-lawmakers-into-office-and-as-a-result-they-don-t/)

[David Hogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hogg/)

> [I've become more of a citizen and more of an activist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hogg/i-ve-become-more-of-a-citizen-and-more-of-an-activist/)

[David Hogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hogg/)

> [Congress needs to get over their political bias with each other and work toward saving children's lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hogg/congress-needs-to-get-over-their-political-bias-with-each-other-and/)

[David Hogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hogg/)

> [When you have all these new police officers and resource officers coming into schools, what I'm worried is going to happen is we're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hogg/when-you-have-all-these-new-police-officers-and-resource-officers/)

[David Hogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hogg/)

> [My father is a retired FBI agent. I have guns in my house. I'm not against the Second Amendment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hogg/my-father-is-a-retired-fbi-agent-i-have-guns-in-my-house-i-m-not/)

[David Hogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hogg/)

> [Many students want their privacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hogg/many-students-want-their-privacy/)

[David Hogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hogg/)

> [I'm easy to pick on because I'm a string bean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hogg/i-m-easy-to-pick-on-because-i-m-a-string-bean/)

[David Hogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hogg/)

> [I think it's important to realize that law enforcement does do a very good job oftentimes of trying to ensure the safety and security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hogg/i-think-it-s-important-to-realize-that-law-enforcement-does-do-a-very/)

[David Hogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hogg/)

> [The cold grasp of corruption shackles the District of Columbia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hogg/the-cold-grasp-of-corruption-shackles-the-district-of-columbia/)

[David Hogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hogg/)

> [We have to get morally just leaders elected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hogg/we-have-to-get-morally-just-leaders-elected/)

[David Hogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hogg/)

[Explore all 45 David Hogg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hogg/)

## More American quotes

> [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/)

[Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/)

> [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/)

[Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/)

> [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/)

[Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/)

> [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/)

[Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/)

> [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/)

[H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/)

> [Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in a tremendous investment to support millions of workers without a paycheck and behind on bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/congress-passed-the-american-rescue-plan-act-in-a-tremendous/)

[Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/)

> [Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and employ almost half of the working population. Yet because of their size, they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/small-businesses-are-the-backbone-of-the-american-economy-and-employ/)

[Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/)

> [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/)

[William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/)

> [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/)

[Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/)

> [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/)

[Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/)

> [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/)

[Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/)

> [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/)

[Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/)

> [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/)

[Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/)

> [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/)

> [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/)

[Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/)

Browse all 7,717 American quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Don't just vote for people because they have a 'D' or an 'R' next to their name - make them have an 'A' next to their name for 'American.'",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David Hogg"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hogg/don-t-just-vote-for-people-because-they-have-a-d-or-an-r-next-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "American"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hogg/don-t-just-vote-for-people-because-they-have-a-d-or-an-r-next-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/david-hogg-14908_american_don-t-just-vote-for-people-because-they_2785393.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/david-hogg-14908_american_don-t-just-vote-for-people-because-they_2785393.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/david-hogg-14908_american_don-t-just-vote-for-people-because-they_2785393.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Don't just vote for people because they have a 'D' or an 'R' next to their name - make them have an 'A' next…” — David Hogg",
                "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": "David Hogg",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hogg/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Don't just vote for people because...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hogg/don-t-just-vote-for-people-because-they-have-a-d-or-an-r-next-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hogg/don-t-just-vote-for-people-because-they-have-a-d-or-an-r-next-to/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
