--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Yet Barkley drew back. Perhaps he, like…" description: "\"“Yet Barkley drew back. Perhaps he, like Harry Truman, knew that the quiet power of incumbency easily overcomes the noise of crowds and bands.”\" — Davi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cb/david-pietrusza-32947_harry-truman_yet-barkley-drew-back-perhaps-he-like-ha_2990373.jpg" --- # Yet Barkley drew back. Perhaps he, like Harry Truman, knew… ![“Yet Barkley drew back. Perhaps he, like Harry Truman, knew that the quiet power of incumbency easily overcomes the noise of crowds and bands.” quote by David Pietrusza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cb/david-pietrusza-32947_harry-truman_yet-barkley-drew-back-perhaps-he-like-ha_2990373.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cb/david-pietrusza-32947_harry-truman_yet-barkley-drew-back-perhaps-he-like-ha_2990373.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cb/david-pietrusza-32947_harry-truman_yet-barkley-drew-back-perhaps-he-like-ha_2990373.jpg) > ““Yet Barkley drew back. Perhaps he, like Harry Truman, knew that the quiet power of incumbency easily overcomes the noise of crowds and bands.”” [David Pietrusza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pietrusza/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Incumbent advantage often quiets opposition, making change difficult despite popular demand. **In simple terms:** Power of incumbency silences crowds. Key Takeaway Recognize hidden power structures. Themes politics power incumbency Mood critical analytical Type historical political When to use this quote - elections - organizational change - social movements Key Concepts political science history Questions to Reflect On - What silent forces shape your environment? - How can newcomers break through entrenched power? A Different Perspective Incumbents may also be challenged by scandals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barkley-248935/) [Harry truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harry-truman/) [Incumbency Easily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incumbency-easily-4695601/) [Knew Quiet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew-quiet-749426/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Truman Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truman-knew-1844803/) ## Related quotes > [Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, others, knew how to lead. They knew how to ask the American people for the right things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/franklin-roosevelt-harry-truman-others-knew-how-to-lead-they-knew-how/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [“Truman knew that government employees deserved fair procedures and asserted that his loyalty program would provide them. But he nonetheless expanded an already flawed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-patterson/truman-knew-that-government-employees-deserved-fair-procedures-and/) [James T. Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-patterson/) > [“And this new story; he had an idea for a title. He’d heard a sailor on leave, during the war, tell another sailor that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-benjamin/and-this-new-story-he-had-an-idea-for-a-title-he-d-heard-a-sailor-on/) [Melanie Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-benjamin/) > [“Besides, rats survived so well because they were rats. They knew when to keep quiet and they knew when to squeal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-bennett/besides-rats-survived-so-well-because-they-were-rats-they-knew-when/) [Danielle Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-bennett/) > [The silence was killing me. And that's all there ever was. Silence. It was all I knew. Keep quiet. Pretend nothing had happened, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-lynn/the-silence-was-killing-me-and-that-s-all-there-ever-was-silence-it/) [J. Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-lynn/) > [“Eventually he'd let the answering machine take over and had hidden in his studio. Where he's hidden all his life. From the monster. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/eventually-he-d-let-the-answering-machine-take-over-and-had-hidden-in/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“He knew the quiet that arrived, the blinding force of panic, and he knew too that each loss brought with it some odd, barely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/he-knew-the-quiet-that-arrived-the-blinding-force-of-panic-and-he/) [Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/) > [“I thought he was a quiet guy. Then I found out he is a mute, and then I knew he was a quiet guy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-thought-he-was-a-quiet-guy-then-i-found-out-he-is-a-mute-and-then-i/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Honestly, I've always thought that Charles Barkley is the best guy on TV because he will really tell you what he thinks. But it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/honestly-i-ve-always-thought-that-charles-barkley-is-the-best-guy-on/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [A guy like Saquon Barkley is really a three-down player. You see the size, the speed, the quickness, the elusiveness, the power. He's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cowher/a-guy-like-saquon-barkley-is-really-a-three-down-player-you-see-the/) [Bill Cowher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cowher/) > [There are just certain nuances of the game that cannot be defined by stats and that's why you can't rely on them. That's why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-johnson-jr/there-are-just-certain-nuances-of-the-game-that-cannot-be-defined-by/) [Ernie Johnson Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-johnson-jr/) > [I wouldn't give Charles Barkley an apology at gunpoint. He can never expect an apology from me... If anything, he owes me an apology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scottie-pippen/i-wouldn-t-give-charles-barkley-an-apology-at-gunpoint-he-can-never/) [Scottie Pippen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scottie-pippen/) > [If you think Barkley was mad before the fight, wait until he sees how many people are taking part of his purse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-arum/if-you-think-barkley-was-mad-before-the-fight-wait-until-he-sees-how/) [Bob Arum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-arum/) > [Karl Malone used a lot of veteran stuff that I thought was cool. Charles Barkley taught me a lot when I played against him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-duncan/karl-malone-used-a-lot-of-veteran-stuff-that-i-thought-was-cool/) [Tim Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-duncan/) > [I think a guy like Saquon Barkley is a very special back, and where the was drafted was very appropriate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cowher/i-think-a-guy-like-saquon-barkley-is-a-very-special-back-and-where/) [Bill Cowher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cowher/) ## More by David Pietrusza > [“But even a wonderful soloist needs a song. Even a pitch-perfect voice needs a message.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pietrusza/but-even-a-wonderful-soloist-needs-a-song-even-a-pitch-perfect-voice/) [David Pietrusza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pietrusza/) > [“The right to resign is one of the cherished privileges of a free man; the willingness to resign, when principle and the public interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pietrusza/the-right-to-resign-is-one-of-the-cherished-privileges-of-a-free-man/) [David Pietrusza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pietrusza/) > [“Losers break the rules. There's no point in obeying them because if you obey the unwritten rules of civility, you're going to lose anyway.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pietrusza/losers-break-the-rules-there-s-no-point-in-obeying-them-because-if/) [David Pietrusza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pietrusza/) > [“TR on using extramarital accusations against Wilson: "It won't work. You can't cast a man as Romeo who looks and acts like an apothecary's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pietrusza/tr-on-using-extramarital-accusations-against-wilson-it-won-t-work-you/) [David Pietrusza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pietrusza/) > [“Though there is no evil in righteousness, there is in self-righteousness,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pietrusza/though-there-is-no-evil-in-righteousness-there-is-in-self/) [David Pietrusza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pietrusza/) > [“Never far removed from the progressive consciousness was a question that was never easily answered: of what value was it to punish offending Democrats,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pietrusza/never-far-removed-from-the-progressive-consciousness-was-a-question/) [David Pietrusza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pietrusza/) > [“It came down to so many factors: an underdog who refused to surrender, a presumed victor who refused to fight, disgruntled Democrats - on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pietrusza/it-came-down-to-so-many-factors-an-underdog-who-refused-to-surrender/) [David Pietrusza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pietrusza/) > [“Every presidential nominee says his vice president will be given a serious, important role in his new administration. But it almost never materializes. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pietrusza/every-presidential-nominee-says-his-vice-president-will-be-given-a/) [David Pietrusza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pietrusza/) > [“To Dewey, if brevity was the soul of wit, stagecraft was the very center of politics.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pietrusza/to-dewey-if-brevity-was-the-soul-of-wit-stagecraft-was-the-very/) [David Pietrusza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pietrusza/) > [“No matter what office LBJ assumed he lifted greater than when he found it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pietrusza/no-matter-what-office-lbj-assumed-he-lifted-greater-than-when-he/) [David Pietrusza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pietrusza/) > [“Woodrow Wilson intimate Edward House urged that his boss never first be approached by argument. Instead, the President could be made most receptive by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pietrusza/woodrow-wilson-intimate-edward-house-urged-that-his-boss-never-first/) [David Pietrusza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pietrusza/) > [“It involves no disrespect for Mrs. Truman to say that her daughter gets a bigger hand than she does,' observed Richard Rovere. 'This country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pietrusza/it-involves-no-disrespect-for-mrs-truman-to-say-that-her-daughter/) [David Pietrusza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pietrusza/) > [“Truman makes friends without influencing people,' noted Arthur Schlesinger Jr. 'Dewey influences people without making friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pietrusza/truman-makes-friends-without-influencing-people-noted-arthur/) [David Pietrusza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pietrusza/) > [“Author points out in Woodrow Wilson the flipside of the positive we might call big picture vision. He observes that as college president Wilson…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pietrusza/author-points-out-in-woodrow-wilson-the-flipside-of-the-positive-we/) [David Pietrusza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pietrusza/) [Explore all 15 David Pietrusza quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pietrusza/) ## More Harry truman quotes > [Harry Truman wrote scathing letters, but he almost never sent them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/harry-truman-wrote-scathing-letters-but-he-almost-never-sent-them/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [ Leo Crowley, Harry \[Truman\]'s Foreign Economic Administrator, tells Congressmen the theory...: 'If you create good governments in foreign countries, automatically you will have better… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/leo-crowley-harry-truman-s-foreign-economic-administrator-tells/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Despite its flaws, the American electoral system has produced Lincoln, the two Roosevelts, and Harry Truman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/despite-its-flaws-the-american-electoral-system-has-produced-lincoln/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [ “If there had been any formidable body of cannibals in the country he \[Harry Truman\] would have promised to provide them with free missionaries,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-2/if-there-had-been-any-formidable-body-of-cannibals-in-the-country-he/) [H.L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-2/) > [Some of our finest leaders were not intellectuals at all, and I admire them enormously because they weren't. Harry Truman wasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/some-of-our-finest-leaders-were-not-intellectuals-at-all-and-i-admire/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [“He loved politics in large part exactly because it meant time spent with men like Cactus Jack Garner(who would be remembered for observing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/he-loved-politics-in-large-part-exactly-because-it-meant-time-spent/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [Let me tell you, the first president to recognize the state of Israel was Harry Truman, a Democrat. And every president since, Democrat and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-durbin/let-me-tell-you-the-first-president-to-recognize-the-state-of-israel/) [Dick Durbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-durbin/) > [“Buy only what you really need and cannot do without,” President Harry Truman once said on TV.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-h-naylor/buy-only-what-you-really-need-and-cannot-do-without-president-harry/) [Thomas H Naylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-h-naylor/) > [“Roosevelt loved the subtleties of human relations...He was sensitive to nuances in a way that Harry Truman never was and never would be. Truman,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/roosevelt-loved-the-subtleties-of-human-relations-he-was-sensitive-to/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [Harry Truman was courageous enough to command that racial segregation be ended in the military. I was serving in a submarine in the U.S.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/harry-truman-was-courageous-enough-to-command-that-racial-segregation/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > ['Once a Government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of the Opposition, it has only one way to go. And that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-guzaldo/once-a-government-is-committed-to-the-principle-of-silencing-the/) [Andrew Guzaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-guzaldo/) > [ He \[Harry S. Truman\] loved politicians - even Republicans. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-truman-daniel/he-harry-s-truman-loved-politicians-even-republicans/) [Margaret Truman Daniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-truman-daniel/) > [I loved Harry Truman with all my heart and soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willard-scott/i-loved-harry-truman-with-all-my-heart-and-soul/) [Willard Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willard-scott/) > [Harry S. Truman had his moods. His birthplace is the only tourist attraction in America where you don't see Japanese with cameras.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-whitney-brown/harry-s-truman-had-his-moods-his-birthplace-is-the-only-tourist/) [A. Whitney Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-whitney-brown/) > [My father's political heroes were Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/my-father-s-political-heroes-were-franklin-roosevelt-and-harry-truman/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) [Browse all 54 Harry truman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harry-truman/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Yet Barkley drew back. Perhaps he, like Harry Truman, knew that the quiet power of incumbency easily overcomes the noise of crowds and bands.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Pietrusza" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pietrusza/yet-barkley-drew-back-perhaps-he-like-harry-truman-knew-that-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Harry truman" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pietrusza/yet-barkley-drew-back-perhaps-he-like-harry-truman-knew-that-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cb/david-pietrusza-32947_harry-truman_yet-barkley-drew-back-perhaps-he-like-ha_2990373.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cb/david-pietrusza-32947_harry-truman_yet-barkley-drew-back-perhaps-he-like-ha_2990373.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cb/david-pietrusza-32947_harry-truman_yet-barkley-drew-back-perhaps-he-like-ha_2990373.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Yet Barkley drew back. Perhaps he, like Harry Truman, knew that the quiet power of incumbency easily…” — David Pietrusza", "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 Pietrusza", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pietrusza/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Yet Barkley drew back. Perhaps he,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pietrusza/yet-barkley-drew-back-perhaps-he-like-harry-truman-knew-that-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pietrusza/yet-barkley-drew-back-perhaps-he-like-harry-truman-knew-that-the/#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 } } ] } ```