--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our democracy if self-cleansing. If you…" description: "\"Our democracy if self-cleansing. If you don't like it, be a candidate, or support a candidate.\" — Dick Gephardt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f9/dick-gephardt-11719_candidate_our-democracy-if-self-cleansing-if-you-d_755757.jpg" --- # Our democracy if self-cleansing. If you don't like it, be… ![“Our democracy if self-cleansing. If you don't like it, be a candidate, or support a candidate.” quote by Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f9/dick-gephardt-11719_candidate_our-democracy-if-self-cleansing-if-you-d_755757.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f9/dick-gephardt-11719_candidate_our-democracy-if-self-cleansing-if-you-d_755757.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f9/dick-gephardt-11719_candidate_our-democracy-if-self-cleansing-if-you-d_755757.jpg) > “Our democracy if self-cleansing. If you don't like it, be a candidate, or support a candidate.” [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Democracy requires active participation; citizens must engage directly or support those who do. **In simple terms:** Participate or support to improve democracy. Key Takeaway Get involved in politics. Themes civic duty participation political engagement Mood concerned motivated Type political civic When to use this quote - voting - running for office - campaign volunteering - community organizing Key Concepts democratic theory citizen responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can you contribute without running? - What barriers prevent participation? A Different Perspective May be unrealistic for disengaged citizens lacking resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Candidate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candidate/) [Candidate Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candidate-support-5870126/) [Candidates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candidates/) [Cleansing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cleansing/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democracy Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-self-4809514/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Like Candidate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-candidate-1103398/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) ## Related quotes > [I would like to see somebody who speaks for the underdog, for the people who don't have this in healthcare benefits. 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I'm really only interested in the candidate who's toughest and least apologetic when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-m-a-single-issue-voter-to-get-straight-to-the-point-i-m-really-only/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ \[Kellyanne Conway\]taking \[Jennifer\] Palmieri to school. You had a lousy candidate, you've got a candidate who's arrogant and aloof and didn't even campaign in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/kellyanne-conway-taking-jennifer-palmieri-to-school-you-had-a-lousy/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Sarah Palin is an attractive candidate, but based on her background, she only was governor for what, two years. I don't think she passed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/sarah-palin-is-an-attractive-candidate-but-based-on-her-background/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [Just because somebody else likes a candidate doesn't necessarily mean everybody else will like him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ailes/just-because-somebody-else-likes-a-candidate-doesn-t-necessarily-mean/) [Roger Ailes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ailes/) > [I am determined to elect a president of our choosing this year and one who will be deeply indebted, and who will recognize his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-hughes/i-am-determined-to-elect-a-president-of-our-choosing-this-year-and/) [Howard Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-hughes/) > [I'm not quite certain how you can force a candidate to stick by the rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-ifill/i-m-not-quite-certain-how-you-can-force-a-candidate-to-stick-by-the/) [Gwen Ifill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwen-ifill/) > [Today, I'm a candidate for the office of president of the United States of America. My kids can't believe I just said that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-huntsman-jr/today-i-m-a-candidate-for-the-office-of-president-of-the-united/) [Jon Huntsman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-huntsman-jr/) > [I want to say that I cannot be intimidated or stopped. In order to put an end to various attempts to get rid of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vitali-klitschko/i-want-to-say-that-i-cannot-be-intimidated-or-stopped-in-order-to-put/) [Vitali Klitschko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vitali-klitschko/) > [You should not be misled about the so-called single opposition candidate. There are so many of them now that you will lack the fingers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-lukashenko/you-should-not-be-misled-about-the-so-called-single-opposition/) [Alexander Lukashenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-lukashenko/) > [I know of not one Republican candidate that would not appear publicly with Mitt Romney and I know many Democrats that don't even want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-sessions/i-know-of-not-one-republican-candidate-that-would-not-appear-publicly/) [Pete Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-sessions/) ## More by Dick Gephardt > [One of the big mistakes Republicans made with the Contract with America is that they tried to do too much too fast, and people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/one-of-the-big-mistakes-republicans-made-with-the-contract-with/) [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) > [If you want to run for president, you better be an athlete. It's 24/7. It never ends. You give up your personal life completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/if-you-want-to-run-for-president-you-better-be-an-athlete-it-s-24-7/) [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) > [I was raised in a working class family of Baptist faith, and I went to college on a church scholarship where early teachings were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/i-was-raised-in-a-working-class-family-of-baptist-faith-and-i-went-to/) [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) > [In 1988, as an unknown candidate, totally unknown, I won Iowa, came in second in New Hampshire, won South Dakota. I was ahead in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/in-1988-as-an-unknown-candidate-totally-unknown-i-won-iowa-came-in/) [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) > [I don't think you can be a good listener unless you're a good listener. 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And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/america-is-a-great-country-we-are-so-wealthy-but-our-one-remaining/) [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) > [I think a lot of people think I was born in a blue suit, on the David Brinkley show. And that isn't me. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/i-think-a-lot-of-people-think-i-was-born-in-a-blue-suit-on-the-david/) [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) > [I think it's time we had a president who carried the same life experiences into the White House as most ordinary Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/i-think-it-s-time-we-had-a-president-who-carried-the-same-life/) [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) > [Diplomacy matters. Burden-sharing matters. Follow-through matters. And yes, sustaining the peace is harder, more complex and often costlier than winning the war itself. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/diplomacy-matters-burden-sharing-matters-follow-through-matters-and/) [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) > [Politics is a substitute for violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/politics-is-a-substitute-for-violence/) [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) > [I've always had good energy; I've always had good health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/i-ve-always-had-good-energy-i-ve-always-had-good-health/) [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) > [I have been a long and strong supporter of civil rights in my whole career. I led the fight to get the voting rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/i-have-been-a-long-and-strong-supporter-of-civil-rights-in-my-whole/) [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) > [Democracy is interactive... It's a constant job of information, education, explanation, listening, and interactive communication.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/democracy-is-interactive-it-s-a-constant-job-of-information-education/) [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) [Explore all 58 Dick Gephardt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) ## More Candidate quotes > [I know of not one Republican candidate that would not appear publicly with Mitt Romney and I know many Democrats that don't even want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-sessions/i-know-of-not-one-republican-candidate-that-would-not-appear-publicly/) [Pete Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-sessions/) > [As a registered Democrat, I am praying for a credible presidential candidate to emerge from the younger tier of politicians in their late 40s.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/as-a-registered-democrat-i-am-praying-for-a-credible-presidential/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [Obama did organize a great large number of people and many enthusiastic people, what's called in the press 'Obama's Army.' But the army is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/obama-did-organize-a-great-large-number-of-people-and-many/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Candidate Trump held out his hand to Vladimir Putin. He rejected further U.S. intervention in Syria other than to smash ISIS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/candidate-trump-held-out-his-hand-to-vladimir-putin-he-rejected/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [You should not be misled about the so-called single opposition candidate. There are so many of them now that you will lack the fingers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-lukashenko/you-should-not-be-misled-about-the-so-called-single-opposition/) [Alexander Lukashenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-lukashenko/) > [I want to say that I cannot be intimidated or stopped. In order to put an end to various attempts to get rid of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vitali-klitschko/i-want-to-say-that-i-cannot-be-intimidated-or-stopped-in-order-to-put/) [Vitali Klitschko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vitali-klitschko/) > [Today, I'm a candidate for the office of president of the United States of America. My kids can't believe I just said that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-huntsman-jr/today-i-m-a-candidate-for-the-office-of-president-of-the-united/) [Jon Huntsman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-huntsman-jr/) > [I think Trump is a very interesting candidate in this sense: I think he has cross-party appeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/i-think-trump-is-a-very-interesting-candidate-in-this-sense-i-think/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [I do think that sometimes, especially coming into this going straight from activism to being a candidate or to being a person who potentially,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/i-do-think-that-sometimes-especially-coming-into-this-going-straight/) [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) > [Even though I don't agree with Donald Trump on everything, and I think there may be certain things or statements of his that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-zeldin/even-though-i-don-t-agree-with-donald-trump-on-everything-and-i-think/) [Lee Zeldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-zeldin/) > [I'm not quite certain how you can force a candidate to stick by the rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-ifill/i-m-not-quite-certain-how-you-can-force-a-candidate-to-stick-by-the/) [Gwen Ifill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwen-ifill/) > [I am not a fan of Mitt Romney, but I admit that he is, politically speaking, a good candidate for president. 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Things have developed very quickly for me in recent years, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-kurz/i-am-aware-of-the-responsibility-i-am-taking-on-as-the-chancellor/) [Sebastian Kurz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-kurz/) > [For people to even think that I'd be considered or a good candidate for a supporting actress nomination is mind blowing to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naya-rivera/for-people-to-even-think-that-i-d-be-considered-or-a-good-candidate/) [Naya Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naya-rivera/) > [A candidate's faith is not the only consideration, but should be a major consideration in electing the president of the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jeffress/a-candidate-s-faith-is-not-the-only-consideration-but-should-be-a/) [Robert Jeffress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jeffress/) [Browse all 529 Candidate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candidate/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Our democracy if self-cleansing. 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