--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Kerry asks Americans to look at the…" description: "\"Kerry asks Americans to look at the evidence. Bush asks people to believe.\" — Ellen Goodman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5df/ellen-goodman-6219_asks_kerry-asks-americans-to-look-at-the-evid_1416545.png" --- # Kerry asks Americans to look at the evidence. Bush asks… ![“Kerry asks Americans to look at the evidence. Bush asks people to believe.” quote by Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5df/ellen-goodman-6219_asks_kerry-asks-americans-to-look-at-the-evid_1416545.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5df/ellen-goodman-6219_asks_kerry-asks-americans-to-look-at-the-evid_1416545.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5df/ellen-goodman-6219_asks_kerry-asks-americans-to-look-at-the-evid_1416545.png) > “Kerry asks Americans to look at the evidence. Bush asks people to believe.” [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. One asks for evidence, the other demands belief, highlighting differing leadership styles. **In simple terms:** Evidence vs belief in politics. Key Takeaway Demand facts, not blind faith. Themes politics leadership communication Mood critical inquisitive Type analytical educational When to use this quote - campaign speeches - policy debates - media analysis Key Concepts rhetorical strategy public persuasion Questions to Reflect On - How to verify political claims? - When is belief justified? A Different Perspective Evidence may be unavailable or complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asks/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Bush Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bush-asks-5006486/) [Evidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evidence/) [Evidence Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evidence-bush-5006484/) [Kerry Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kerry-asks-5006485/) [Look Evidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look-evidence-2566120/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-believe/) ## Related quotes > [When, President Bush asks me to go with his father to the Tsunami impacted areas and help raise money, I was thrilled to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/when-president-bush-asks-me-to-go-with-his-father-to-the-tsunami/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Now, look, I - I like to look at evidence. I plead to that. I think evidence is important when you're making decisions that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/now-look-i-i-like-to-look-at-evidence-i-plead-to-that-i-think/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [“A part of me does not want to think that I always knew something was wrong.=. This is probably the same part that didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-jones/a-part-of-me-does-not-want-to-think-that-i-always-knew-something-was/) [Carrie Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-jones/) > [It's kind of ironic that when you look at the evidence of intelligence and so on, a lot of it is anecdotal. A lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-whitehead/it-s-kind-of-ironic-that-when-you-look-at-the-evidence-of/) [Hal Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-whitehead/) > [“he could look at the evidence planted in the universe and from it derive a new concept, and a greater thing than this no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-michener/he-could-look-at-the-evidence-planted-in-the-universe-and-from-it/) [James A. Michener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-michener/) > [“Refusing to look at the evidence, this is also popular.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/refusing-to-look-at-the-evidence-this-is-also-popular/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [There is not a well-funded campaign among scientists to say, "Look, here's the evidence. You can read it yourself. Here are the facts. We're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/there-is-not-a-well-funded-campaign-among-scientists-to-say-look-here/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [“Where would you even look for evidence of a reality that by your own argument can’t exist?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-beyer/where-would-you-even-look-for-evidence-of-a-reality-that-by-your-own/) [Kirsten Beyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-beyer/) > [“As all this suggests our relationship with evidence is seldom purely a cognitive one. Vilifying menstruating women bolstering anti-Muslim stereotypes murdering innocent citizens of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/as-all-this-suggests-our-relationship-with-evidence-is-seldom-purely/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [“Nothing is more lethal for certain kinds of meme than a tendency to look for evidence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/nothing-is-more-lethal-for-certain-kinds-of-meme-than-a-tendency-to/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [I'm not saying that people should believe in a specific thing or a specific way, but if everyone has the knowledge they need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morena-baccarin/i-m-not-saying-that-people-should-believe-in-a-specific-thing-or-a/) [Morena Baccarin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morena-baccarin/) > [I believe in so much - I believe in people. I believe in hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-phelps-roper/i-believe-in-so-much-i-believe-in-people-i-believe-in-hope/) [Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/) > [I know how important it is to have people who believe in you even when you don't believe in yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/i-know-how-important-it-is-to-have-people-who-believe-in-you-even/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [If enough money is involved and enough people believe that two plus two equals five the media will report the story with a straight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/if-enough-money-is-involved-and-enough-people-believe-that-two-plus/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) ## More by Ellen Goodman > [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [Once upon a time we were just plain people. But that was before we began having relationships with mechanical systems. 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Perhaps as descendants of landless immigrants we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/i-don-t-know-exactly-why-the-notion-of-homeownership-has-such-a-grasp/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [The central paradox of motherhood is that while our children become the absolute center of our lives, they must also push us backout in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/the-central-paradox-of-motherhood-is-that-while-our-children-become/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [You can believe in women's rights without believing that every woman is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/you-can-believe-in-women-s-rights-without-believing-that-every-woman/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [Maybe this year, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives not looking for flaws, but looking for potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/maybe-this-year-we-ought-to-walk-through-the-rooms-of-our-lives-not/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [The same people who tell us that smoking doesn't cause cancer are now telling us that advertising cigarettes doesn't cause smoking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/the-same-people-who-tell-us-that-smoking-doesn-t-cause-cancer-are-now/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [You can teach someone who cares to write columns, but you can’t teach someone who writes columns to care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/you-can-teach-someone-who-cares-to-write-columns-but-you-can-t-teach/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [instant opinion is an oxymoron. You don't get real opinions in an instant. You get reactions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/instant-opinion-is-an-oxymoron-you-don-t-get-real-opinions-in-an/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [I would like to say we're at a point where global warming is impossible to deny. Let's just say that global warming deniers are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/i-would-like-to-say-we-re-at-a-point-where-global-warming-is/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [We owned what we learned back there; the experience and the growth are grafted into our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/we-owned-what-we-learned-back-there-the-experience-and-the-growth-are/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [We each have a litany of holiday rituals and everyday habits that we hold on to, and we often greet radical innovation with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/we-each-have-a-litany-of-holiday-rituals-and-everyday-habits-that-we/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [Those inevitable dreams where you can't get your column in, you know, and at first they were the Xerox telecopy, and then they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/those-inevitable-dreams-where-you-can-t-get-your-column-in-you-know/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [Saving time, it seems, has a primacy that's too rarely examined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/saving-time-it-seems-has-a-primacy-that-s-too-rarely-examined/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) [Explore all 99 Ellen Goodman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) ## More Asks quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. 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It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/) [Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/) > [There is nothing more I ask of this life than this moment, exactly so. And suddenly forever seems like too short a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/there-is-nothing-more-i-ask-of-this-life-than-this-moment-exactly-so/) [Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/) > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [The most fundamental question we can ever ask ourselves is whether or not the universe we live in is friendly or hostile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-most-fundamental-question-we-can-ever-ask-ourselves-is-whether-or/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) > [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/) [Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/) > [I have no hesitation in saying that although the American woman never leaves her domestic sphere and is in some respects very dependent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-have-no-hesitation-in-saying-that-although-the-american-woman-never/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [Ask God for temp'rance. That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I don't know how to say it exactly. Only...I want to die as myself. Does that make any sense?' he asks. 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