--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Applause, mingled with boos and hisses…" description: "\"Applause, mingled with boos and hisses, is about all that the average voter is able or willing to contribute to public life.\" — Elmer Davis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/elmer-davis-20512_able_applause-mingled-with-boos-and-hisses-is_1785771.png" --- # Applause, mingled with boos and hisses, is about all that… ![“Applause, mingled with boos and hisses, is about all that the average voter is able or willing to contribute to public life.” quote by Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/elmer-davis-20512_able_applause-mingled-with-boos-and-hisses-is_1785771.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/elmer-davis-20512_able_applause-mingled-with-boos-and-hisses-is_1785771.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/elmer-davis-20512_able_applause-mingled-with-boos-and-hisses-is_1785771.png) > “Applause, mingled with boos and hisses, is about all that the average voter is able or willing to contribute to public life.” [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Public participation often reduces to noisy applause or dissent, showing limited civic engagement. **In simple terms:** Voters mostly express approval or disapproval, not deeper involvement. Key Takeaway Encourage active, informed participation beyond applause. Themes civic engagement political apathy public discourse Mood critical reflective Type analytical commentary When to use this quote - elections - community meetings - public hearings - online petitions Key Concepts democracy media influence citizen responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens move from passive reaction to active contribution? - What structures support deeper civic involvement? A Different Perspective Applause may mask underlying disengagement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Applause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/applause/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Public life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-life/) [Voters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voters/) ## Related quotes > [What kind of man would put a known criminal in charge of a major branch of government? Apart from, say, the average voter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/what-kind-of-man-would-put-a-known-criminal-in-charge-of-a-major/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [The average voter has to hear a point seven times before it registers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-weyrich/the-average-voter-has-to-hear-a-point-seven-times-before-it-registers/) [Paul Weyrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-weyrich/) > [No connection to the average voter - Clinton has an air of superiority. Despite her wide smile and pleasant appearance, she is envisioned as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabrizio-moreira/no-connection-to-the-average-voter-clinton-has-an-air-of-superiority/) [Fabrizio Moreira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabrizio-moreira/) > [My interest in foreign policy is above the average voter's interest. That doesn't mean we shouldn't talk about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-baumgartner/my-interest-in-foreign-policy-is-above-the-average-voter-s-interest/) [Michael Baumgartner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-baumgartner/) > [“the best argument against a democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-best-argument-against-a-democracy-is-a-five-minute-conversation/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Lacking the direct test of success or failure, the voter tends to turn, not to those politicians whose measures have the best chance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/lacking-the-direct-test-of-success-or-failure-the-voter-tends-to-turn/) [Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/) > [I think the average voter wants somebody who has the right philosophy and can combine that with the ability to get something done in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-capuano/i-think-the-average-voter-wants-somebody-who-has-the-right-philosophy/) [Michael Capuano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-capuano/) > [“What a place! 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None of us are ego-challenged, I think, or we probably wouldn't be doing what we're doing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-bayh/people-come-into-public-life-for-different-reasons-none-of-us-are-ego/) [Evan Bayh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-bayh/) > [I think some people who go into public life, if they go in needing the applause of thousands, they're never going to work out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-think-some-people-who-go-into-public-life-if-they-go-in-needing-the/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [“i nod to the other will grayson, up onstage. he nods to me. we have something between us, him and me. but the truth?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-nod-to-the-other-will-grayson-up-onstage-he-nods-to-me-we-have/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“An applause is not just the recognition of good performance, but its proof of being different than the crowd.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/an-applause-is-not-just-the-recognition-of-good-performance-but-its/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“In due course I would learn how to cover up for this event, but on that awful day I knew of nothing to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-pryor/in-due-course-i-would-learn-how-to-cover-up-for-this-event-but-on/) [Karen Pryor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-pryor/) > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) ## More by Elmer Davis > [You may not like Mr. Roosevelt, but if he loss the war, we all lose it with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/you-may-not-like-mr-roosevelt-but-if-he-loss-the-war-we-all-lose-it/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/this-nation-will-remain-the-land-of-the-free-only-so-long-as-it-is/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [“The first and greatest commandment is, Don't let them scare you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/the-first-and-greatest-commandment-is-don-t-let-them-scare-you/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [We are going to use the truth, and we are going to use it toward the end of winning the war; and we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/we-are-going-to-use-the-truth-and-we-are-going-to-use-it-toward-the/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [One of the things that is wrong with America is that everybody who has done anything at all in his own field is expected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/one-of-the-things-that-is-wrong-with-america-is-that-everybody-who/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [There is an increasing demand that the president and Secretary Hull get rid of the unteachable group in the State Department of men who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/there-is-an-increasing-demand-that-the-president-and-secretary-hull/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [When a middle-aged man says in a moment of weariness that he is half dead, he is telling the literal truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/when-a-middle-aged-man-says-in-a-moment-of-weariness-that-he-is-half/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [The only identification that would be inscribed on any cat's collar would be "This is the cat's cat."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/the-only-identification-that-would-be-inscribed-on-any-cat-s-collar/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [This republic was not established by cowards; and cowards will not preserve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/this-republic-was-not-established-by-cowards-and-cowards-will-not/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [The American public has a right to know what's going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/the-american-public-has-a-right-to-know-what-s-going-on/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [Large elements in Congress and the public were willing to fight for victory but wanted to be very sure that the struggle was not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/large-elements-in-congress-and-the-public-were-willing-to-fight-for/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [The first and great commandment is: Don't let them scare you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/the-first-and-great-commandment-is-don-t-let-them-scare-you/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [New York was growing so fast that the extraordinary prosperity which attended 'The Times' almost from the outset brought no real injury to any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/new-york-was-growing-so-fast-that-the-extraordinary-prosperity-which/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [I believe that if the entire voting population of the United States could be taken in small groups on a personally conducted tour of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/i-believe-that-if-the-entire-voting-population-of-the-united-states/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [The chief characteristic of 'The Tribune' under Greeley was an aggressive and even ostentatious purity. 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