--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My first meeting as a senator, my first…" description: "\"My first meeting as a senator, my first day, they were already talking about the next election. Part of that's the permanent campaign, part of that's a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b8/evan-bayh-23513_about_my-first-meeting-as-a-senator-my-first-d_2498146.png" --- # My first meeting as a senator, my first day, they were… ![“My first meeting as a senator, my first day, they were already talking about the next election. Part of that's the permanent campaign, part of that's a word I've been using more frequently, 'tribal.' Our politics has become tribal: It's us versus them.” quote by Evan Bayh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b8/evan-bayh-23513_about_my-first-meeting-as-a-senator-my-first-d_2498146.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b8/evan-bayh-23513_about_my-first-meeting-as-a-senator-my-first-d_2498146.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b8/evan-bayh-23513_about_my-first-meeting-as-a-senator-my-first-d_2498146.png) > “My first meeting as a senator, my first day, they were already talking about the next election. Part of that's the permanent campaign, part of that's a word I've been using more frequently, 'tribal.' Our politics has become tribal: It's us versus them.” [Evan Bayh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-bayh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights how political life is dominated by constant campaigning and a tribal mindset, framing politics as a perpetual competition between groups. **In simple terms:** Politics feels like a never‑ending campaign and a us‑vs‑them battle. Key Takeaway Recognize and counter tribal thinking. Themes politics campaigning tribalism polarization leadership Mood cautious critical reflective Type observational analytical When to use this quote - legislative work - campaign strategy - public speaking - media interviews Key Concepts identity politics strategic communication group dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does tribal framing affect policy making? - What can leaders do to reduce us‑vs‑them thinking? A Different Perspective It may oversimplify complex policy debates into binary conflicts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election/) [First Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-day/) [Next election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next-election/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [Politics should be about politics, not tribal ties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/musalia-mudavadi/politics-should-be-about-politics-not-tribal-ties/) Musalia Mudavadi > [There is so much partisan and tribal politics, from not just those seeking office but potential voters as well, that we never get real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/there-is-so-much-partisan-and-tribal-politics-from-not-just-those/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [I'm so bored of tribal politics. That's part of the problem. I'm so bored of it. I'm not a tribalist. That's not what turns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lammy/i-m-so-bored-of-tribal-politics-that-s-part-of-the-problem-i-m-so/) [David Lammy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lammy/) > [ That was \[Joel\] Benenson. "We're talking about this election, Kellyanne \[Conway\]." See, they're in permanent campaign mode, and they haven't come to grips with… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/that-was-joel-benenson-we-re-talking-about-this-election-kellyanne/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [ \[The Democrats\] are sitting there thinking they really won. They won the popular vote. "We're only talking about this election Kellyanne \[Conway\]. You don't… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-democrats-are-sitting-there-thinking-they-really-won-they-won-the/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Some pretty senior young individuals in and around the Cabinet should share the responsibility for talking up an election and referring publicly on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-winnick/some-pretty-senior-young-individuals-in-and-around-the-cabinet-should/) David Winnick > [It would have been a very, very good thing if the next election after Margaret went we had lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-thatcher/it-would-have-been-a-very-very-good-thing-if-the-next-election-after/) [Denis Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-thatcher/) > [Both sides know the last election was just the beginning of the next election. It's clear there has been no attempt to have any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-keene/both-sides-know-the-last-election-was-just-the-beginning-of-the-next/) David Keene > [I will go to the next election saying to Australians, vote for me, vote for the Liberal Party, and I will become your PM.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-turnbull/i-will-go-to-the-next-election-saying-to-australians-vote-for-me-vote/) [Malcolm Turnbull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-turnbull/) > [It is our job, as members of parliament, to legislate with an eye to the long term future, to look over the horizon beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-turnbull/it-is-our-job-as-members-of-parliament-to-legislate-with-an-eye-to/) [Malcolm Turnbull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-turnbull/) > [If the states and territories do not sign up to fundamental reform, then my message is equally simple: we will take this reform plan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-rudd/if-the-states-and-territories-do-not-sign-up-to-fundamental-reform/) [Kevin Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-rudd/) > [We in the Labour party owe it to the people we represent to make sure that we offer a choice at the next election…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-powell/we-in-the-labour-party-owe-it-to-the-people-we-represent-to-make-sure/) [Lucy Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-powell/) > [You need the commitment of people that aren't worried about that next election, who are going to do the right thing and worry about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-fitzgerald/you-need-the-commitment-of-people-that-aren-t-worried-about-that-next/) Jeff Fitzgerald > [When I first came to Congress, the party was supposed to help you. Now, when a new member is sworn in, he or she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/when-i-first-came-to-congress-the-party-was-supposed-to-help-you-now/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [Women now influence the majority of consumer purchases. It is women's votes that will secure victory at the next election, hence the altogether delicious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-pearson/women-now-influence-the-majority-of-consumer-purchases-it-is-women-s/) [Allison Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-pearson/) ## More by Evan Bayh > [America is stronger than ever. We will forever remember those we lost on September 11, 2001. In honoring their memory, we will remain true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-bayh/america-is-stronger-than-ever-we-will-forever-remember-those-we-lost/) [Evan Bayh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-bayh/) > [What is required from members of Congress and the public alike is a new spirit of devotion to the national welfare beyond party or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-bayh/what-is-required-from-members-of-congress-and-the-public-alike-is-a/) [Evan Bayh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-bayh/) > [Across the country military families are facing dire financial circumstances due to longer than expected tours of duties. They are being penalized for their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-bayh/across-the-country-military-families-are-facing-dire-financial/) [Evan Bayh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-bayh/) > [I love working for the people of Indiana. I love helping our citizens make the most of their lives, but I do not love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-bayh/i-love-working-for-the-people-of-indiana-i-love-helping-our-citizens/) [Evan Bayh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-bayh/) > [People come into public life for different reasons. 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/) > [Of course, the genesis of a good portion of the gridlock in Congress does not reside in Congress itself. Ultimate reform will require each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-bayh/of-course-the-genesis-of-a-good-portion-of-the-gridlock-in-congress/) [Evan Bayh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-bayh/) > [We must do all we can to help improve the deplorable human rights situation of the North Korean people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-bayh/we-must-do-all-we-can-to-help-improve-the-deplorable-human-rights/) [Evan Bayh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-bayh/) > [“There are not enough purple states. No one votes in primaries, except the most ideological. And big money comes in to support or oppose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-bayh/there-are-not-enough-purple-states-no-one-votes-in-primaries-except/) [Evan Bayh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-bayh/) > [If one of my boys was asking me if they should go into politics, I'd say there's only one reason to go into public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-bayh/if-one-of-my-boys-was-asking-me-if-they-should-go-into-politics-i-d/) [Evan Bayh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-bayh/) > [Our success as a party will largely be determined by how well we do here in the heartland... The time has come to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-bayh/our-success-as-a-party-will-largely-be-determined-by-how-well-we-do/) [Evan Bayh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-bayh/) > [I'm pleased to offer analysis of public policy and politics to the millions of Americans who get their news from Fox.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-bayh/i-m-pleased-to-offer-analysis-of-public-policy-and-politics-to-the/) [Evan Bayh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-bayh/) > [We should be proud of liberating the 26 million people in Iraq and should remember that this is why it is important to stick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-bayh/we-should-be-proud-of-liberating-the-26-million-people-in-iraq-and/) [Evan Bayh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-bayh/) > [Filibusters have proliferated because under current rules just one or two determined senators can stop the Senate from functioning. Today, the mere threat of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-bayh/filibusters-have-proliferated-because-under-current-rules-just-one-or/) [Evan Bayh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-bayh/) > [Filibusters should require 35 senators to... make a commitment to continually debate an issue in reality, not just in theory. The number of votes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-bayh/filibusters-should-require-35-senators-to-make-a-commitment-to/) [Evan Bayh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-bayh/) > [Baseball may be our national pastime, but the age-old tradition of taking a swing at Congress is a sport with even deeper historical roots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-bayh/baseball-may-be-our-national-pastime-but-the-age-old-tradition-of/) [Evan Bayh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-bayh/) [Explore all 25 Evan Bayh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-bayh/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. 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That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' 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