--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If it's cynical, risky politics that…" description: "\"If it's cynical, risky politics that brings a lighted match and a can of gas near the Democratic coalition, it should be named as such, and its consequ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/015/ezra-klein-19354_building_if-it-s-cynical-risky-politics-that-brin_2237438.png" --- # If it's cynical, risky politics that brings a lighted… ![“If it's cynical, risky politics that brings a lighted match and a can of gas near the Democratic coalition, it should be named as such, and its consequences understood, and it should become part of the complex calculus we're all building to help us understand these campaigns.” quote by Ezra Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/015/ezra-klein-19354_building_if-it-s-cynical-risky-politics-that-brin_2237438.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/015/ezra-klein-19354_building_if-it-s-cynical-risky-politics-that-brin_2237438.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/015/ezra-klein-19354_building_if-it-s-cynical-risky-politics-that-brin_2237438.png) > “If it's cynical, risky politics that brings a lighted match and a can of gas near the Democratic coalition, it should be named as such, and its consequences understood, and it should become part of the complex calculus we're all building to help us understand these campaigns.” [Ezra Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-klein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Risky political tactics that ignite conflict are often labeled and analyzed, shaping our understanding of campaign dynamics. **In simple terms:** Risky politics spark conflict and need clear labeling. Key Takeaway Label and study risky tactics. Themes politics conflict analysis Mood analytical critical Type political strategic When to use this quote - election campaigns - policy debates - media analysis Key Concepts strategic calculus campaign dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does labeling affect public perception? - Can we predict campaign outcomes? A Different Perspective Labeling may oversimplify complex motives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Calculus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calculus/) [Campaigns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaigns/) [Complexes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexes/) [Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) [Cynical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynical/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [ \[Hillary\] Clinton was able to assemble a winning Democratic coalition out here, beating Sanders among African-Americans, women, among women, and voters from union households,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-matthews/hillary-clinton-was-able-to-assemble-a-winning-democratic-coalition/) [Chris Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-matthews/) > [The Democratic coalition has changed. It includes environmentalists and women's groups. 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Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [Tell them you came, and saw, and looked into my eyes and saw the shadow of the guard receding. Thoughts in time and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-morrison/tell-them-you-came-and-saw-and-looked-into-my-eyes-and-saw-the-shadow/) [Jim Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-morrison/) ## More by Ezra Klein > [This is a very proud moment for journalism. I think The New York Times and The Washington Post are genuine champions in this moment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/this-is-a-very-proud-moment-for-journalism-i-think-the-new-york-times/) [Ezra Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-klein/) > [“Just as youth is wasted on the young, money is wasted on the rich.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/just-as-youth-is-wasted-on-the-young-money-is-wasted-on-the-rich/) [Ezra Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-klein/) > [The news is challenging right now. One hard thing about it is that often things don't lend themselves to good explanations or we don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/the-news-is-challenging-right-now-one-hard-thing-about-it-is-that/) [Ezra Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-klein/) > [Every newspaper in the country covers stories that other newspapers cover. Every industry is filled with people who are competing to do the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/every-newspaper-in-the-country-covers-stories-that-other-newspapers/) [Ezra Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-klein/) > [If I'm sitting around exulting over traffic data, I'm an idiot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/if-i-m-sitting-around-exulting-over-traffic-data-i-m-an-idiot/) [Ezra Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-klein/) > [A government shutdown, it isn't the end of the world. It's a bad thing. The government stops working for a few days. 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So I'm trying to do a little bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/i-don-t-always-have-the-time-i-wish-i-had-to-understand-something-i/) [Ezra Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-klein/) > [Everyday sexual practices on college campuses need to be upended, and men need to feel a cold spike of fear when they begin a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/everyday-sexual-practices-on-college-campuses-need-to-be-upended-and/) [Ezra Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-klein/) > [My career wouldn't exist without blogs, electronic text, hyperlinks, and mass online audiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/my-career-wouldn-t-exist-without-blogs-electronic-text-hyperlinks-and/) [Ezra Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-klein/) > [The American political system is not good at trading sacrifice now to prevent crises later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/the-american-political-system-is-not-good-at-trading-sacrifice-now-to/) [Ezra Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-klein/) > [Maintaining news cycle is the job. 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My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. What the U.S. knows is that if you don't have a coalition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/one-of-the-things-the-united-states-does-well-is-building-coalitions/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [Surely, if Mother Nature had been consulted, she would never have consented to building a city in New Orleans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-zuckerman/surely-if-mother-nature-had-been-consulted-she-would-never-have/) [Mortimer Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-zuckerman/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [Absolutely, you can improve and become better at toughness. It's a talent, but it can be acquired, too. I think of it like building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/absolutely-you-can-improve-and-become-better-at-toughness-it-s-a/) [Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I'd like to play Ian Paisley, actually. I'd need building up, though he's very frail now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-neeson/i-d-like-to-play-ian-paisley-actually-i-d-need-building-up-though-he/) [Liam Neeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-neeson/) > [Death is but an aspect of life, and the destruction of one material form is but a prelude to building up of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/death-is-but-an-aspect-of-life-and-the-destruction-of-one-material/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some architects have a preconceived notion of what a building should be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-w-fentress/some-architects-have-a-preconceived-notion-of-what-a-building-should/) [Curtis W. 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I need to act and keep building.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dillian-whyte/i-m-30-i-m-about-to-hit-my-prime-now-i-need-to-act-and-keep-building/) [Dillian Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dillian-whyte/) > [The essential functions of the mind consist in understanding and in inventing, in other words, in building up structures by structuring reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/the-essential-functions-of-the-mind-consist-in-understanding-and-in/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [Practically every time I speak up at a school conference, a political event, or my apartment building association's annual meeting, I'm met with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/practically-every-time-i-speak-up-at-a-school-conference-a-political/) [Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/) Browse all 5,974 Building quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If it's cynical, risky politics that brings a lighted match and a can of gas near the Democratic coalition, it should be named as such, and its consequences understood, and it should become part of the complex calculus we're all building to help us understand these campaigns.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ezra Klein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/if-it-s-cynical-risky-politics-that-brings-a-lighted-match-and-a-can/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Building" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/if-it-s-cynical-risky-politics-that-brings-a-lighted-match-and-a-can/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/015/ezra-klein-19354_building_if-it-s-cynical-risky-politics-that-brin_2237438.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/015/ezra-klein-19354_building_if-it-s-cynical-risky-politics-that-brin_2237438.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/015/ezra-klein-19354_building_if-it-s-cynical-risky-politics-that-brin_2237438.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If it's cynical, risky politics that brings a lighted match and a can of gas near the Democratic coalition…” — Ezra Klein", "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": "Ezra Klein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-klein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If it's cynical, risky politics that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/if-it-s-cynical-risky-politics-that-brings-a-lighted-match-and-a-can/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/if-it-s-cynical-risky-politics-that-brings-a-lighted-match-and-a-can/#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 } } ] } ```