--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To Americans, Washington is a giant…" description: "\"To Americans, Washington is a giant cesspool. It's no wonder almost half of Americans (47%) now agree with the statement 'I'm mad as hell and I'm not g..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ca/frank-luntz-4874_accepting_to-americans-washington-is-a-giant-cessp_1625863.jpg" --- # To Americans, Washington is a giant cesspool. It's no… ![“To Americans, Washington is a giant cesspool. It's no wonder almost half of Americans (47%) now agree with the statement 'I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore.' It's us (the people) versus them (the politicians), and it doesn't matter what primary color you wear [...] I was…” quote by Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ca/frank-luntz-4874_accepting_to-americans-washington-is-a-giant-cessp_1625863.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ca/frank-luntz-4874_accepting_to-americans-washington-is-a-giant-cessp_1625863.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ca/frank-luntz-4874_accepting_to-americans-washington-is-a-giant-cessp_1625863.jpg) > “To Americans, Washington is a giant cesspool. It's no wonder almost half of Americans (47%) now agree with the statement 'I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore.' It's us (the people) versus them (the politicians), and it doesn't matter what primary color you wear \[...\] I was involved in the 1994 elections, and I will never forget the arrogance of the Democrats back then, and how they refused to accept the electoral reality facing them. It is no different today.” [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. American frustration stems from perceived political corruption and partisan divide. **In simple terms:** People feel angry about politics and corruption. Key Takeaway Engage in informed civic participation. Themes politics disillusionment activism Mood critical urgent Type political motivational When to use this quote - voting - community organizing - policy advocacy Key Concepts democracy public trust Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens rebuild trust? - What actions can reduce political cynicism? A Different Perspective Polarization can hinder constructive dialogue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) [Arrogance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrogance/) [Color](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/color/) [Democrat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democrat/) [Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician/) [Primary colors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/primary-colors/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) ## Related quotes > [It was a new kind of class war -- the people as citizens versus the politicians and their clients in the public sector.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kristol/it-was-a-new-kind-of-class-war-the-people-as-citizens-versus-the/) [Irving Kristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kristol/) > [“No more peeping through keyholes! No more mas turbating in the dark! No more public confessions! Unscrew the doors from their jambs! I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/no-more-peeping-through-keyholes-no-more-mas-turbating-in-the-dark-no/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [The human mind has no more power of inventing a new value than of planting a new sun in the sky or a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/the-human-mind-has-no-more-power-of-inventing-a-new-value-than-of/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“hope, in its million different forms, always springs from three primary colors: justice, mercy, and love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dahlstrom/hope-in-its-million-different-forms-always-springs-from-three-primary/) [Richard Dahlstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dahlstrom/) > [“Sometimes she feels like a third gender- preferring primary colors to pastels, the radio to singing. 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Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Sometimes their oppression of emotion and the weird way it comes out is more interesting than painting it in bold primary colors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/sometimes-their-oppression-of-emotion-and-the-weird-way-it-comes-out/) [Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/) > [Show me a writer, any writer, who hasn't suffered and I'll show you someone who writes in pastels as opposed to primary colors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/show-me-a-writer-any-writer-who-hasn-t-suffered-and-i-ll-show-you/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) ## More by Frank Luntz > [The fundamental problem for Republicans when it comes to the environment is that whatever you say is viewed through the prism of suspicion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/the-fundamental-problem-for-republicans-when-it-comes-to-the/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [ There are about 50 or 60 recommendations \[in "Win"\] for how to communicate, not just the words themselves. All of them had to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/there-are-about-50-or-60-recommendations-in-win-for-how-to/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [With all due respect to UPS - it's a fine company - nobody cares about logistics. They care about that package arriving at their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/with-all-due-respect-to-ups-it-s-a-fine-company-nobody-cares-about/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [People like me have to have the discipline only to work for clients, corporations, political people, products, services, networks that we believe in and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/people-like-me-have-to-have-the-discipline-only-to-work-for-clients/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [Ideology and communication more often than not run into each other rather than complement each other. Principle and communication work together. 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We only hear what we want to hear and disregard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/we-as-americans-and-as-humans-have-very-selective-hearing-and-very/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [I don't understand why people whose entire lives or their corporate success depends on communication, and yet they are led on occasion by CEOs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/i-don-t-understand-why-people-whose-entire-lives-or-their-corporate/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [Most voters would rather have their purse or wallet stolen than be audited by the IRS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/most-voters-would-rather-have-their-purse-or-wallet-stolen-than-be/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [When I wrote "Win," it only took about eight months, but eight months of sheer pain and suffering because every phrase that's in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/when-i-wrote-win-it-only-took-about-eight-months-but-eight-months-of/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [The perfect opening is the word imagine, because imagine allows you to communicate in the eyes and the vision of the listener rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/the-perfect-opening-is-the-word-imagine-because-imagine-allows-you-to/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [Traditional market researchers are cold and calculating and scientific.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/traditional-market-researchers-are-cold-and-calculating-and-scientific/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [In fact, in more cases than not, when we are rational, we're actually unhappy. 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