---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I hope that people will see that we don't…"
description: "\"I hope that people will see that we don't have to sit by the sidelines and watch as the two major parties limit their choices to slightly different fla..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f3/gary-johnson-3710_alternatives_i-hope-that-people-will-see-that-we-don_1827989.png"
---

#  I hope that people will see that we don't have to sit by…

![“I hope that people will see that we don't have to sit by the sidelines and watch as the two major parties limit their choices to slightly different flavors of the status quo. It is, in fact, possible to join the fray, stand up for principles and offer a real alternative.” quote by Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f3/gary-johnson-3710_alternatives_i-hope-that-people-will-see-that-we-don_1827989.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f3/gary-johnson-3710_alternatives_i-hope-that-people-will-see-that-we-don_1827989.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f3/gary-johnson-3710_alternatives_i-hope-that-people-will-see-that-we-don_1827989.png)

> “I hope that people will see that we don't have to sit by the sidelines and watch as the two major parties limit their choices to slightly different flavors of the status quo. It is, in fact, possible to join the fray, stand up for principles and offer a real alternative.”

[Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Encourages active political engagement beyond the two‑party system, urging citizens to champion principles and create alternatives.

**In simple terms:** Get involved, don’t stay passive.

Key Takeaway

Participate actively in politics.

Themes

politics activism choice

Mood

inspirational challenging

Type

motivational political

When to use this quote

- voting
- community organizing
- policy advocacy
- grassroots campaigns

Key Concepts

Libertarianism civic duty pluralism

Questions to Reflect On

- How can individuals influence policy outside major parties?
- What barriers prevent people from joining alternative movements?

A Different Perspective

May be idealistic; real‑world constraints limit alternatives.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Alternatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alternatives/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Choices Slightly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices-slightly-2250778/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Flavor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flavor/) [Fray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fray/) [Limits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limits/) [Major Parties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/major-parties-405357/) [Offers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/offers/) [Parties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parties/) [Parties Limit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parties-limit-2250777/) [Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Possible Join](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possible-join-2250779/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Sidelines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sidelines/) [Status quo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/status-quo/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Watches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watches/)

## Related quotes

> [“As far as possible, join faith to reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boethius/as-far-as-possible-join-faith-to-reason/)

[Boethius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boethius/)

> [Every single figure on Mount Rushmore was a third party at one time or another, so third parties become major parties, and I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/every-single-figure-on-mount-rushmore-was-a-third-party-at-one-time/)

[Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/)

> [Politics is a matter of day-to-day improvisation, and it often seems as though the major parties are guided only by the desire to stay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/politics-is-a-matter-of-day-to-day-improvisation-and-it-often-seems/)

[Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/)

> [ \[B\]ipartisanship means tarring and feathering politicans from both major parties. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/b-ipartisanship-means-tarring-and-feathering-politicans-from-both/)

[Glenn Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-reynolds/)

> [Speaking as someone who bought the party line for far too long, you would be amazed what you can believe if you keep convincing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cole/speaking-as-someone-who-bought-the-party-line-for-far-too-long-you/)

[John Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cole/)

> [The system has evolved to protect parties from people like Donald Trump. It really is true that people without well-established public records, without proven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-frum/the-system-has-evolved-to-protect-parties-from-people-like-donald/)

[David Frum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-frum/)

> [In America, one of our two major parties is dominated by extremists dedicated to destroying the social contract, and the other party has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/in-america-one-of-our-two-major-parties-is-dominated-by-extremists/)

[Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/)

> [Our two major parties are actually called the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stockwell-day/our-two-major-parties-are-actually-called-the-liberal-party-and-the/)

[Stockwell Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stockwell-day/)

> [The pretense in disputed elections is that the great conflict is between the two major parties. The reality is that there is a much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/the-pretense-in-disputed-elections-is-that-the-great-conflict-is/)

[Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/)

> [“These two norms undergirded American democracy for most of the twentieth century. Leaders of the two major parties accepted one another as legitimate and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-levitsky/these-two-norms-undergirded-american-democracy-for-most-of-the/)

[Steven Levitsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-levitsky/)

> [The United States survives so long as at least one of its major parties is politically and intellectually healthy. I don't think the Republican…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/the-united-states-survives-so-long-as-at-least-one-of-its-major-2/)

[Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/)

> [ She \[Hillary Clinton\] says I know that this is the first time that one of our two major parties has ever nominated a woman,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-keith/she-hillary-clinton-says-i-know-that-this-is-the-first-time-that-one/)

[Tamara Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-keith/)

> [the two major parties too often present us with a choice of the evil of two lessers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-ireland/the-two-major-parties-too-often-present-us-with-a-choice-of-the-evil/)

[Patricia Ireland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-ireland/)

> [The major parties could conduct live human sacrifices on their podiums during prime time, and I doubt that anybody would notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/the-major-parties-could-conduct-live-human-sacrifices-on-their/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [A pronoun, too, will aptly reflect the number of its antecedent: "they" does not refer to one person, no matter how many personalities she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elizabeth-gordon/a-pronoun-too-will-aptly-reflect-the-number-of-its-antecedent-they/)

[Karen Elizabeth Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elizabeth-gordon/)

## More by Gary Johnson

> [As I told the students every time I visited a campus, you are the director of your own movie, and if you aren't enjoying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/as-i-told-the-students-every-time-i-visited-a-campus-you-are-the/)

[Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/)

> [Using a broad brushstroke, I think Libertarian - most of America are socially accepting and fiscally responsible. I'm in that category. I think, broadly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/using-a-broad-brushstroke-i-think-libertarian-most-of-america-are/)

[Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/)

> [We do live in an environment of crony capitalism, and the main reason we do is that loopholes are for sale, and both parties…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/we-do-live-in-an-environment-of-crony-capitalism-and-the-main-reason/)

[Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/)

> [I think that the best that government can do for you and I as individuals is to empower you and I to make decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/i-think-that-the-best-that-government-can-do-for-you-and-i-as/)

[Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/)

> [I support gay unions. I think the government should get out of the marriage business completely - leave marriages to the churches. And grant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/i-support-gay-unions-i-think-the-government-should-get-out-of-the/)

[Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/)

> [I just feel abandoned. And I feel, I don't feel represented by the Republican Party. I have always had to defend the social side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/i-just-feel-abandoned-and-i-feel-i-don-t-feel-represented-by-the/)

[Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/)

> [Am I not correct in saying that Iran has never voiced that they are developing a nuclear weapon, nor do they have any intention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/am-i-not-correct-in-saying-that-iran-has-never-voiced-that-they-are/)

[Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/)

> [It is clear from the reaction to our campaign so far that our message is resonating. I look forward to continuing to take this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/it-is-clear-from-the-reaction-to-our-campaign-so-far-that-our-message/)

[Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/)

> [I leave abortion to the woman. I just fundamentally end there. I absolutely support a woman's right to choose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/i-leave-abortion-to-the-woman-i-just-fundamentally-end-there-i/)

[Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/)

> [Politics is a herd mentality. Politicians don't really lead. Politicians reflect what they think is consensus opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/politics-is-a-herd-mentality-politicians-don-t-really-lead/)

[Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/)

> [One of the things government should be around for is to deal with catastrophes. It should do that well. To me, that's a government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/one-of-the-things-government-should-be-around-for-is-to-deal-with/)

[Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/)

> [My issue with campaign finance is 100 percent disclosure. Wear a suit with patches from your big contributors. Depending on the size of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/my-issue-with-campaign-finance-is-100-percent-disclosure-wear-a-suit/)

[Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/)

> [I would say that a wasted vote is voting for anybody you don't believe in. If you believe in the third party, that's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/i-would-say-that-a-wasted-vote-is-voting-for-anybody-you-don-t/)

[Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/)

> [I'm one of those who believe the bumper sticker: If you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns. The first people who are going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/i-m-one-of-those-who-believe-the-bumper-sticker-if-you-outlaw-guns/)

[Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/)

> [I'm ready for a different America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/i-m-ready-for-a-different-america/)

[Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/)

[Explore all 123 Gary Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/)

## More Alternatives quotes

> [I am very sad that some designers are still using real fur when the fake alternatives are so effective and so easily obtainable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twiggy/i-am-very-sad-that-some-designers-are-still-using-real-fur-when-the/)

[Twiggy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twiggy/)

> [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/)

[Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/)

> [I strongly reject any conceptual scheme that places our options on a line, and holds that the only alternative to a pair of extreme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-strongly-reject-any-conceptual-scheme-that-places-our-options-on-a/)

[Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/)

> [Conventional agriculture has never succeeded in feeding the world, and it's never produced anything good to eat. For the future, we need to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barber/conventional-agriculture-has-never-succeeded-in-feeding-the-world-and/)

[Dan Barber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barber/)

> [ \[When asked how it felt to be a female prime minister:\] I don't know: I've never experienced the alternative. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/when-asked-how-it-felt-to-be-a-female-prime-minister-i-don-t-know-i/)

[Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/)

> [If one could have a wish, or an alternative life, I would've liked to have been John Lennon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-oldman/if-one-could-have-a-wish-or-an-alternative-life-i-would-ve-liked-to/)

[Gary Oldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-oldman/)

> [THE REAL PURPOSE OF HOLOCAUST REVISIONISM IS TO MAKE NATIONAL SOCIALISM AN ACCEPTABLE POLITICAL ALTERNATIVE AGAIN.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-covington/the-real-purpose-of-holocaust-revisionism-is-to-make-national/)

[Harold Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-covington/)

> [Men since the beginning of time have sought peace...military alliances, balances of power, leagues of nations, all in turn have failed, leaving the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/men-since-the-beginning-of-time-have-sought-peace-military-alliances/)

[Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/)

> [Buddhist words such as compassion and emptiness don't mean much until we start cultivating our innate ability simply to be there with pain with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/buddhist-words-such-as-compassion-and-emptiness-don-t-mean-much-until/)

[Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/)

> [The mission of Christian humility in social life is not merely to edify, but to keep minds open to many alternatives. The rigidity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-mission-of-christian-humility-in-social-life-is-not-merely-to/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [Maximise the alternative forms in which a user might receive a service, and the alternative sources of supply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-chipp/maximise-the-alternative-forms-in-which-a-user-might-receive-a/)

[Don Chipp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-chipp/)

> [In the last few years, the very idea of telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth is dredged up only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-musto/in-the-last-few-years-the-very-idea-of-telling-the-truth-the-whole/)

[Michael Musto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-musto/)

> [Altermodern is an in-progress redefinition of modernity in the era of globalisation, stressing the experience of wandering in time, space and mediums. The term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-bourriaud/altermodern-is-an-in-progress-redefinition-of-modernity-in-the-era-of/)

[Nicolas Bourriaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-bourriaud/)

> [If the system exhibits a structure which can be represented by a mathematical equivalent, called a mathematical model, and if the objective can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-dantzig/if-the-system-exhibits-a-structure-which-can-be-represented-by-a/)

[George Dantzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-dantzig/)

> [We must commit ourselves to an 'all of the above' energy approach, with a major focus on increasing domestic production and expanding alternatives fuels,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-roskam/we-must-commit-ourselves-to-an-all-of-the-above-energy-approach-with/)

[Peter Roskam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-roskam/)

[Browse all 1,463 Alternatives quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alternatives/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I hope that people will see that we don't have to sit by the sidelines and watch as the two major parties limit their choices to slightly different flavors of the status quo. It is, in fact, possible to join the fray, stand up for principles and offer a real alternative.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Gary Johnson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/i-hope-that-people-will-see-that-we-don-t-have-to-sit-by-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Alternatives"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/i-hope-that-people-will-see-that-we-don-t-have-to-sit-by-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f3/gary-johnson-3710_alternatives_i-hope-that-people-will-see-that-we-don_1827989.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f3/gary-johnson-3710_alternatives_i-hope-that-people-will-see-that-we-don_1827989.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f3/gary-johnson-3710_alternatives_i-hope-that-people-will-see-that-we-don_1827989.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I hope that people will see that we don't have to sit by the sidelines and watch as the two major parties…” — Gary Johnson",
                "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": "Gary Johnson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I hope that people will see...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/i-hope-that-people-will-see-that-we-don-t-have-to-sit-by-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/i-hope-that-people-will-see-that-we-don-t-have-to-sit-by-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
