---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Recent presidents have gone off on ad hoc…"
description: "\"Recent presidents have gone off on ad hoc adventures. They have set unattainable goal because they have framed the issue incorrectly, as they believed ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e1/george-friedman-7436_ads_recent-presidents-have-gone-off-on-ad-ho_784058.png"
---

#  Recent presidents have gone off on ad hoc adventures. They…

![“Recent presidents have gone off on ad hoc adventures. They have set unattainable goal because they have framed the issue incorrectly, as they believed their own rhetoric.” quote by George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e1/george-friedman-7436_ads_recent-presidents-have-gone-off-on-ad-ho_784058.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e1/george-friedman-7436_ads_recent-presidents-have-gone-off-on-ad-ho_784058.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e1/george-friedman-7436_ads_recent-presidents-have-gone-off-on-ad-ho_784058.png)

> “Recent presidents have gone off on ad hoc adventures. They have set unattainable goal because they have framed the issue incorrectly, as they believed their own rhetoric.”

[George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/)

## About This Quote

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

Leaders often pursue unrealistic objectives due to misframing problems and relying on self‑serving rhetoric.

**In simple terms:** Presidents set impossible goals by framing issues poorly.

Key Takeaway

Reframe problems before setting goals.

Themes

leadership policy decisionmaking

Mood

critical analytical

Type

political analytical

When to use this quote

- government planning
- campaign promises
- policy design
- public communication

Key Concepts

strategic framing cognitive bias

Questions to Reflect On

- How does framing affect policy outcomes?
- What checks prevent misframed objectives?

A Different Perspective

Overly optimistic goals can backfire without realistic assessment.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Adventure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adventure/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Presidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presidents/) [Rhetoric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhetoric/)

## Related quotes

> [Throughout American history our presidents have invoked our nation's founding fathers. This is particularly true of recent presidents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kengor/throughout-american-history-our-presidents-have-invoked-our-nation-s/)

[Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kengor/)

> [The stupid thing I incorrectly believed for a long time is that I believed for a long time that some politicians could sometimes tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crosby/the-stupid-thing-i-incorrectly-believed-for-a-long-time-is-that-i/)

[David Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crosby/)

> [There is also the issue of personal privacy when it comes the executive power. Throughout our nation's history, whether it was habeas corpus during…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-durbin/there-is-also-the-issue-of-personal-privacy-when-it-comes-the/)

[Dick Durbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-durbin/)

> [In the Middle East, America has spent as of four weeks ago $6 trillion. Think of it. And, by the way, the Middle East…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/in-the-middle-east-america-has-spent-as-of-four-weeks-ago-6-trillion/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [“sprained my hand today while fighting my way through the crowd to meet these so called dead presidents.i fially made it through but ws…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-charles/sprained-my-hand-today-while-fighting-my-way-through-the-crowd-to/)

[Aaron Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-charles/)

> [The thing framed says that nothing framed it; the tongue never made itself to speak, and yet talks against him that did; saying that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-taylor/the-thing-framed-says-that-nothing-framed-it-the-tongue-never-made/)

[Jeremy Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-taylor/)

> [I used to refer to my photos as free radicals - and maybe that has to do with this idea of navigating history. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elad-lassry/i-used-to-refer-to-my-photos-as-free-radicals-and-maybe-that-has-to/)

[Elad Lassry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elad-lassry/)

> [By focusing on the interior of a speaker's larynx and using infrared, he was able to convert the visible vibrations of the vocal cords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-knight/by-focusing-on-the-interior-of-a-speaker-s-larynx-and-using-infrared/)

[Damon Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-knight/)

> [I remember driving around with my parents when I was little and looking out of the window and being very aware that it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rankin/i-remember-driving-around-with-my-parents-when-i-was-little-and/)

[Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rankin/)

> [All these years I've had a story in my mind, the story about us that never really existed. And because of that story, I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathleen-schine/all-these-years-i-ve-had-a-story-in-my-mind-the-story-about-us-that/)

[Cathleen Schine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathleen-schine/)

> [No one familiar with the common law of England can read the Constitution of the United States without observing the great desire of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-freeman-miller/no-one-familiar-with-the-common-law-of-england-can-read-the/)

[Samuel Freeman Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-freeman-miller/)

> [The circus tent was flowing pale in the rain like a fleshy flower lit from within. It seemed to bloom in the downpour. Drops…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/the-circus-tent-was-flowing-pale-in-the-rain-like-a-fleshy-flower-lit/)

[Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/)

> [It's still true that literary works by women, gays, and writers of color are often framed as specific, rather than universal, small rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/it-s-still-true-that-literary-works-by-women-gays-and-writers-of/)

[Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/)

> [I've framed houses, worked on an asphalt crew, I was a cop, a lifeguard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forrest-griffin/i-ve-framed-houses-worked-on-an-asphalt-crew-i-was-a-cop-a-lifeguard/)

[Forrest Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forrest-griffin/)

> [Sometimes a sign or a quote is simply interesting by itself and does not require anything beyond being framed on a page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/sometimes-a-sign-or-a-quote-is-simply-interesting-by-itself-and-does/)

[Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/)

## More by George Friedman

> [“The threats that resurfaced in the past 10 years were not an aberration. Al Qaeda and terrorism or one such threat, but it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-threats-that-resurfaced-in-the-past-10-years-were-not-an/)

[George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/)

> [“In Geo-Politics, a nation has no permanent allies or permanent enemies, only permanent interests.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/in-geo-politics-a-nation-has-no-permanent-allies-or-permanent-enemies/)

[George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/)

> [Galvanized people can do careless things. It is in the extreme and emotion-laden moments that distance and coolness are most required. I am tempted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/galvanized-people-can-do-careless-things-it-is-in-the-extreme-and/)

[George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/)

> [Assad's mother was a terror. He was terrified of her and she kept saying to him, you're not like your father. That's interesting, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/assad-s-mother-was-a-terror-he-was-terrified-of-her-and-she-kept/)

[George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/)

> [The Chinese have a long history of slaughtering each other without bothering their neighbors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-chinese-have-a-long-history-of-slaughtering-each-other-without/)

[George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/)

> [Italy spills over to everything. Italy is a huge banking system. It has been the major banking system in Eastern Europe. It's worked with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/italy-spills-over-to-everything-italy-is-a-huge-banking-system-it-has/)

[George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/)

> [If you go through the list of things that are not possible you're left with a very finite amount of possibilities. The fancy name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/if-you-go-through-the-list-of-things-that-are-not-possible-you-re/)

[George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/)

> [But every time new powers emerge they have to find their balance. New powers are emerging, old powers are declining. It's not that process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/but-every-time-new-powers-emerge-they-have-to-find-their-balance-new/)

[George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/)

> [ We cannot anticipate the moral circumstances under which we will live. And therefore \[I refuse\] to say that I will not live in a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/we-cannot-anticipate-the-moral-circumstances-under-which-we-will-live/)

[George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/)

> [“While you and I are allowed the luxury of our pain, president isn't. A president must take into account how his citizens feel and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/while-you-and-i-are-allowed-the-luxury-of-our-pain-president-isn-t-a/)

[George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/)

> [ War is an extraordinary condition to be in - to be, for example, in the combat information center of a warship \[and behaving\] as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/war-is-an-extraordinary-condition-to-be-in-to-be-for-example-in-the/)

[George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/)

> [When you're young and going to war, it's a genuinely exciting moment. You are going to risk yourself. On the battlefield, you are suddenly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/when-you-re-young-and-going-to-war-it-s-a-genuinely-exciting-moment/)

[George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/)

> [“The Fifth Commandment of the Decalogue demands that one honor one's mother and father. That is not about calling home. It is about this:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-fifth-commandment-of-the-decalogue-demands-that-one-honor-one-s/)

[George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/)

> [If you lose yourself to rage in the complexity of battle, you are going to be lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/if-you-lose-yourself-to-rage-in-the-complexity-of-battle-you-are/)

[George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/)

> [Constraint theory asks: What is the price for doing this? Now one way around constraint theory is declaring your enemy crazy. Crazy and stupid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/constraint-theory-asks-what-is-the-price-for-doing-this-now-one-way/)

[George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/)

[Explore all 91 George Friedman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/)

## More Ads quotes

> [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [Metallica's the only band i've ever been in. I'm not sure that when it ends in five, ten years, I'm going to put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/metallica-s-the-only-band-i-ve-ever-been-in-i-m-not-sure-that-when-it/)

[Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/)

> [As a Fundamentalist I had discovered while I was in college that it is possible to dismiss the entire Church as having gone off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-howard-3rd-duke-of-norfolk/as-a-fundamentalist-i-had-discovered-while-i-was-in-college-that-it/)

Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk

> [ The most recent incarnation of \[Bob\] Dylan has been the traveling journeyman/ charlatan who sings roots music, snarls dark lyrics that make "All Along… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/the-most-recent-incarnation-of-bob-dylan-has-been-the-traveling/)

[Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/)

> [One performer whose band played my music better than I could myself was Art Farmer. He recorded 'Sing Me Softly of the Blues' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-bley/one-performer-whose-band-played-my-music-better-than-i-could-myself/)

[Carla Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bley/)

> [What every human being should do is eat a vegetarian diet based on whole foods. Period. That's it. Animal protein is bad for you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/what-every-human-being-should-do-is-eat-a-vegetarian-diet-based-on/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [In market research I did at Microsoft Corp. in the early 1990s, I estimated that the 'Wall Street Journal' took in about 75 cents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/in-market-research-i-did-at-microsoft-corp-in-the-early-1990s-i/)

[Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

> [Donald Trump threatened to file a defamation suit against me for running a TV ad that consisted only entirely of his own words on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/donald-trump-threatened-to-file-a-defamation-suit-against-me-for/)

[Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/)

> [There is nothing personal about a personal ad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-smith/there-is-nothing-personal-about-a-personal-ad/)

[Wes Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-smith/)

> [Google has - at least at this point - maintained the line where it keeps organic results separate from the advertisements. But over time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/google-has-at-least-at-this-point-maintained-the-line-where-it-keeps/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [I am terrible at memorizing things. Hence, ad-libbing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-weatherly/i-am-terrible-at-memorizing-things-hence-ad-libbing/)

[Michael Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-weatherly/)

> [In a recent attack ad, the NRA claims that President Obama cares about his own children more than he cares about other children. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/in-a-recent-attack-ad-the-nra-claims-that-president-obama-cares-about/)

[Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/)

> [Nothing's going to keep me from making music. If I were in the want-ads in the back of the paper or playing to six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/nothing-s-going-to-keep-me-from-making-music-if-i-were-in-the-want/)

[Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/)

> [For me, being on set is no different than being at a dinner table or riding the subway next to someone; inevitably their life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-mahoney/for-me-being-on-set-is-no-different-than-being-at-a-dinner-table-or/)

[Victoria Mahoney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-mahoney/)

> [We assumed the customers were smart and that they'll buy what they like, not what the ads tell them to buy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renzo-rosso/we-assumed-the-customers-were-smart-and-that-they-ll-buy-what-they/)

[Renzo Rosso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renzo-rosso/)

Browse all 856 Ads quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Recent presidents have gone off on ad hoc adventures. They have set unattainable goal because they have framed the issue incorrectly, as they believed their own rhetoric.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "George Friedman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/recent-presidents-have-gone-off-on-ad-hoc-adventures-they-have-set/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ads"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/recent-presidents-have-gone-off-on-ad-hoc-adventures-they-have-set/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e1/george-friedman-7436_ads_recent-presidents-have-gone-off-on-ad-ho_784058.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e1/george-friedman-7436_ads_recent-presidents-have-gone-off-on-ad-ho_784058.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e1/george-friedman-7436_ads_recent-presidents-have-gone-off-on-ad-ho_784058.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Recent presidents have gone off on ad hoc adventures. They have set unattainable goal because they have…” — George Friedman",
                "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": "George Friedman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Recent presidents have gone off on...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/recent-presidents-have-gone-off-on-ad-hoc-adventures-they-have-set/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/recent-presidents-have-gone-off-on-ad-hoc-adventures-they-have-set/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
