--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we are willing to concede the…" description: "\"If we are willing to concede the President dictatorial authority where we happen to agree with him, as liberals have tended to do over the years, we wi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a9/george-mcgovern-3955_agree_if-we-are-willing-to-concede-the-preside_1973794.jpg" --- # If we are willing to concede the President dictatorial… ![“If we are willing to concede the President dictatorial authority where we happen to agree with him, as liberals have tended to do over the years, we will have little chance of tying his hands when we do not…You will see why many of us in the Congress understand how Dr. Frankenstein must have felt…” quote by George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a9/george-mcgovern-3955_agree_if-we-are-willing-to-concede-the-preside_1973794.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a9/george-mcgovern-3955_agree_if-we-are-willing-to-concede-the-preside_1973794.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a9/george-mcgovern-3955_agree_if-we-are-willing-to-concede-the-preside_1973794.jpg) > “If we are willing to concede the President dictatorial authority where we happen to agree with him, as liberals have tended to do over the years, we will have little chance of tying his hands when we do not…You will see why many of us in the Congress understand how Dr. Frankenstein must have felt when his creation ran amok.” [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Conceding authoritarian power even on minor agreements weakens democratic checks, making future restraint unlikely. **In simple terms:** Giving any dictatorial power erodes ability to limit it later. Key Takeaway Guard against granting authority without strict limits. Themes democracy power checks and balances Mood cautious concerned Type political warning When to use this quote - legislative negotiations - executive overreach - civil liberties - policy making Key Concepts authoritarianism political compromise Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance cooperation with preserving oversight? - What safeguards can prevent incremental loss of freedom? A Different Perspective Even limited concessions can set precedents that expand power. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress/) [Creation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation/) [Dr frankenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dr-frankenstein/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) ## Related quotes > [“A president of dictatorial persuasion who coopts the media in his disregard for the system’s checks and balances is nigh impossible to contain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/a-president-of-dictatorial-persuasion-who-coopts-the-media-in-his/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“It seemed to him she understood but was not willing to concede they might be on the same side against anyone or anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulette-jiles/it-seemed-to-him-she-understood-but-was-not-willing-to-concede-they/) [Paulette Jiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulette-jiles/) > [“Excuses were for those willing to concede that weakness was their strongest ally.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-wayne-white/excuses-were-for-those-willing-to-concede-that-weakness-was-their/) [Randy Wayne White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-wayne-white/) > [ “\[INTJs and INFJs\] Are willing to concede that the impossible takes a little longer—but not much” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-briggs-myers/intjs-and-infjs-are-willing-to-concede-that-the-impossible-takes-a/) [Isabel Briggs Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-briggs-myers/) > [I like - it's not that I want to be someone different from me, but I suppose it partly is that. I love creating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/i-like-it-s-not-that-i-want-to-be-someone-different-from-me-but-i/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) > [“This week in school they made us read Frankenstein. It was cool. I liked it. I like books that make me think. That’s why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-mcavoy/this-week-in-school-they-made-us-read-frankenstein-it-was-cool-i/) [J.J. McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-mcavoy/) > [The good thing about being Dr. Frankenstein is that you can always make new friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-allston/the-good-thing-about-being-dr-frankenstein-is-that-you-can-always/) [Aaron Allston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-allston/) > [“We seek comfort in the fantasy that Dr Frankenstein can create only terrible monsters, whom we would have to destroy in order to save…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/we-seek-comfort-in-the-fantasy-that-dr-frankenstein-can-create-only/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“If I’m a monster, then you must be the creator of them all. You’re my Dr. Frankenstein.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karina-halle/if-i-m-a-monster-then-you-must-be-the-creator-of-them-all-you-re-my/) [Karina Halle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karina-halle/) > [Architect, Astronaut, Composer, Writer, Artist, Poet, Love, Lover, Friend, Guide, Perfect Clarity, Complete Madness, Captain, Slave, Passion, Indifference, Hate, Joy, Full, Empty, Lonely, Lost,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nickel/architect-astronaut-composer-writer-artist-poet-love-lover-friend/) [Eric Nickel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nickel/) > [Because we had to convince the scientific members of Transylvania that with the procedure I was using on the creature, Dr. Frankenstein could be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/because-we-had-to-convince-the-scientific-members-of-transylvania/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) > [I am not getting you a brain, because I am not that kind of assistant, Dr. Frankenstein.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/i-am-not-getting-you-a-brain-because-i-am-not-that-kind-of-assistant/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [“It was like some mad scientist threw a bunch of DNA into a blender and this is what came out. What the heck could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendra-c-highley/it-was-like-some-mad-scientist-threw-a-bunch-of-dna-into-a-blender/) Kendra C. Highley ## More by George McGovern > [Every Senator in this Chamber is partly responsible for sending 50,000 young Americans to an early grave. This Chamber reeks of blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/every-senator-in-this-chamber-is-partly-responsible-for-sending-50/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) > [I always thought of myself as a moderate liberal, a fighter for peace and justice. I never thought of myself as being all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/i-always-thought-of-myself-as-a-moderate-liberal-a-fighter-for-peace/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) > [I was tired. I hadn't slept eight hours in two, three years. I lived on four, five hours of sleep. You can do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/i-was-tired-i-hadn-t-slept-eight-hours-in-two-three-years-i-lived-on/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) > [I did frequently refer to my war record in World War II, but not in any flamboyant way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/i-did-frequently-refer-to-my-war-record-in-world-war-ii-but-not-in/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) > [It's a tough thing, to know what to do about a war that deep in your gut you feel is wrong and yet watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/it-s-a-tough-thing-to-know-what-to-do-about-a-war-that-deep-in-your/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) > [I'm what a normal, healthy, ideal American should be like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/i-m-what-a-normal-healthy-ideal-american-should-be-like/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) > [I'm fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/i-m-fed-up-to-the-ears-with-old-men-dreaming-up-wars-for-young-men-to/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) > [I always thought of myself as a good old South Dakota boy who grew up here on the prairie,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/i-always-thought-of-myself-as-a-good-old-south-dakota-boy-who-grew-up/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) > [I always thought of myself as a good old South Dakota boy who grew up here on the prairie. My dad was a Methodist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/i-always-thought-of-myself-as-a-good-old-south-dakota-boy-who-grew-up-2/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) > [Above all, being a Democrat means having compassion for others. ... It means standing up for people who have been kept down ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/above-all-being-a-democrat-means-having-compassion-for-others-it/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) > [I am fed up with a system which busts the pot smoker and lets the big dope racketeer go free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/i-am-fed-up-with-a-system-which-busts-the-pot-smoker-and-lets-the-big/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) > [To those who charge that liberalism has been tried and found wanting, I answer that the failure is not in the idea, but in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/to-those-who-charge-that-liberalism-has-been-tried-and-found-wanting/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) > [When I was a youngster growing up in South Dakota, we never referred to the national debt, it was always referred to as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/when-i-was-a-youngster-growing-up-in-south-dakota-we-never-referred/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) > [ I still love to go back to Mitchell \[his home town\] and wander up and down those streets. It just kind of reassures me… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/i-still-love-to-go-back-to-mitchell-his-home-town-and-wander-up-and/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) > [Truth is a habit of integrity, not a strategy of politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/truth-is-a-habit-of-integrity-not-a-strategy-of-politics/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) [Explore all 118 George McGovern quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) ## More Agree quotes > [Any comprehensive doctrine, religious or secular, can be introduced into any political argument at any time, but I argue that people who do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/any-comprehensive-doctrine-religious-or-secular-can-be-introduced/) [John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [“All these creatures spend their time explaining, realizing happily that they agree with each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/all-these-creatures-spend-their-time-explaining-realizing-happily/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [I talk to fashion designers and say I want some money to save the rainforest, and they say, 'Oh, I agree with you completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-westwood/i-talk-to-fashion-designers-and-say-i-want-some-money-to-save-the/) [Vivienne Westwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-westwood/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Climate change poses clear, catastrophic threats. We may not agree on the extent, but we certainly can't afford the risk of inaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/climate-change-poses-clear-catastrophic-threats-we-may-not-agree-on/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [Never be afraid of doing the thing you know in your heart is right, even if others don't agree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/never-be-afraid-of-doing-the-thing-you-know-in-your-heart-is-right/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [It's fine to talk about politics with people you agree with. But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/it-s-fine-to-talk-about-politics-with-people-you-agree-with-but-it-is/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [ I will not agree to have this bill \[to repeal DADT \] go forward, because our economy is in the tank. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-will-not-agree-to-have-this-bill-to-repeal-dadt-go-forward-because/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [“I tend to agree with that little devil more and more these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-casey/i-tend-to-agree-with-that-little-devil-more-and-more-these-days/) [Elle Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-casey/) > [People might not agree with me, but I think a woman should have a feminine shape, something you can get your hands on. You,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/people-might-not-agree-with-me-but-i-think-a-woman-should-have-a/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [On 9-11, we discovered that we cannot escape from the world. To me personally, this was a life-changing experience, and I realized, as did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/on-9-11-we-discovered-that-we-cannot-escape-from-the-world-to-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [But I would say if the Security Council is only relevant if it agrees with the United States, then we have come a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-blix/but-i-would-say-if-the-security-council-is-only-relevant-if-it-agrees/) [Hans Blix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-blix/) > [We're never all going to agree with each other. We have to learn to value the diversity. It's one of the presumable principles of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/we-re-never-all-going-to-agree-with-each-other-we-have-to-learn-to/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [A contract is an ask game, and if it asks for an hour, and I submit to an hour, then it's an hour. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-berry/a-contract-is-an-ask-game-and-if-it-asks-for-an-hour-and-i-submit-to/) [Chuck Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-berry/) Browse all 3,079 Agree quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If we are willing to concede the President dictatorial authority where we happen to agree with him, as liberals have tended to do over the years, we will have little chance of tying his hands when we do not…You will see why many of us in the Congress understand how Dr. Frankenstein must have felt when his creation ran amok.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George McGovern" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/if-we-are-willing-to-concede-the-president-dictatorial-authority/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Agree" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/if-we-are-willing-to-concede-the-president-dictatorial-authority/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a9/george-mcgovern-3955_agree_if-we-are-willing-to-concede-the-preside_1973794.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a9/george-mcgovern-3955_agree_if-we-are-willing-to-concede-the-preside_1973794.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a9/george-mcgovern-3955_agree_if-we-are-willing-to-concede-the-preside_1973794.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If we are willing to concede the President dictatorial authority where we happen to agree with him, as…” — George McGovern", "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 McGovern", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If we are willing to concede...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/if-we-are-willing-to-concede-the-president-dictatorial-authority/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/if-we-are-willing-to-concede-the-president-dictatorial-authority/#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 } } ] } ```