--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A president who is burdened with a failed…" description: "\"A president who is burdened with a failed and unpopular war, and who has lost the trust of the country, simply can no longer govern. He is destined to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/326/glenn-greenwald-1215_country_a-president-who-is-burdened-with-a-faile_2514569.jpg" --- # A president who is burdened with a failed and unpopular… ![“A president who is burdened with a failed and unpopular war, and who has lost the trust of the country, simply can no longer govern. He is destined to become as much a failure as his war.” quote by Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/326/glenn-greenwald-1215_country_a-president-who-is-burdened-with-a-faile_2514569.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/326/glenn-greenwald-1215_country_a-president-who-is-burdened-with-a-faile_2514569.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/326/glenn-greenwald-1215_country_a-president-who-is-burdened-with-a-faile_2514569.jpg) > “A president who is burdened with a failed and unpopular war, and who has lost the trust of the country, simply can no longer govern. He is destined to become as much a failure as his war.” [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A war‑torn president loses legitimacy, rendering governance ineffective. **In simple terms:** Failed war erodes a leader’s authority. Key Takeaway Recognize when leadership loses legitimacy. Themes politics war legitimacy Mood serious analytical Type political critical When to use this quote - elections - policy making - international relations Key Concepts government failure public trust Questions to Reflect On - What signs indicate loss of public trust? - Can a leader regain legitimacy after war? A Different Perspective Complex crises may still allow limited governance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [You know George W. Bush is a war-time president, he says - proudly. Guess what. War is failure! 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You can't make movies about an unpopular war while the war is still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-lurie/anything-about-iraq-is-a-death-sentence-at-the-box-office-you-can-t/) [Rod Lurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-lurie/) > [The Korean war has always been an unpopular war among the American people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-robeson/the-korean-war-has-always-been-an-unpopular-war-among-the-american/) [Paul Robeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-robeson/) > [If you associate yourself with peer pressure or complacency, you're destined for failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-gates/if-you-associate-yourself-with-peer-pressure-or-complacency-you-re/) [Kevin Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-gates/) > [“To me he seemed one of those persons destined to failure of whom you wonder what purpose it can ever serve that they should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maugham-somerset-william/to-me-he-seemed-one-of-those-persons-destined-to-failure-of-whom-you/) Maugham Somerset William > [Santangelo is irritated. "We're not suppose to be collaborating. It's supposed to be a war and you're supposed to stick to the boundaries." "We've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/santangelo-is-irritated-we-re-not-suppose-to-be-collaborating-it-s/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [I'm sure it is, I'm not for any kind of war, we've been engaged in several wars since the second world war and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-hagman/i-m-sure-it-is-i-m-not-for-any-kind-of-war-we-ve-been-engaged-in/) [Larry Hagman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-hagman/) > [The devil has been real busy, busy fighting a war he has already lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sashauni-aaeliyae/the-devil-has-been-real-busy-busy-fighting-a-war-he-has-already-lost/) Sashauni Aaeliyae > [“It is vital that we not be made to seem wholly helpless in the opening moments of the war. Once a nation ceases to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/it-is-vital-that-we-not-be-made-to-seem-wholly-helpless-in-the/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [War makes men barbarous because, to take part in it, one must harden oneself against all regret, all appreciation of delicacy and sensitive values.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-pavese/war-makes-men-barbarous-because-to-take-part-in-it-one-must-harden/) [Cesare Pavese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-pavese/) > [That is what you are. That's what you all are...All of you young people who served in the war. You are a lost generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/that-is-what-you-are-that-s-what-you-all-are-all-of-you-young-people/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [This war is lost and the surge is not accomplishing anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/this-war-is-lost-and-the-surge-is-not-accomplishing-anything/) [Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/) > [My ancestors came over from Germany about the time of the Civil War and one of them lost a leg and went back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/my-ancestors-came-over-from-germany-about-the-time-of-the-civil-war/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More by Glenn Greenwald > [In essence, I see the value of journalism as resting in a twofold mission: informing the public of accurate and vital information, and its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/in-essence-i-see-the-value-of-journalism-as-resting-in-a-twofold/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“The evidence shows that assurances that surveillance is only targeted at those who “have done something wrong” should provide little comfort, since a state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/the-evidence-shows-that-assurances-that-surveillance-is-only-targeted/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“It's almost hard to imagine anything more undemocratic than the view that political officials should not debate American wars in public, but only express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-almost-hard-to-imagine-anything-more-undemocratic-than-the-view/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [It's hardly news that the Obama administration is intensely and, in many respects, unprecedentedly hostile toward the news-gathering process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-hardly-news-that-the-obama-administration-is-intensely-and-in/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [Only In America can a renowned and devoted terrorism supporter like Peter King be the arbiter of national security and treason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/only-in-america-can-a-renowned-and-devoted-terrorism-supporter-like/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Above even our physical well-being, a central value is keeping the state out of the private realm—our “persons, houses, papers, and effects,” as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/above-even-our-physical-well-being-a-central-value-is-keeping-the/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“That capability at any time could be turned around on the American people and no American would have any privacy left, such is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/that-capability-at-any-time-could-be-turned-around-on-the-american/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Converting the Internet into a system of surveillance thus guts it of its core potential. 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