---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Unsuccessful candidates for the…"
description: "\"Unsuccessful candidates for the Presidency should be quietly hanged as a matter of public sanitation and decorum.\" — H. L. Mencken"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/h-l-mencken-245_candidates_unsuccessful-candidates-for-the-presiden_130041.png"
---

#  Unsuccessful candidates for the Presidency should be…

![“Unsuccessful candidates for the Presidency should be quietly hanged as a matter of public sanitation and decorum.” quote by H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/h-l-mencken-245_candidates_unsuccessful-candidates-for-the-presiden_130041.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/h-l-mencken-245_candidates_unsuccessful-candidates-for-the-presiden_130041.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/h-l-mencken-245_candidates_unsuccessful-candidates-for-the-presiden_130041.png)

> “Unsuccessful candidates for the Presidency should be quietly hanged as a matter of public sanitation and decorum.”

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

## About This Quote

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

Failed presidential candidates should be quietly executed to maintain public order and decorum.

**In simple terms:** Unsuccessful candidates ought to be quietly hanged for public cleanliness.

Key Takeaway

Reject violent rhetoric; uphold humane political discourse.

Themes

politics ethics violence public decorum freedom of speech

Mood

outraged critical

Type

satirical controversial

When to use this quote

- public debates
- media commentary
- political activism

Key Concepts

extremist rhetoric political satire civil discourse

Questions to Reflect On

- What are the consequences of dehumanizing opponents?
- How can civil discourse be protected?

A Different Perspective

Promotes dangerous, anti‑democratic ideas.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Decorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decorum/) [Presidency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presidency/) [Sanitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sanitation/)

## Related quotes

> [Rules about public sanitation are a simple and familiar example. Without them, a city can't be a healthy place to live; but these rules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/rules-about-public-sanitation-are-a-simple-and-familiar-example/)

[Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/)

> [The most disgusting cad in the world is the man who on the grounds of decorum and morality avoids the game of love. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/the-most-disgusting-cad-in-the-world-is-the-man-who-on-the-grounds-of/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [Liberty ... was a two-headed boon. There was first, the liberty of the people as a whole to determine the forms of their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/liberty-was-a-two-headed-boon-there-was-first-the-liberty-of-the/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [Any girl that's in a professional setting has to have a certain amount of decorum, but there's always a different story going on, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stana-katic/any-girl-that-s-in-a-professional-setting-has-to-have-a-certain/)

[Stana Katic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stana-katic/)

> [“I had only to remember that centuries before, men fell in battle for the daughter of Troy, that passions carried greater weight than decorum.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenna-yovanoff/i-had-only-to-remember-that-centuries-before-men-fell-in-battle-for/)

[Brenna Yovanoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenna-yovanoff/)

> [One hour of life, crowded to the full with glorious action, and filled with noble risks, is worth whole years of those mean observances…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/one-hour-of-life-crowded-to-the-full-with-glorious-action-and-filled/)

[Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/)

> [I do have a very conscious desire not to be academic. I'm antiacademic. I hate jargon. I hate that sort of pretension. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/i-do-have-a-very-conscious-desire-not-to-be-academic-i-m-antiacademic/)

[William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/)

> [To a high degree we are, through art and science, cultured. We are civilized - perhaps too much for our own good - in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/to-a-high-degree-we-are-through-art-and-science-cultured-we-are/)

[Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/)

> [The middle of 'America's Women' is about the Civil War, and how women, black and white, confronted slavery and abolition. As in every other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/the-middle-of-america-s-women-is-about-the-civil-war-and-how-women/)

[Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/)

> [As for the decorum at the time of a campaign, one must be mindful that he is a samurai. A person who loves beautification…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kato-kiyomasa/as-for-the-decorum-at-the-time-of-a-campaign-one-must-be-mindful-that/)

[Kato Kiyomasa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kato-kiyomasa/)

> [“The poster child for decorum was actually being sexually suggestive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgina-guthrie/the-poster-child-for-decorum-was-actually-being-sexually-suggestive/)

[Georgina Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgina-guthrie/)

> [Drinking can not be sacramentalised except in religions which set no store on decorum. The worship of Dionysos or the Celtic god of beer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/drinking-can-not-be-sacramentalised-except-in-religions-which-set-no/)

[Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/)

> [A man who understands decorum and the courtesies is a great treasure; I hope to train and send into society as many such men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mas-oyama/a-man-who-understands-decorum-and-the-courtesies-is-a-great-treasure/)

[Mas Oyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mas-oyama/)

> [It is important that the decorum and dignity of the House is upheld at all times. The image of Parliament in the public mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pratibha-patil/it-is-important-that-the-decorum-and-dignity-of-the-house-is-upheld/)

[Pratibha Patil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pratibha-patil/)

> [Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori - It is a sweet and becoming thing to die for ones country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/dulce-et-decorum-est-pro-patria-mori-it-is-a-sweet-and-becoming-thing/)

[Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/)

## More by H. L. Mencken

> [Alimony - the ransom that the happy pay to the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/alimony-the-ransom-that-the-happy-pay-to-the-devil/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [A bad artist almost always tries to conceal his incompetence by whooping up a new formula.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/a-bad-artist-almost-always-tries-to-conceal-his-incompetence-by/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [ By profession a biologist, \[Thomas Henry Huxley\] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-huxley-covered-in-fact-the/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [So few men are really worth knowing, that it seems a shameful waste to let an anthropoid prejudice stand in the way of free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/so-few-men-are-really-worth-knowing-that-it-seems-a-shameful-waste-to/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [Man's objection to love is that it dies hard; woman's, that when it is dead, it stays dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/man-s-objection-to-love-is-that-it-dies-hard-woman-s-that-when-it-is/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [The lunatic fringe wags the underdog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/the-lunatic-fringe-wags-the-underdog/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [For it is an absurdity to call a country civilized in which a decent and industrious man, laboriously mastering a trade which is valuble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/for-it-is-an-absurdity-to-call-a-country-civilized-in-which-a-decent/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [Women have simple tastes. They get pleasure out of the conversation of children in arms and men in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/women-have-simple-tastes-they-get-pleasure-out-of-the-conversation-of/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [The critic, to interpret his artist, even to understand his artist, must be able to get into the mind of his artist; he must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/the-critic-to-interpret-his-artist-even-to-understand-his-artist-must/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [There is, in fact, nothing about religious opinions that entitles them to any more respect than other opinions get. On the contrary, they tend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/there-is-in-fact-nothing-about-religious-opinions-that-entitles-them/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [Don't overestimate the decency of the human race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/don-t-overestimate-the-decency-of-the-human-race/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [Liberty ... was a two-headed boon. There was first, the liberty of the people as a whole to determine the forms of their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/liberty-was-a-two-headed-boon-there-was-first-the-liberty-of-the/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [To the extent that I am genuinely educated, I am suspicious of all the things that the average citizen believes and the average pedagogue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/to-the-extent-that-i-am-genuinely-educated-i-am-suspicious-of-all-the/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [Philosophy first constructs a scheme of happiness and then tries to fit the world to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/philosophy-first-constructs-a-scheme-of-happiness-and-then-tries-to/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [For it is the natural tendency of the ignorant to believe what is not true. In order to overcome that tendency it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/for-it-is-the-natural-tendency-of-the-ignorant-to-believe-what-is-not/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

[Explore all 827 H. L. Mencken quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

## More Candidates quotes

> [There is plenty of time for Republicans to have a Macaca moment. But right now, as of October 17, 2014, the Republican Senate candidates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-continetti/there-is-plenty-of-time-for-republicans-to-have-a-macaca-moment-but/)

[Matthew Continetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-continetti/)

> [Progressive Conservative candidates from Quebec want to exert real power in Ottawa, not simply be content with playing a secondary role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-campbell/progressive-conservative-candidates-from-quebec-want-to-exert-real/)

[Kim Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-campbell/)

> [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [I know of not one Republican candidate that would not appear publicly with Mitt Romney and I know many Democrats that don't even want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-sessions/i-know-of-not-one-republican-candidate-that-would-not-appear-publicly/)

[Pete Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-sessions/)

> [If Robert Heinlein is more to your taste than George Lucas: “If you are part of a society that votes, then do so. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-drum/if-robert-heinlein-is-more-to-your-taste-than-george-lucas-if-you-are/)

[Kevin Drum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-drum/)

> [Given a choice between two bald political candidates, the American people will vote for the less bald of the two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-gold/given-a-choice-between-two-bald-political-candidates-the-american/)

Victor Gold

> [Jeb Bush was supposed to be the establishment candidate, but he didn't catch on. And the extraordinary thing about this Republican primary is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/jeb-bush-was-supposed-to-be-the-establishment-candidate-but-he-didn-t/)

[Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/)

> [We know the candidate Barack Obama, what he was like - the anti-war government nig... America was a source for division around the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/we-know-the-candidate-barack-obama-what-he-was-like-the-anti-war/)

[Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/)

> [It is time Britain put its trust back into the Labour Party. I believe I am the candidate that can make this happen precisely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/it-is-time-britain-put-its-trust-back-into-the-labour-party-i-believe/)

[Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/)

> [I like candidates who tell me something that is going to make a difference to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-richards/i-like-candidates-who-tell-me-something-that-is-going-to-make-a/)

[Ann Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-richards/)

> [The reason that minorities and women don't have a better shot at getting elected to the Senate or to statewide office is because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-moseley-braun/the-reason-that-minorities-and-women-don-t-have-a-better-shot-at/)

[Carol Moseley Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-moseley-braun/)

> [Hillary Clinton is the least popular candidate for president ever except for Donald Trump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-pickering/hillary-clinton-is-the-least-popular-candidate-for-president-ever/)

Charlie Pickering

> [I always like to take my time and examine the two candidates, see not only the two candidates but the policies they will bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/i-always-like-to-take-my-time-and-examine-the-two-candidates-see-not/)

[Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/)

> [Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has taken American politics by storm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-hannity/republican-presidential-candidate-donald-trump-has-taken-american/)

[Sean Hannity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-hannity/)

> [The study of Freemasonry is the study of man as a candidate for a blessed eternity. It furnishes examples of holy living, and displays…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-howard-taft/the-study-of-freemasonry-is-the-study-of-man-as-a-candidate-for-a/)

[William Howard Taft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-howard-taft/)

Browse all 1,251 Candidates quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Unsuccessful candidates for the Presidency should be quietly hanged as a matter of public sanitation and decorum.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "H. L. Mencken"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/unsuccessful-candidates-for-the-presidency-should-be-quietly-hanged/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Candidates"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/unsuccessful-candidates-for-the-presidency-should-be-quietly-hanged/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/h-l-mencken-245_candidates_unsuccessful-candidates-for-the-presiden_130041.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/h-l-mencken-245_candidates_unsuccessful-candidates-for-the-presiden_130041.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/h-l-mencken-245_candidates_unsuccessful-candidates-for-the-presiden_130041.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Unsuccessful candidates for the Presidency should be quietly hanged as a matter of public sanitation and…” — H. L. Mencken",
                "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": "H. L. Mencken",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Unsuccessful candidates for the Presidency should...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/unsuccessful-candidates-for-the-presidency-should-be-quietly-hanged/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/unsuccessful-candidates-for-the-presidency-should-be-quietly-hanged/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
