---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you had found the right candidate in…"
description: "\"If you had found the right candidate in 2000 or 2004, and you could have put that man or woman, given them ballot access in September of the election y..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/hamilton-jordan-23690_access_if-you-had-found-the-right-candidate-in_312872.png"
---

#  If you had found the right candidate in 2000 or 2004, and…

![“If you had found the right candidate in 2000 or 2004, and you could have put that man or woman, given them ballot access in September of the election year, they could have won the election.” quote by Hamilton Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/hamilton-jordan-23690_access_if-you-had-found-the-right-candidate-in_312872.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/hamilton-jordan-23690_access_if-you-had-found-the-right-candidate-in_312872.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/hamilton-jordan-23690_access_if-you-had-found-the-right-candidate-in_312872.png)

> “If you had found the right candidate in 2000 or 2004, and you could have put that man or woman, given them ballot access in September of the election year, they could have won the election.”

[Hamilton Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-jordan/)

## About This Quote

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

Choosing the right candidate early and granting ballot access could have altered election outcomes.

**In simple terms:** Early candidate selection and ballot access matter for winning elections.

Key Takeaway

Invest in early candidate vetting and ballot access.

Themes

politics election strategy candidate selection ballot access timing

Mood

analytical optimistic

Type

political strategic

When to use this quote

- campaign planning
- primary elections
- party conventions

Key Concepts

strategic planning voter mobilization party dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- What other factors influence election results?
- How can parties improve early candidate identification?

A Different Perspective

The scenario assumes a single factor decides elections, ignoring broader dynamics.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Access](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/access/) [Ballots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballots/) [Candidate 2000](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candidate-2000-2965762/) [Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election/) [Election Year](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election-year-465046/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given/) [Given Ballot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given-ballot-2965763/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Right Candidate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-candidate-639808/) [September](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/september/) [September Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/september-election-2965761/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/)

## Related quotes

> [If, in fact, one cannot understand English, and at the point in time that one comes to vote, one has to be given a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-tancredo/if-in-fact-one-cannot-understand-english-and-at-the-point-in-time/)

[Tom Tancredo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-tancredo/)

> [“The martyr who longs for the flames can be no right candidate for them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-martyr-who-longs-for-the-flames-can-be-no-right-candidate-for-them/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [ I don't have any problem with the right candidate \[for presidency\]. And so whoever I believe is going to be the best for that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-white/i-don-t-have-any-problem-with-the-right-candidate-for-presidency-and/)

[Paula White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-white/)

> [What I'm really more interested in doing - because I think, in a way that's kind of obvious - and you can see, look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/what-i-m-really-more-interested-in-doing-because-i-think-in-a-way/)

[Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/)

> [We can take this country back. All we need is to nominate the right candidate. It's no more complicated than that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-can-take-this-country-back-all-we-need-is-to-nominate-the-right/)

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

> [“Defining the right candidate significantly increases your recruitment speed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harjeet-khanduja/defining-the-right-candidate-significantly-increases-your-recruitment/)

[Harjeet Khanduja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harjeet-khanduja/)

> [Like many Kentuckians, I've seen too many families torn apart by drug abuse. The attorney general should be the leading voice in confronting this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-cameron/like-many-kentuckians-i-ve-seen-too-many-families-torn-apart-by-drug/)

[Daniel Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-cameron/)

> [Finding the one right candidate in a group is hard, and companies don't have much time to figure out exactly which questions can help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-konnikova/finding-the-one-right-candidate-in-a-group-is-hard-and-companies-don/)

[Maria Konnikova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-konnikova/)

> [It was a presidential election year, and as a member of a consortium of Ivy League radio stations, we participated in 'network' coverage of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-mitchell/it-was-a-presidential-election-year-and-as-a-member-of-a-consortium/)

[Andrea Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-mitchell/)

> [I think that what I'm doing is right. And election-year politics, which intensifies everything, is not going to drive me off that course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/i-think-that-what-i-m-doing-is-right-and-election-year-politics-which/)

[Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/)

> [Most pundits regard an election year session as an opportunity for the two parties to frame issues and garner political advantage in advance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-ehrlich/most-pundits-regard-an-election-year-session-as-an-opportunity-for/)

[Bob Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-ehrlich/)

> [“It's an election year. We would prefer that voters didn't use common sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/it-s-an-election-year-we-would-prefer-that-voters-didn-t-use-common/)

[Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/)

> [The way to get people civically engaged, not just during the election but throughout the year, is to tap into Facebook and let them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-way-to-get-people-civically-engaged-not-just-during-the-election/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I'll tell you the truth, even in an election year, and that's what people are ready for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-cotton/i-ll-tell-you-the-truth-even-in-an-election-year-and-that-s-what/)

[Tom Cotton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-cotton/)

> [ I happen to believe that this election year \[2016\] is...one of the most important elections that we're going to face in a very long… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-happen-to-believe-that-this-election-year-2016-is-one-of-the-most/)

[John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/)

## More by Hamilton Jordan

> [I was in Vietnam, and I was exposed to Agent Orange. And there's a high relationship between people that were exposed to Agent Orange…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/i-was-in-vietnam-and-i-was-exposed-to-agent-orange-and-there-s-a-high/)

[Hamilton Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-jordan/)

> [When you have a diagnosis of cancer, or any serious illness, your choices are basically to be passive and kind of accept whatever is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/when-you-have-a-diagnosis-of-cancer-or-any-serious-illness-your/)

[Hamilton Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-jordan/)

> [I think the system is broken; most people think that it's broken. And we think that what we're going to do is invigorate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/i-think-the-system-is-broken-most-people-think-that-it-s-broken-and/)

[Hamilton Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-jordan/)

> [If, after the election, you find a Cy Vance as Secretary of State and a Zbigniew Brzezinski as head of National Security, then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/if-after-the-election-you-find-a-cy-vance-as-secretary-of-state-and-a/)

[Hamilton Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-jordan/)

> [We're trying to build a platform utilizing the Internet that allows the good American people to speak out about their frustration about the polarized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/we-re-trying-to-build-a-platform-utilizing-the-internet-that-allows/)

[Hamilton Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-jordan/)

> [I know a lot of people that had one cancer that are not alive today. I've had three. So my glass is much more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/i-know-a-lot-of-people-that-had-one-cancer-that-are-not-alive-today-i/)

[Hamilton Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-jordan/)

> [My role in the White House was grossly exaggerated by the press. Fortunately for the American people, when the president had to make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/my-role-in-the-white-house-was-grossly-exaggerated-by-the-press/)

[Hamilton Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-jordan/)

> [I've never been a Clinton fan. He's had some accomplishments, and he's very skilled at politics, but, you know, he's had some successes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/i-ve-never-been-a-clinton-fan-he-s-had-some-accomplishments-and-he-s/)

[Hamilton Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-jordan/)

> [The difference today is that, in both parties, the very extreme elements control the nomination process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/the-difference-today-is-that-in-both-parties-the-very-extreme/)

[Hamilton Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-jordan/)

> [To say that Jimmy Carter does not understand politics or is not a good politician denies the phenomenon by which he got to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/to-say-that-jimmy-carter-does-not-understand-politics-or-is-not-a/)

[Hamilton Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-jordan/)

> [I didn't work for Jimmy Carter all those years to go to cocktail parties. I was there as a political adviser, a short-order cook,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/i-didn-t-work-for-jimmy-carter-all-those-years-to-go-to-cocktail/)

[Hamilton Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-jordan/)

> [You mentioned Ross Perot. Mr. Perot jumped into the race at the last minute, had one issue that he ran on, the budget deficit,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/you-mentioned-ross-perot-mr-perot-jumped-into-the-race-at-the-last/)

[Hamilton Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-jordan/)

> [And a tiny number of people in a few states make these decisions, and we're left with these options that are increasingly not attractive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/and-a-tiny-number-of-people-in-a-few-states-make-these-decisions-and/)

[Hamilton Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-jordan/)

> [I went to my son's graduation this weekend, and I heard a great quote I've never heard before from Albert Einstein. It was that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/i-went-to-my-son-s-graduation-this-weekend-and-i-heard-a-great-quote/)

[Hamilton Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-jordan/)

> [If your doctor tells you you have a rare disease that he or she has never seen, if you've got an incurable cancer, boy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/if-your-doctor-tells-you-you-have-a-rare-disease-that-he-or-she-has/)

[Hamilton Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-jordan/)

[Explore all 25 Hamilton Jordan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-jordan/)

## More Access quotes

> [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [You can disseminate your art, and it's all such easy access now. The upside to it is that more people are creating than ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-clarke/you-can-disseminate-your-art-and-it-s-all-such-easy-access-now-the/)

[Stanley Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-clarke/)

> [It's the same with this idea of a literate public, and also of a democracy in which people have access to and really read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hass/it-s-the-same-with-this-idea-of-a-literate-public-and-also-of-a/)

[Robert Hass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hass/)

> [My hope is that if people have the knowledge, and if they actually see where their food comes from and have access to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/my-hope-is-that-if-people-have-the-knowledge-and-if-they-actually-see/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

> [I don't think it's always a sign of respect for persons (inside or outside of fiction) to pretend to be able to represent, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-lerner/i-don-t-think-it-s-always-a-sign-of-respect-for-persons-inside-or/)

[Ben Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-lerner/)

> [Leslie Stein's comics give readers privileged access to a complete and wholly original world of gently skewed wonders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-woodring/leslie-stein-s-comics-give-readers-privileged-access-to-a-complete/)

[Jim Woodring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-woodring/)

> [The best way to fight poverty is to empower people through access to quality education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/the-best-way-to-fight-poverty-is-to-empower-people-through-access-to/)

[John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/)

> [Because the Internet's there, I have access to a lot of the legends, like Fela Kuti. I used to watch a lot of Fela…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-krule/because-the-internet-s-there-i-have-access-to-a-lot-of-the-legends/)

[King Krule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-krule/)

> [There needs to be some regime that is overseeing access to broadband to make sure we have openess; otherwise, there is a risk it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/there-needs-to-be-some-regime-that-is-overseeing-access-to-broadband/)

[Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/)

> [While it's wonderful that investors have access to all the data now available to them, it has become a full-time job to sift through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-bartiromo/while-it-s-wonderful-that-investors-have-access-to-all-the-data-now/)

[Maria Bartiromo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-bartiromo/)

> [It is truly vital for the United States to assure that it is not attacked with weapons of mass destruction; to prevent wars in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-truly-vital-for-the-united-states-to-assure-that-it-is-not/)

[Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/)

> [Now that I'm more middle class, I have access to consumer goods. I do enjoy feminine frippery, feminine doo-da, stuff like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-geok-lin-lim/now-that-i-m-more-middle-class-i-have-access-to-consumer-goods-i-do/)

[Shirley Geok-lin Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-geok-lin-lim/)

> [Schools have never been about getting access to information. That's the job of libraries. Schools and universities have nobler missions as gentle gatekeepers. Their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-nikiforuk/schools-have-never-been-about-getting-access-to-information-that-s/)

[Andrew Nikiforuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-nikiforuk/)

> [To pray is to open the door unto Jesus and admit Him into your distress. Your helplessness is the very thing which opens wide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ole-hallesby/to-pray-is-to-open-the-door-unto-jesus-and-admit-him-into-your/)

[Ole Hallesby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ole-hallesby/)

> [Broadband Internet access shouldn't depend on who you are or where you're from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajit-pai/broadband-internet-access-shouldn-t-depend-on-who-you-are-or-where/)

[Ajit Pai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajit-pai/)

[Browse all 2,178 Access quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/access/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If you had found the right candidate in 2000 or 2004, and you could have put that man or woman, given them ballot access in September of the election year, they could have won the election.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Hamilton Jordan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/if-you-had-found-the-right-candidate-in-2000-or-2004-and-you-could/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Access"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/if-you-had-found-the-right-candidate-in-2000-or-2004-and-you-could/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/hamilton-jordan-23690_access_if-you-had-found-the-right-candidate-in_312872.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/hamilton-jordan-23690_access_if-you-had-found-the-right-candidate-in_312872.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/hamilton-jordan-23690_access_if-you-had-found-the-right-candidate-in_312872.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If you had found the right candidate in 2000 or 2004, and you could have put that man or woman, given them…” — Hamilton Jordan",
                "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": "Hamilton Jordan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-jordan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If you had found the right...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/if-you-had-found-the-right-candidate-in-2000-or-2004-and-you-could/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/if-you-had-found-the-right-candidate-in-2000-or-2004-and-you-could/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
