--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The presidency awed me, but presidents do…" description: "\"The presidency awed me, but presidents do not. Perhaps I have always expected too much of them, but I believe that when they reach the highest office i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/312/helen-thomas-7044_always_the-presidency-awed-me-but-presidents-do_1066056.jpg" --- # The presidency awed me, but presidents do not. Perhaps I… ![“The presidency awed me, but presidents do not. Perhaps I have always expected too much of them, but I believe that when they reach the highest office in the land, they should live up to the greatest honor that can come to a person in American political life. Some have stood the test better than…” quote by Helen Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/312/helen-thomas-7044_always_the-presidency-awed-me-but-presidents-do_1066056.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/312/helen-thomas-7044_always_the-presidency-awed-me-but-presidents-do_1066056.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/312/helen-thomas-7044_always_the-presidency-awed-me-but-presidents-do_1066056.jpg) > “The presidency awed me, but presidents do not. Perhaps I have always expected too much of them, but I believe that when they reach the highest office in the land, they should live up to the greatest honor that can come to a person in American political life. Some have stood the test better than others.” [Helen Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-thomas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker expresses high expectations for presidents, believing they should embody the utmost honor in American politics, though many fall short. **In simple terms:** Presidents should be the highest honor but often aren't. Key Takeaway Hold leaders to high ethical standards. Themes leadership honor expectations politics Mood critical reflective Type political inspirational When to use this quote - government - public office - media scrutiny Key Concepts public service integrity Questions to Reflect On - What defines the greatest honor for a leader? - How can citizens enforce higher standards? A Different Perspective Expectations may be unrealistic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Honor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honor/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-life/) [Presidency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presidency/) [Presidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presidents/) ## Related quotes > [Great presidents take stands, and they fight off these people who really are so far to the right. I don't want to call them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-thomas/great-presidents-take-stands-and-they-fight-off-these-people-who/) [Helen Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-thomas/) > [“George W. Bush is the worst President in all of American history.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-thomas/george-w-bush-is-the-worst-president-in-all-of-american-history/) [Helen Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-thomas/) > [Presidents hate the press. They hate me most of the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-thomas/presidents-hate-the-press-they-hate-me-most-of-the-time/) [Helen Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-thomas/) > [All presidents rail against the press. It goes with the turf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-thomas/all-presidents-rail-against-the-press-it-goes-with-the-turf/) [Helen Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-thomas/) > [If I were running to be somebody, there are a lot of easier sombodies to be. 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He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. 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