--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Politics doesn’t require talent…" description: "\"“Politics doesn’t require talent, intelligence, or good looks. Truly, someone like Donald Rumsfeld, a mediocre government functionary with no discernib..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b8/ian-f-svenonius-182680_donald-rumsfeld_politics-doesn-t-require-talent-intellig_1910869.jpg" --- # Politics doesn’t require talent, intelligence, or good… ![“Politics doesn’t require talent, intelligence, or good looks. Truly, someone like Donald Rumsfeld, a mediocre government functionary with no discernible talent, intelligence, or charm, is a greater international celebrity than Mick Jagger. Rumsfeld, despite being a has-been, is known in every…” quote by Ian F. Svenonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b8/ian-f-svenonius-182680_donald-rumsfeld_politics-doesn-t-require-talent-intellig_1910869.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b8/ian-f-svenonius-182680_donald-rumsfeld_politics-doesn-t-require-talent-intellig_1910869.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b8/ian-f-svenonius-182680_donald-rumsfeld_politics-doesn-t-require-talent-intellig_1910869.jpg) > ““Politics doesn’t require talent, intelligence, or good looks. Truly, someone like Donald Rumsfeld, a mediocre government functionary with no discernible talent, intelligence, or charm, is a greater international celebrity than Mick Jagger. Rumsfeld, despite being a has-been, is known in every corner of Asia, the Middle East, and Africa for his insanity and arrogance, while Jagger is admired by a mere couple hundred million music enthusiasts, huddled mostly in the First World.”” Ian F. Svenonius ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote contrasts the fame of a political figure with that of a music star, suggesting that notoriety can outweigh talent in politics. **In simple terms:** Political fame can eclipse talent. Key Takeaway Recognize the role of notoriety in public perception. Themes politics celebrity media power public perception Mood critical ironic Type analysis commentary When to use this quote - political campaigns - media analysis - public relations strategies Key Concepts status inflation celebration of mediocrity Questions to Reflect On - How does media amplify mediocrity? - Can fame ever be justified without merit? A Different Perspective It overlooks the nuance of talent versus fame. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Middle east](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-east/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [“I think you can be an enemy of Saddam Hussein even if Donald Rumsfeld is also an enemy of Saddam Hussein.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-michnik/i-think-you-can-be-an-enemy-of-saddam-hussein-even-if-donald-rumsfeld/) [Adam Michnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-michnik/) > [At a meeting in her office in the late summer of 2002, months before the war in Iraq, prisoner abuse at Guantanamo is discussed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-hersh/at-a-meeting-in-her-office-in-the-late-summer-of-2002-months-before/) [Seymour Hersh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-hersh/) > [Donald Rumsfeld also lost his gig last week. When asked what his future plans are, Rumsfeld said, 'What's a plan?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/donald-rumsfeld-also-lost-his-gig-last-week-when-asked-what-his/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [Donald Rumsfeld is the most ruthless man I have ever met? and I mean that as a compliment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/donald-rumsfeld-is-the-most-ruthless-man-i-have-ever-met-and-i-mean/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [Neoconservatism is not what people think it is. It is not a party or a group. Many people popularly seen as neocons - Dick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-murray/neoconservatism-is-not-what-people-think-it-is-it-is-not-a-party-or-a/) [Douglas Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-murray/) > [I do not believe that artists or actors and people should be out there like voicing their full-blown opinions on politics because, let's face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-rock/i-do-not-believe-that-artists-or-actors-and-people-should-be-out-2/) [Kid Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-rock/) > [On November 7, 2006, Cafferty called Donald Rumsfeld "an obnoxious jerk and war criminal".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-cafferty/on-november-7-2006-cafferty-called-donald-rumsfeld-an-obnoxious-jerk/) [Jack Cafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-cafferty/) > [“so deep, “you could have brought the whole of ExxonMobil out there and they wouldn’t have been able to operate that thing worth a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-coll/so-deep-you-could-have-brought-the-whole-of-exxonmobil-out-there-and/) [Steve Coll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coll/) > [The Chavez-Obama pictures will join a postmodern photo array that includes Donald Rumsfeld gifting Saddam Hussein with spurs from President Reagan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-pelosi/the-chavez-obama-pictures-will-join-a-postmodern-photo-array-that/) [Christine Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-pelosi/) > [Some international relations scholars would posit that interest in zombies is an indirect attempt to get a cognitive grip on what U.S. Secretary of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-drezner/some-international-relations-scholars-would-posit-that-interest-in/) Daniel Drezner > [As a former secretary of defense, I think Donald Rumsfeld is the best secretary of defense the United States has ever had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/as-a-former-secretary-of-defense-i-think-donald-rumsfeld-is-the-best/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [According to CNN, Donald Rumsfeld said the war in Iraq did not go according to plan. And President Bush said, 'What? We had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/according-to-cnn-donald-rumsfeld-said-the-war-in-iraq-did-not-go/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [President Bush cruelly manipulated the grief of the American people - and the sympathy of the rest of the world - to introduce a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/president-bush-cruelly-manipulated-the-grief-of-the-american-people/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [Afghanistan would have been difficult enough without Iraq. Iraq made it impossible. The argument that had we just focused on Afghanistan we'd now be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/afghanistan-would-have-been-difficult-enough-without-iraq-iraq-made/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said this week there's a good chance we never get bin Laden. bin Laden! We couldn't even get O.J.!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/defense-secretary-donald-rumsfeld-said-this-week-there-s-a-good/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) ## More Donald-rumsfeld quotes > [“I think you can be an enemy of Saddam Hussein even if Donald Rumsfeld is also an enemy of Saddam Hussein.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-michnik/i-think-you-can-be-an-enemy-of-saddam-hussein-even-if-donald-rumsfeld/) [Adam Michnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-michnik/) Browse all 2 Donald-rumsfeld quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Politics doesn’t require talent, intelligence, or good looks. Truly, someone like Donald Rumsfeld, a mediocre government functionary with no discernible talent, intelligence, or charm, is a greater international celebrity than Mick Jagger. 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