--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The President? Hmmm, I wonder who that…" description: "\"The President? Hmmm, I wonder who that might be? Could it be, perhaps, the sitting two-term incumbent of the same party holding its convention? The per..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8b/james-fallows-13576_conventions_the-president-hmmm-i-wonder-who-that-mig_42865.png" --- # The President? Hmmm, I wonder who that might be? Could it… ![“The President? Hmmm, I wonder who that might be? Could it be, perhaps, the sitting two-term incumbent of the same party holding its convention? The person whose economic and military policies shape the environment the next president will deal with? As best I can tell, in the tens of thousands of…” quote by James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8b/james-fallows-13576_conventions_the-president-hmmm-i-wonder-who-that-mig_42865.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8b/james-fallows-13576_conventions_the-president-hmmm-i-wonder-who-that-mig_42865.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8b/james-fallows-13576_conventions_the-president-hmmm-i-wonder-who-that-mig_42865.png) > “The President? Hmmm, I wonder who that might be? Could it be, perhaps, the sitting two-term incumbent of the same party holding its convention? The person whose economic and military policies shape the environment the next president will deal with? As best I can tell, in the tens of thousands of words making up the combined remarks of John McCain, Sarah Palin, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, and Lindsay Graham, the Name That Must Not Be Uttered appeared exactly once.” [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) ## 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 satirically critiques the political process of naming a presidential candidate, highlighting how the identity of the nominee is often obscured by endless speculation and rhetorical avoidance, while the real power lies in the incumbent's policies that shape the next administration's challenges. **In simple terms:** Satire on political naming and power dynamics. Key Takeaway Names are less important than policies. Themes political satire media rhetoric election dynamics incumbent influence candidate perception Mood wry critical ironic Type satirical political commentary When to use this quote - campaign strategy meetings - news commentary panels - political debate shows Key Concepts candidate selection policy impact media framing Practical Applications - media analysis pieces - political satire sketches Questions to Reflect On - How does focusing on a name distract from substantive policy discussion? - What does the quote suggest about the power of incumbency? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Combined Remarks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/combined-remarks-639269/) [Convention Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convention-person-639268/) [Conventions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conventions/) [Deals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deals/) [Economic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic/) [Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) [Hmmm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hmmm/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Incumbent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incumbent/) [Incumbents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incumbents/) [Making up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-up/) [Mccain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mccain/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mike/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Names](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/names/) [Next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next/) [Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/palin/) [Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/policy/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [President Hmmm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president-hmmm-639270/) [Remarks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remarks/) [Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romney/) [Rudy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rudy/) [Shapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shapes/) [Sitting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sitting/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) [Term Incumbent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term-incumbent-639267/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) ## Related quotes > [Once you realize just the sort of glut of books that exists out there, it does become incumbent on you not to add to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kirn/once-you-realize-just-the-sort-of-glut-of-books-that-exists-out-there/) [Walter Kirn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kirn/) > [I think we are incumbent, I am incumbent, the Who is incumbent, anybody that produces anything by me is incumbent by my Englishness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/i-think-we-are-incumbent-i-am-incumbent-the-who-is-incumbent-anybody/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [“To be quite honest I would rather have the current incompetent arse clenching pan drop sucking cross dressing incumbent hemorrhoids running the country rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-sarwar/to-be-quite-honest-i-would-rather-have-the-current-incompetent-arse/) [Cal Sarwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-sarwar/) > [I actually defeated an incumbent Republican senator who was part of the Jesse Helm's political machine in North Carolina, the result of which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edwards/i-actually-defeated-an-incumbent-republican-senator-who-was-part-of/) [John Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edwards/) > [Games is probably the biggest industry today that has gone really social, right. I mean, the incumbent game companies are really being disrupted and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/games-is-probably-the-biggest-industry-today-that-has-gone-really/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [When an entrant competitor attacks the low end of any market, the rational reaction of the incumbent firms is to abandon rather than defend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-an-entrant-competitor-attacks-the-low-end-of-any-market-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Where there is no hope, it is incumbent on us to invent it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/where-there-is-no-hope-it-is-incumbent-on-us-to-invent-it/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [It was important for us to be as supportive as our candidates and as our incumbent senators would have us be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-daschle/it-was-important-for-us-to-be-as-supportive-as-our-candidates-and-as/) [Tom Daschle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-daschle/) > [I was rowing the boat alone against a tide, running against an incumbent in 2013.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elise-stefanik/i-was-rowing-the-boat-alone-against-a-tide-running-against-an/) [Elise Stefanik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elise-stefanik/) > [Listen, Al Gore is a very tough opponent. He is the incumbent. He represents the incumbency. And a challenger is somebody who generally comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/listen-al-gore-is-a-very-tough-opponent-he-is-the-incumbent-he/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [My first campaign was pretty ugly: the incumbent came after me hard with a lot of things that weren't true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-ribble/my-first-campaign-was-pretty-ugly-the-incumbent-came-after-me-hard/) [Reid Ribble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-ribble/) > [What I don't underestimate is everybody's deal is different and everybody's deal makes it difficult. And so it is incumbent upon employers to create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-brooke/what-i-don-t-underestimate-is-everybody-s-deal-is-different-and/) [Beth Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-brooke/) > [Romney has to convince the American public that they need to do something they're not usually inclined to do - replace a sitting president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/romney-has-to-convince-the-american-public-that-they-need-to-do/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If I were running to be somebody, there are a lot of easier sombodies to be. After all, running against the incumbent governor of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/if-i-were-running-to-be-somebody-there-are-a-lot-of-easier-sombodies/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [ I think the whole dynamic is different. Whereas in \[Barack\] Obama's case, even though there was no incumbent, he was able to run against… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kristol/i-think-the-whole-dynamic-is-different-whereas-in-barack-obama-s-case/) [William Kristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kristol/) ## More by James Fallows > [It seems to be the case that for the people who actually are all in with Donald Trump - which is who knows: 35,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/it-seems-to-be-the-case-that-for-the-people-who-actually-are-all-in/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [A basic rule of life for reporters is that you should spend your time talking with and learning about people who are not sending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/a-basic-rule-of-life-for-reporters-is-that-you-should-spend-your-time/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [I seem to be one of the few people in journalism who never worked or wrote for the 'Boston Phoenix.' I certainly read and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/i-seem-to-be-one-of-the-few-people-in-journalism-who-never-worked-or/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [The air that people breathe in many Chinese cities has become dangerously polluted. Their food supply is subject to constant contamination scandals. Now it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/the-air-that-people-breathe-in-many-chinese-cities-has-become/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [No real-world human being brings to the U.S. presidency the range of attributes necessary for full success in the job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/no-real-world-human-being-brings-to-the-u-s-presidency-the-range-of/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [Chinese emissions are a problem not just for its own people but also for the world. It has now overtaken the U.S. as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/chinese-emissions-are-a-problem-not-just-for-its-own-people-but-also/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [A rigid America is also weak and vulnerable, because it sacrifices its unique strength: the energy of people who think they can always make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/a-rigid-america-is-also-weak-and-vulnerable-because-it-sacrifices-its/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [For a decade or more after the Vietnam war, the people who had guided the U.S. to disaster decently shrank from the public stage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/for-a-decade-or-more-after-the-vietnam-war-the-people-who-had-guided/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [Up or out" greatly magnified the careerist emphasis on holding a position rather than doing a job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/up-or-out-greatly-magnified-the-careerist-emphasis-on-holding-a/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [The worst kind of management seeks a single optimum, a one-scale index of efficiency, like the mindless scales of 1 to 10 for grading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/the-worst-kind-of-management-seeks-a-single-optimum-a-one-scale-index/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [The Olympic Games are for 'the youth of the world,' but they're organized and scored by countries. It's no surprise that countries treat them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/the-olympic-games-are-for-the-youth-of-the-world-but-they-re/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [I have relentlessly beat the drum for Google's 'two-step' authentication systems for Gmail and other services, which radically reduce the likelihood that your account…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/i-have-relentlessly-beat-the-drum-for-google-s-two-step/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [Always write angry letters to your enemies. Never mail them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/always-write-angry-letters-to-your-enemies-never-mail-them/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [It is not widely known that, ever since the end of the Korean War, the United States has spent essentially the same amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/it-is-not-widely-known-that-ever-since-the-end-of-the-korean-war-the/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [The demise of Google Reader, if logical, is a reminder of how far we've come from the cuddly old 'I'm Feeling Lucky' Google days,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/the-demise-of-google-reader-if-logical-is-a-reminder-of-how-far-we-ve/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) [Explore all 50 James Fallows quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) ## More Conventions quotes > [All progress in literary style lies in the heroic resolve to cast aside accretions and exuberances, all the conventions of a past age that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/havelock-ellis/all-progress-in-literary-style-lies-in-the-heroic-resolve-to-cast/) [Havelock Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/havelock-ellis/) > [ \[James\] Madison pointed out in the discussion of the constitutional debates - the constitutional convention - that democracy would be a danger. He used… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/james-madison-pointed-out-in-the-discussion-of-the-constitutional/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [ \[The Massachusetts constitution\] resembles the federal Constitution of 1787 more closely than any of the other revolutionary state constitutions. It was also drawn up… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-s-wood/the-massachusetts-constitution-resembles-the-federal-constitution-of/) [Gordon S. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-s-wood/) > [Nobody can live in society without conventions. The reason why sensible people are as conventional as they can bear to be is that conventionality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/nobody-can-live-in-society-without-conventions-the-reason-why/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [I joked at our National Convention that our party was nominating a candidate for president who was charismatic, larger than life, memorable, so they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/i-joked-at-our-national-convention-that-our-party-was-nominating-a/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [The sophists were as a rule men who had traveled widely and seen different forms of government. Both conventions and local laws in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/the-sophists-were-as-a-rule-men-who-had-traveled-widely-and-seen/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [As so often, a political event involving Donald Trump looks like swinging wildly between melodrama and farce. The Republican National Convention in Cleveland has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-colvin/as-so-often-a-political-event-involving-donald-trump-looks-like/) [Mark Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-colvin/) > [Once we realized that there were these 25 invariable types - the class politician, the frigid popular girl, the kid who tags along behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/once-we-realized-that-there-were-these-25-invariable-types-the-class/) [P. J. 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Innes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-d-innes/) > [My characters are all kind of geek archetypes of people I've encountered at gaming and comic book conventions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-cline/my-characters-are-all-kind-of-geek-archetypes-of-people-i-ve/) [Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/) > [Based on the considerations of history, ancient history, and international axioms, the logic of following up a citizen with his shadow for the purpose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saddam-hussein/based-on-the-considerations-of-history-ancient-history-and/) [Saddam Hussein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saddam-hussein/) > [The psychotherapist ... tries to help the individual to be himself and to go it alone without giving unnecessary offense to his community, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/the-psychotherapist-tries-to-help-the-individual-to-be-himself-and-to/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [ Everything \[Ted\] Cruz was doing was legal, it was aboveboard, but it was portrayed as Cruz is the villain, and here's \[Donald\] Trump and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/everything-ted-cruz-was-doing-was-legal-it-was-aboveboard-but-it-was/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [2004 was a great year for Boston! The Patriots won the Super Bowl! Boston hosted its first national political convention! And - the Red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-menino/2004-was-a-great-year-for-boston-the-patriots-won-the-super-bowl/) [Thomas Menino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-menino/) > [But-! I say! The common conventions of humanity-' 'Are all very well for common people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-i-say-the-common-conventions-of-humanity-are-all-very-well-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 853 Conventions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conventions/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The President? Hmmm, I wonder who that might be? Could it be, perhaps, the sitting two-term incumbent of the same party holding its convention? The person whose economic and military policies shape the environment the next president will deal with? 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