--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Newt Gingrich wrote a novel, and he's a…" description: "\"Newt Gingrich wrote a novel, and he's a short story. Bill Clinton wrote a biography, and he's a novel.\" — James McBride" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/502/james-mcbride-4758_bills_newt-gingrich-wrote-a-novel-and-he-s-a-s_573113.png" --- # Newt Gingrich wrote a novel, and he's a short story. Bill… ![“Newt Gingrich wrote a novel, and he's a short story. Bill Clinton wrote a biography, and he's a novel.” quote by James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/502/james-mcbride-4758_bills_newt-gingrich-wrote-a-novel-and-he-s-a-s_573113.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/502/james-mcbride-4758_bills_newt-gingrich-wrote-a-novel-and-he-s-a-s_573113.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/502/james-mcbride-4758_bills_newt-gingrich-wrote-a-novel-and-he-s-a-s_573113.png) > “Newt Gingrich wrote a novel, and he's a short story. Bill Clinton wrote a biography, and he's a novel.” [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) ## 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 humorously contrasts the literary achievements of two politicians, implying their works are mismatched to their personas. **In simple terms:** Their writings don’t match their public images. Key Takeaway Expect incongruity in public figures. Themes politics literature identity Mood witty critical Type satirical observational When to use this quote - political speeches - biographies - media analysis Key Concepts satire public perception Questions to Reflect On - What does this say about judging people by their work? - Can satire reveal deeper truths? A Different Perspective The humor may oversimplify complex careers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bills/) [Biographies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biographies/) [Biography Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biography-novel-4209163/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clinton/) [Gingrich Wrote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gingrich-wrote-4726375/) [Newt gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/newt-gingrich/) [Newts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/newts/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Short story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-story/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Wrote Biography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrote-biography-2707012/) [Wrote Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrote-novel/) ## Related quotes > [ Every novel is a biography. Well, then, this is a novel \[The Paper Men\] which is a biography that is pretending to be an… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/every-novel-is-a-biography-well-then-this-is-a-novel-the-paper-men/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [Newt Gingrich got in hot water during his 2012 presidential race for using campaign funds to pay himself $47,000 for a mailing list.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hayes/newt-gingrich-got-in-hot-water-during-his-2012-presidential-race-for/) [Chris Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hayes/) > [Speaker Newt Gingrich says that what is wrong with the present system is not that people abuse welfare but that welfare abuses people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-schorr/speaker-newt-gingrich-says-that-what-is-wrong-with-the-present-system/) [Daniel Schorr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-schorr/) > [Newt Gingrich says he wants to get rid of Social Security. Who is more qualified to give this country financial advice than a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/newt-gingrich-says-he-wants-to-get-rid-of-social-security-who-is-more/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [Tonight was the CNN primary debate with the four remaining candidates. It was kind of a change for Newt Gingrich. Usually when he's arguing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/tonight-was-the-cnn-primary-debate-with-the-four-remaining-candidates/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [A group called the Texas Tea Party Patriots is hosting a debate next month where Newt Gingrich and Herman Cain will go head to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/a-group-called-the-texas-tea-party-patriots-is-hosting-a-debate-next/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [Newt Gingrich would be a much better president than Barack Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/newt-gingrich-would-be-a-much-better-president-than-barack-obama/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [In a social media age, it seems that everyone lives in their own reality and that when you give consideration to Newt Gingrich, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-schmidt/in-a-social-media-age-it-seems-that-everyone-lives-in-their-own/) [Steve Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-schmidt/) > [Politicians such as Michelle Bachmann, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich along with talking heads such as Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck and Anne Coulter are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/politicians-such-as-michelle-bachmann-rick-santorum-and-newt-gingrich/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [Beating Newt Gingrich in a popularity contest is like beating Stephen Hawking in 'Dancing with the Stars.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/beating-newt-gingrich-in-a-popularity-contest-is-like-beating-stephen/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [Newt Gingrich and his fellow conservative Republicans talked a good game but, despite the lip service they offered about poverty and race and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/newt-gingrich-and-his-fellow-conservative-republicans-talked-a-good/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [I've had great pleasure meeting the likes of Newt Gingrich and having a chat with the fellow on a staircase. I found him completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-ve-had-great-pleasure-meeting-the-likes-of-newt-gingrich-and-having/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [Newt Gingrich wants to repeal child labor laws. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the man that we need to lead us into the 18th…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/newt-gingrich-wants-to-repeal-child-labor-laws-ladies-and-gentlemen/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [Newt Gingrich is an incredible leader. He is a leader of our time, and he's going to lead us into the future. And we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delay/newt-gingrich-is-an-incredible-leader-he-is-a-leader-of-our-time-and/) [Tom DeLay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delay/) > [I was one of the hardest-hitting conservatives on George W. Bush. Republicans didn't like me on George W. Bush. Republicans still don't like me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/i-was-one-of-the-hardest-hitting-conservatives-on-george-w-bush/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) ## More by James McBride > [Some things in this world just ain't meant to be, not in the times we want 'em to, and the heart has to hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/some-things-in-this-world-just-ain-t-meant-to-be-not-in-the-times-we/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [There are some really great books that have been written about slavery, but I don't think that the discourse about it in society has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/there-are-some-really-great-books-that-have-been-written-about/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [“Whatever you is, Onion," he said, "be it full.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/whatever-you-is-onion-he-said-be-it-full/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [There are two responses to really awful things. One is to lament and say, "Oh my God, oh lord." And the other is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/there-are-two-responses-to-really-awful-things-one-is-to-lament-and/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [If you're going to cheat and take people's history and you're not writing the Bible, you ain't really so great. But if you try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/if-you-re-going-to-cheat-and-take-people-s-history-and-you-re-not/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [“Most cars drove through there because the drivers is either from The Bottom and wanna get home - or they ain't from The Bottom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/most-cars-drove-through-there-because-the-drivers-is-either-from-the/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [There has to be some mystery in life, because the joy of being a writer and the joy of being a musician is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/there-has-to-be-some-mystery-in-life-because-the-joy-of-being-a/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [“And when James asked what color God was, she said, God is the color of water.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/and-when-james-asked-what-color-god-was-she-said-god-is-the-color-of/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [I'm proud of 'Miracle at St. Anna' and I loved it; there's no question in my mind it's as good as any movie that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/i-m-proud-of-miracle-at-st-anna-and-i-loved-it-there-s-no-question-in/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [“back,” Daddy said. “It’ll work out.” He had no idea what to do about Helen. They spoke a completely different language. He was an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/back-daddy-said-it-ll-work-out-he-had-no-idea-what-to-do-about-helen/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [I'm one of the few Black writers, or African American writers, who managed to work my way through the system so that it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/i-m-one-of-the-few-black-writers-or-african-american-writers-who/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [God is the color of water. Water doesn't have a color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/god-is-the-color-of-water-water-doesn-t-have-a-color/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [First person narrative is a very effective tool but you have to know as a writer how to make it work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/first-person-narrative-is-a-very-effective-tool-but-you-have-to-know/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [The act of choosing what to place in your piece when you're a historian or a non-fiction writer already renders it into fiction for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/the-act-of-choosing-what-to-place-in-your-piece-when-you-re-a/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [...since I was a little boy, she had always wanted me to go. She was always sending me off on a bus someplace, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/since-i-was-a-little-boy-she-had-always-wanted-me-to-go-she-was/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) [Explore all 106 James McBride quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) ## More Bills quotes > [If you’re a person struggling to eat and stay healthy you might have heard about Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali, but you’ll never have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/if-you-re-a-person-struggling-to-eat-and-stay-healthy-you-might-have/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Some of the folks on both sides might be sincere, but it does seem as if it is only the opposition that cares about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/some-of-the-folks-on-both-sides-might-be-sincere-but-it-does-seem-as/) [James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/) > [ \[Sport officials\] blocked their support of us. But those individuals \[ Muhammad Ali, the Jim Browns, the Bill Russells, Kareem Abdul Jabbar \] were… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/sport-officials-blocked-their-support-of-us-but-those-individuals/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [Simple fairness dictates that government must not raise taxes on families struggling to pay their bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/simple-fairness-dictates-that-government-must-not-raise-taxes-on/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [ I will not agree to have this bill \[to repeal DADT \] go forward, because our economy is in the tank. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-will-not-agree-to-have-this-bill-to-repeal-dadt-go-forward-because/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [This is not really currency that circulates. It's like the old joke about expensive vintage wine. Wine prices will go up and once in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/this-is-not-really-currency-that-circulates-it-s-like-the-old-joke/) [Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/) > [If Bill Gates left Microsoft we wouldn't allow Donald Trump to run it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/if-bill-gates-left-microsoft-we-wouldn-t-allow-donald-trump-to-run-it/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [Your goal should be to pay off your credit card bills in full at the end of each month and set aside money toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/your-goal-should-be-to-pay-off-your-credit-card-bills-in-full-at-the/) [Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/) > [He's fat and a clown, Bill, a fat clown for all to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eamon-dunphy/he-s-fat-and-a-clown-bill-a-fat-clown-for-all-to-see/) [Eamon Dunphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eamon-dunphy/) > [There's nothing nice about Steve Jobs and there's nothing evil about Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-peddle/there-s-nothing-nice-about-steve-jobs-and-there-s-nothing-evil-about/) [Chuck Peddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-peddle/) > [At first I thought, if I were Superman, a perfect secret identity would be "Clark Kent, Dentist," because you could save money on tooth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/at-first-i-thought-if-i-were-superman-a-perfect-secret-identity-would/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Whether it's people walking off 'The View' when Bill O'Reilly makes a statement about radical Islam or Juan Williams being fired for expressing his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-cantor/whether-it-s-people-walking-off-the-view-when-bill-o-reilly-makes-a/) [Eric Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-cantor/) > [The one thing the police cannot protect us from is a politician like Bill de Blasio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/the-one-thing-the-police-cannot-protect-us-from-is-a-politician-like/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [Bill Hicks - blowtorch, excavator, truthsayer, and brain specialist. He will correct your vision. Others will drive on the road he built.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/bill-hicks-blowtorch-excavator-truthsayer-and-brain-specialist-he/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) [Browse all 2,663 Bills quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bills/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Newt Gingrich wrote a novel, and he's a short story. 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