--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As I climbed the electoral ladder - from…" description: "\"As I climbed the electoral ladder - from state assemblyman to mayor of Woodbridge and finally to governor of New Jersey - political compromises came ea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/james-mcgreevey-15663_compromise_as-i-climbed-the-electoral-ladder-from-s_867657.jpg" --- # As I climbed the electoral ladder - from state assemblyman… ![“As I climbed the electoral ladder - from state assemblyman to mayor of Woodbridge and finally to governor of New Jersey - political compromises came easy to me because I'd learned how to keep a part of myself innocent of them.” quote by James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/james-mcgreevey-15663_compromise_as-i-climbed-the-electoral-ladder-from-s_867657.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/james-mcgreevey-15663_compromise_as-i-climbed-the-electoral-ladder-from-s_867657.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/james-mcgreevey-15663_compromise_as-i-climbed-the-electoral-ladder-from-s_867657.jpg) > “As I climbed the electoral ladder - from state assemblyman to mayor of Woodbridge and finally to governor of New Jersey - political compromises came easy to me because I'd learned how to keep a part of myself innocent of them.” [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Political advancement made compromise easy, allowing a part of himself to stay innocent. **In simple terms:** Power can make compromise easy, preserving innocence. Key Takeaway Stay aware of moral compromises in ambition. Themes politics ethics ambition Mood cautious reflective Type political personal When to use this quote - campaigns - government service - career advancement - policy making Key Concepts morality leadership Questions to Reflect On - How do you keep integrity while advancing? - What compromises are acceptable? A Different Perspective Compromise may erode integrity over time. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compromise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compromise/) [Ladder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ladder/) [Mayors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mayors/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) ## Related quotes > [“She watched the children and he watched her face as she tried to process everything she had just learned. She was innocent; that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-braswell/she-watched-the-children-and-he-watched-her-face-as-she-tried-to/) [Liz Braswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-braswell/) > [For instance, I always have one hanging in Budapest in the mayors office.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-curtis/for-instance-i-always-have-one-hanging-in-budapest-in-the-mayors/) [Tony Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-curtis/) > [You also had in Detroit that summer, an early variation of Ferguson. 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He's got his own idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/argus-hamilton/new-york-mayor-rudy-giuliani-fired-his-wife-donna-hanover-as-official/) [Argus Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/argus-hamilton/) > [Well I don't know how many pounds make up a ton, Of all the nobel prizes that I've never won, And I may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-partridge/well-i-don-t-know-how-many-pounds-make-up-a-ton-of-all-the-nobel/) [Andy Partridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-partridge/) > [I would have handled it differently than the mayor of Baltimore, that's for sure. I think it's a mistake to say, hey, guys, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-would-have-handled-it-differently-than-the-mayor-of-baltimore-that/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [Mayor De Blasio's appointment of Bill Bratton as police commissioner is the height of hypocrisy. 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I want to be the mayor forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-koch/i-love-being-the-mayor-i-want-to-be-the-mayor-forever/) [Ed Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-koch/) > [As mayor, I'm in the frying pan. I'm just sitting here on the griddle now, and I've got to really think, you know, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-a-williams/as-mayor-i-m-in-the-frying-pan-i-m-just-sitting-here-on-the-griddle/) Anthony A. Williams ## More by James McGreevey > [Civil union is less than marriage. Marriage is a sacred and valued institution and ought to be afforded equal protection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/civil-union-is-less-than-marriage-marriage-is-a-sacred-and-valued/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [You know for many elected officials they all started in the same place. You know marriage is between a man and a woman, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/you-know-for-many-elected-officials-they-all-started-in-the-same/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [At different points in my life, I had grappled with the idea of going into the priesthood - in high school or law school.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/at-different-points-in-my-life-i-had-grappled-with-the-idea-of-going/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [I am resigning because my secret leaves the governor's office vulnerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/i-am-resigning-because-my-secret-leaves-the-governor-s-office/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [The history of America is to expand civil liberties in a responsible and civil manner. We need to remember that our wonderful Democracy with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/the-history-of-america-is-to-expand-civil-liberties-in-a-responsible/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [No relief was forthcoming from my then-Catholic faith, which said the practice of homosexuality was a 'mortal sin' subject to damnation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/no-relief-was-forthcoming-from-my-then-catholic-faith-which-said-the/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [I do not believe that God tortures any person simply for its own sake. I believe that God enables all things to work for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/i-do-not-believe-that-god-tortures-any-person-simply-for-its-own-sake/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [More than anything else I recall being, or trying very deliberately to be, a perfect child. Not a Goody Two-shoes, but a kid who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/more-than-anything-else-i-recall-being-or-trying-very-deliberately-to/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [Being gay is a fundamental part of my being - the core of who I've always been, and the thing that I had repressed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/being-gay-is-a-fundamental-part-of-my-being-the-core-of-who-i-ve/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [For me, living in the closet corroded my ability to have an honest, open relationship with my God, my loved ones, my constituency and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/for-me-living-in-the-closet-corroded-my-ability-to-have-an-honest/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [When I came out publicly, some photo editors had a field day searching for pictures of me with a limp wrist or some other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/when-i-came-out-publicly-some-photo-editors-had-a-field-day-searching/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [We are losing sight of civility in government and politics. Debate and dialogue is taking a back seat to the politics of destruction and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/we-are-losing-sight-of-civility-in-government-and-politics-debate-and/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [I kept a steel wall around my moral and sexual instincts - protecting them, I thought, from the threats of the real world. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/i-kept-a-steel-wall-around-my-moral-and-sexual-instincts-protecting/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [I knew I was different when I was about six years of age but I just knew that I wasn't like everybody else. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/i-knew-i-was-different-when-i-was-about-six-years-of-age-but-i-just/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [I've never been much for self-revelation. In two decades of public life, I always approached the limelight with extreme caution. Not that I kept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/i-ve-never-been-much-for-self-revelation-in-two-decades-of-public/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) [Explore all 42 James McGreevey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) ## More Compromise quotes > [Leaders need to compromise, negotiate with members of both parties and ideologies, and reform health care the right way - by developing a strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-boustany/leaders-need-to-compromise-negotiate-with-members-of-both-parties-and/) [Charles Boustany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-boustany/) > [A compromise is the art of dividing a cake in such a way that everyone believes he has the biggest piece.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-erhard/a-compromise-is-the-art-of-dividing-a-cake-in-such-a-way-that/) Ludwig Erhard > [Real love is not based upon romance,candle light,dinner and walk along beach.Infact,It's based on care,compromise,respect and trust..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/real-love-is-not-based-upon-romance-candle-light-dinner-and-walk/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Simple answers, reductionist politics, are the most prone to compromise, to saying we’re addressing the essential issue and all that other stuff can slide.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/simple-answers-reductionist-politics-are-the-most-prone-to-compromise/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [“I’m not sure sex qualifies as R and R, but it’s a compromise I can live with.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-morgen/i-m-not-sure-sex-qualifies-as-r-and-r-but-it-s-a-compromise-i-can/) Shelby Morgen > [You know what the Englishman's idea of compromise is? He says, Some people say there is a God. Some people say there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/you-know-what-the-englishman-s-idea-of-compromise-is-he-says-some/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [But if you get chronically, psychosocially stressed, you're going to compromise your health. So, essentially, we've evolved to be smart enough to make ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/but-if-you-get-chronically-psychosocially-stressed-you-re-going-to/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [The human spirit will not invest itself in a compromise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fritz/the-human-spirit-will-not-invest-itself-in-a-compromise/) [Robert Fritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fritz/) > [No relationship is perfect, ever. There are always some ways you have to bend, to compromise, to give something up in order to gain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/no-relationship-is-perfect-ever-there-are-always-some-ways-you-have/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“And what would you like, Sharie?" asked Miss Mush. "What do you have?" asked Sharie. "Potato salad". "What else is there?" asked Sharie. "Nothing"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-sachar/and-what-would-you-like-sharie-asked-miss-mush-what-do-you-have-asked/) [Louis Sachar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-sachar/) > [A lasting relationship consists of the 3 C's: Commitment. Communication. Compromise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/a-lasting-relationship-consists-of-the-3-c-s-commitment-communication/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [As a politician - particularly as a politician in a coalition - you quickly realise that compromise is a part of the game. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-davey/as-a-politician-particularly-as-a-politician-in-a-coalition-you/) [Edward Davey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-davey/) > [“The fact that I can get away with something is the very reason why I shouldn’t do it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/the-fact-that-i-can-get-away-with-something-is-the-very-reason-why-i/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [There could be some compromise, but I think we have to stick to the provisions of the treaty, and the provisions of the treaty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-santer/there-could-be-some-compromise-but-i-think-we-have-to-stick-to-the/) [Jacques Santer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-santer/) > [Love is not only about romance, candle-lit dinners and walking hand in hand. In fact, real love is about a lifetime of compromise, commitment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aarti-khurana/love-is-not-only-about-romance-candle-lit-dinners-and-walking-hand-in/) [Aarti Khurana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aarti-khurana/) [Browse all 2,076 Compromise quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compromise/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As I climbed the electoral ladder - from state assemblyman to mayor of Woodbridge and finally to governor of New Jersey - political compromises came easy to me because I'd learned how to keep a part of myself innocent of them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James McGreevey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/as-i-climbed-the-electoral-ladder-from-state-assemblyman-to-mayor-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Compromise" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/as-i-climbed-the-electoral-ladder-from-state-assemblyman-to-mayor-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/james-mcgreevey-15663_compromise_as-i-climbed-the-electoral-ladder-from-s_867657.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/james-mcgreevey-15663_compromise_as-i-climbed-the-electoral-ladder-from-s_867657.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/james-mcgreevey-15663_compromise_as-i-climbed-the-electoral-ladder-from-s_867657.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As I climbed the electoral ladder - from state assemblyman to mayor of Woodbridge and finally to governor of…” — James McGreevey", "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": "James McGreevey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As I climbed the electoral ladder...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/as-i-climbed-the-electoral-ladder-from-state-assemblyman-to-mayor-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/as-i-climbed-the-electoral-ladder-from-state-assemblyman-to-mayor-of/#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 } } ] } ```