--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He's not just the most powerful man in…" description: "\"He's not just the most powerful man in labor,\" Robert Kennedy had said in the wake of Hoffa's announcement; \"he's the most powerful man in the country,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f62/jimmy-hoffa-20485_announcements_he-s-not-just-the-most-powerful-man-in-l_647775.png" --- # He's not just the most powerful man in labor," Robert… ![“He's not just the most powerful man in labor," Robert Kennedy had said in the wake of Hoffa's announcement; "he's the most powerful man in the country, next to the President.” quote by Jimmy Hoffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f62/jimmy-hoffa-20485_announcements_he-s-not-just-the-most-powerful-man-in-l_647775.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f62/jimmy-hoffa-20485_announcements_he-s-not-just-the-most-powerful-man-in-l_647775.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f62/jimmy-hoffa-20485_announcements_he-s-not-just-the-most-powerful-man-in-l_647775.png) > “He's not just the most powerful man in labor," Robert Kennedy had said in the wake of Hoffa's announcement; "he's the most powerful man in the country, next to the President.” [Jimmy Hoffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-hoffa/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He claimed a labor leader held unparalleled influence, second only to the President. **In simple terms:** A labor leader was extremely powerful. Key Takeaway Recognize influence beyond titles. Themes power politics leadership Mood critical analytical Type political historical When to use this quote - union negotiations - policy advocacy - media interviews Key Concepts influence hierarchy political capital Questions to Reflect On - How does influence translate into real change? - What checks exist on such power? A Different Perspective Power can be overstated without concrete evidence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Powerful man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful-man/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) ## Related quotes > [Just imagine if in his inaugural address John F. Kennedy had said, 'Ask not what your country can, you know, do for you, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/just-imagine-if-in-his-inaugural-address-john-f-kennedy-had-said-ask/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [“I understand, gentlemen,” John Kennedy said. “If you find that life it’s not easy, let me tell you, death is worse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-marshesso/i-understand-gentlemen-john-kennedy-said-if-you-find-that-life-it-s/) Pierre Marshesso > [President-elect John F.Kennedy said to Robert McNamara that there's no school for presidents, or, for that matter, for secretaries of defense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-strock/president-elect-john-f-kennedy-said-to-robert-mcnamara-that-there-s/) [James M Strock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-strock/) > [In what might be a motto of those who sought the presidency and lost, Ted Kennedy once said, "Frankly, I don't mind not being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/in-what-might-be-a-motto-of-those-who-sought-the-presidency-and-lost/) [Bob Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dole/) > [Do you think that I like to have to fight the leaders in my own party over this or that? Of course not. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/do-you-think-that-i-like-to-have-to-fight-the-leaders-in-my-own-party/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [“The 1930s, Kennedy said, 'taught us a clear lesson; aggressive conduct, if allowed to go unchecked and unchallenged, ultimately leads to war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/the-1930s-kennedy-said-taught-us-a-clear-lesson-aggressive-conduct-if/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [“When a reporter asked Bobby Kennedy what he would do if Hoffa were acquitted, Bobby Kennedy, who said he had “never considered that possibility”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/when-a-reporter-asked-bobby-kennedy-what-he-would-do-if-hoffa-were/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [President Kennedy said that those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable. I would say that the converse is true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/president-kennedy-said-that-those-who-make-peaceful-revolution/) [Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/) > [Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights supports youth reentry projects because my father cared deeply about children and young people involved in the juvenile justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/robert-f-kennedy-human-rights-supports-youth-reentry-projects-because/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [“FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover “mistrusted and disliked all three Kennedy brothers. President Johnson and Hoover had mutual fear and hatred for the Kennedys,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-brussell/fbi-director-j-edgar-hoover-mistrusted-and-disliked-all-three-kennedy/) [Mae Brussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-brussell/) > [A deep, black grief gripped Robert Kennedy in the months following his brother's assassination. He lost weight, fell into melancholy silences, wore his brother's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thurston-clarke/a-deep-black-grief-gripped-robert-kennedy-in-the-months-following-his/) Thurston Clarke > [I've been working with them for a couple years and a couple of projects. Essentially Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is the chief litigator for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dean-anderson/i-ve-been-working-with-them-for-a-couple-years-and-a-couple-of/) [Richard Dean Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dean-anderson/) > [“Hundreds of political assassinations related to minority races, labor leaders and spokesmen against fascism have taken place in the U.S. since World War II.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-brussell/hundreds-of-political-assassinations-related-to-minority-races-labor/) [Mae Brussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-brussell/) > [I have loved the Department of Justice ever since, as a young boy, I watched Robert Kennedy prove during the Civil Rights Movement how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/i-have-loved-the-department-of-justice-ever-since-as-a-young-boy-i/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [“The CIA is behind it all. That’s the conclusion of Mae Brussell—one of America’s foremost assassination experts—a researcher who has collected every pertinent newspaper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-brussell/the-cia-is-behind-it-all-that-s-the-conclusion-of-mae-brussell-one-of/) [Mae Brussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-brussell/) ## More by Jimmy Hoffa > [I've told you before and I'll tell you again. The strong survive and the weak disappear. We do not intend to disappear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-hoffa/i-ve-told-you-before-and-i-ll-tell-you-again-the-strong-survive-and/) [Jimmy Hoffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-hoffa/) > [There are simply no public figures today who so challenge the elite business and government establishment and so champion the working class as Jimmy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-hoffa/there-are-simply-no-public-figures-today-who-so-challenge-the-elite/) [Jimmy Hoffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-hoffa/) > [I don't need bodyguards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-hoffa/i-don-t-need-bodyguards/) [Jimmy Hoffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-hoffa/) > [We never had any silk sheets in our family...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-hoffa/we-never-had-any-silk-sheets-in-our-family/) [Jimmy Hoffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-hoffa/) > [Don't let any man into your cab, your home, or your heart, unless he's a friend of labor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-hoffa/don-t-let-any-man-into-your-cab-your-home-or-your-heart-unless-he-s-a/) [Jimmy Hoffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-hoffa/) > [Rome wasn't built in a day, but man, did they get a break on the labor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-hoffa/rome-wasn-t-built-in-a-day-but-man-did-they-get-a-break-on-the-labor/) [Jimmy Hoffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-hoffa/) > [They all know I'm back, very much back, and that I will be the general president again come hell or high water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-hoffa/they-all-know-i-m-back-very-much-back-and-that-i-will-be-the-general/) [Jimmy Hoffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-hoffa/) > [You almost had to live through it to really know the gut ripping misery of the depression during the early thirties which led to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-hoffa/you-almost-had-to-live-through-it-to-really-know-the-gut-ripping/) [Jimmy Hoffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-hoffa/) > [Mob guys had muscle, and where in hell do you think employers got the tough guys when they wanted to break a strike?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-hoffa/mob-guys-had-muscle-and-where-in-hell-do-you-think-employers-got-the/) [Jimmy Hoffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-hoffa/) > [Sure, we loaned money to build hotels and casinos in Las Vegas. So what? Las Vegas borrowers were good customers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-hoffa/sure-we-loaned-money-to-build-hotels-and-casinos-in-las-vegas-so-what/) [Jimmy Hoffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-hoffa/) > [When you go to prison they forget it's your Constitution, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-hoffa/when-you-go-to-prison-they-forget-it-s-your-constitution-too/) [Jimmy Hoffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-hoffa/) > [But to hear Kennedy when he was grandstanding in front of the McClellan Committee you might have thought I was making as much out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-hoffa/but-to-hear-kennedy-when-he-was-grandstanding-in-front-of-the/) [Jimmy Hoffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-hoffa/) > [When you run an organization like the Teamsters one man has to be the boss and run things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-hoffa/when-you-run-an-organization-like-the-teamsters-one-man-has-to-be-the/) [Jimmy Hoffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-hoffa/) > [I can tell you this on a stack of Bibles: prisons are archaic, brutal, unregenerative, overcrowded hell holes where the inmates are treated like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-hoffa/i-can-tell-you-this-on-a-stack-of-bibles-prisons-are-archaic-brutal/) [Jimmy Hoffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-hoffa/) > [In the ten years I was president of the Teamsters, I had raised the membership from eight hundred thousand to more than 2 million…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-hoffa/in-the-ten-years-i-was-president-of-the-teamsters-i-had-raised-the/) [Jimmy Hoffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-hoffa/) [Explore all 30 Jimmy Hoffa quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-hoffa/) ## More Announcements quotes > [Smart people duck when they hear the dread announcement 'I'm going to be perfectly honest with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/smart-people-duck-when-they-hear-the-dread-announcement-i-m-going-to/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [When personal freedom's being abused, you have to move to limit it. 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