--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are drowning in partisan rhetoric that…" description: "\"We are drowning in partisan rhetoric that is just true enough not to be a lie; in industry-sponsored research; in social media's imitation of human con..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/781/jon-lovett-8245_connection_we-are-drowning-in-partisan-rhetoric-tha_3019470.jpg" --- # We are drowning in partisan rhetoric that is just true… ![“We are drowning in partisan rhetoric that is just true enough not to be a lie; in industry-sponsored research; in social media's imitation of human connection; in legalese and corporate double-speak.” quote by Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/781/jon-lovett-8245_connection_we-are-drowning-in-partisan-rhetoric-tha_3019470.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/781/jon-lovett-8245_connection_we-are-drowning-in-partisan-rhetoric-tha_3019470.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/781/jon-lovett-8245_connection_we-are-drowning-in-partisan-rhetoric-tha_3019470.jpg) > “We are drowning in partisan rhetoric that is just true enough not to be a lie; in industry-sponsored research; in social media's imitation of human connection; in legalese and corporate double-speak.” [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker critiques modern discourse, noting that rhetoric, industry‑funded research, shallow social media, and corporate jargon dilute truth. **In simple terms:** Modern communication often obscures truth. Key Takeaway Seek clarity amid noise. Themes media criticism politics truth Mood concerned analytical Type critical reflective When to use this quote - journalism - policy analysis - digital literacy Key Concepts Rhetoric information overload Questions to Reflect On - How can we improve public dialogue? - What sources deserve trust? A Different Perspective Some rhetoric can be constructive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Connection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connection/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Human connection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-connection/) [Lie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lie/) [Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) [Partisan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/partisan/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) ## Related quotes > [I think he could have made most of the trips and gone to most of the fund-raisers if he would have avoided the partisan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-teeter/i-think-he-could-have-made-most-of-the-trips-and-gone-to-most-of-the/) [Robert Teeter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-teeter/) > [“Sometime rhetoric was just another way to lie and impress persons, and he knew this”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haidji/sometime-rhetoric-was-just-another-way-to-lie-and-impress-persons-and/) [Haidji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haidji/) > [Theater is perhaps one of the few places left where we are in a dialogue right now. Everything has become so partisan, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-vogel/theater-is-perhaps-one-of-the-few-places-left-where-we-are-in-a/) [Paula Vogel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-vogel/) > [“Show up for collective moments of joy and pain so we can actually bear witness to inextricable human connection. Women and men with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/show-up-for-collective-moments-of-joy-and-pain-so-we-can-actually/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [“Never underestimate the empowering effect of human connection. All you need is that one person, who understands you completely, believes in you and makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drishti-bablani-wordions/never-underestimate-the-empowering-effect-of-human-connection-all-you/) [Drishti Bablani, Wordions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drishti-bablani-wordions/) > [Tech is all about building human connections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padmasree-warrior/tech-is-all-about-building-human-connections/) [Padmasree Warrior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padmasree-warrior/) > [“Corporate anthropologist Karen Stephenson argues that though trust is the natural glue of human connection since prehistoric times, it is mostly absent in modern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-marie-slaughter/corporate-anthropologist-karen-stephenson-argues-that-though-trust-is/) [Anne-Marie Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-marie-slaughter/) > [Human communication, 'as the saying goes, is a clash of symbols' it covers a multitude of signs. But it is more than media and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/human-communication-as-the-saying-goes-is-a-clash-of-symbols-it/) [Ashley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/) > [“Desperately wanting God's kingdom to come, we lead with the law, like a sixteen-year-old girl who thought a Bible on a desk corner would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-hatmaker/desperately-wanting-god-s-kingdom-to-come-we-lead-with-the-law-like-a/) [Jen Hatmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-hatmaker/) > [“You cannot force a person to see you as someone they want to open up to; you cannot force a person to see you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/you-cannot-force-a-person-to-see-you-as-someone-they-want-to-open-up/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [I talked to a lot of people about what makes a good weekend, and discovered a few common threads: human connection, play, interaction with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katrina-onstad/i-talked-to-a-lot-of-people-about-what-makes-a-good-weekend-and/) [Katrina Onstad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katrina-onstad/) > [ If I had a worldview, and I don’t know if I do, but if I did, it’s one that’s intensely humanistic. \[That worldview\] is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kripke/if-i-had-a-worldview-and-i-don-t-know-if-i-do-but-if-i-did-it-s-one/) [Eric Kripke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kripke/) > [“We live in the most ‘connected’ time ever… yet loneliness is everywhere.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roche-uccello/we-live-in-the-most-connected-time-ever-yet-loneliness-is-everywhere/) [Roche Uccello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roche-uccello/) > [Whatever your supposed politics are - left, right - if you put it in a human connection, most people will rise to the occasion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/whatever-your-supposed-politics-are-left-right-if-you-put-it-in-a/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [I love using the latest technologies to make life more efficient, but I don't want to advocate that technology replaces the need to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-webb/i-love-using-the-latest-technologies-to-make-life-more-efficient-but/) [Maynard Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-webb/) ## More by Jon Lovett > [Most of my time at the White House, I wrote very unfunny speeches, but every year, I would work on the correspondents' dinner, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/most-of-my-time-at-the-white-house-i-wrote-very-unfunny-speeches-but/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [When in doubt, mock the powerful, not the powerless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/when-in-doubt-mock-the-powerful-not-the-powerless/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [I worked on one speech about the financial system that caused the Dow to drop, like, 200 points.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/i-worked-on-one-speech-about-the-financial-system-that-caused-the-dow/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [There is that definition of leadership that says, 'Leadership is convincing people to do things that they otherwise wouldn't have done because you've made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/there-is-that-definition-of-leadership-that-says-leadership-is/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > ['Veep' is a great satire of democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/veep-is-a-great-satire-of-democracy/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [Part of my job as a presidential speechwriter (along with great writers like Jon Favreau and David Axelrod) was finding that sliver where 'presidential'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/part-of-my-job-as-a-presidential-speechwriter-along-with-great/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [If there is one way that I would sum up what the 2016 election was on cable news, it was world-class journalists interviewing morons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/if-there-is-one-way-that-i-would-sum-up-what-the-2016-election-was-on/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [There are a lot of heartbroken, anxious people that thought better of their country. We're heartbroken by how far Trump has gotten to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/there-are-a-lot-of-heartbroken-anxious-people-that-thought-better-of/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > ['1600 Penn' was a hit. It's 2018. Anything you want can be true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/1600-penn-was-a-hit-it-s-2018-anything-you-want-can-be-true/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [More and more people support equality for their gay friends and neighbors, and that is not because the 'Duck Dynasty' guy almost lost his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/more-and-more-people-support-equality-for-their-gay-friends-and/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [We need people to point out groupthink - We need people to point out stale, old, dumb thinking - and we sometimes need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/we-need-people-to-point-out-groupthink-we-need-people-to-point-out/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [There's only so much mistrust we can take before things get much worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/there-s-only-so-much-mistrust-we-can-take-before-things-get-much-worse/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [When I was a kid, all I knew about Michael Jackson was that he was crazy. He had a monkey named Bubbles and some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/when-i-was-a-kid-all-i-knew-about-michael-jackson-was-that-he-was/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [The First Amendment's protections have always put a great deal of responsibility in our hands: not only to respect the power of our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/the-first-amendment-s-protections-have-always-put-a-great-deal-of/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [Trump is a raptor testing the fences, and he found weaknesses to escape and try things that would work, every single day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/trump-is-a-raptor-testing-the-fences-and-he-found-weaknesses-to/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) [Explore all 82 Jon Lovett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) ## More Connection quotes > [I guess at it's very core love is connection that just makes so much sense you wonder how you used to live before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-stone/i-guess-at-it-s-very-core-love-is-connection-that-just-makes-so-much/) [Benjamin Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-stone/) > [I believe that we have a huge problem with the water in America. We don't want to make that connection that these chemicals, at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-brockovich/i-believe-that-we-have-a-huge-problem-with-the-water-in-america-we/) [Erin Brockovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-brockovich/) > [There's overwhelming evidence... circumstantial and otherwise, to suggest a connection between Iraq and al Qaeda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/there-s-overwhelming-evidence-circumstantial-and-otherwise-to-suggest/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [When I discovered drama, I felt a connection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-fearon/when-i-discovered-drama-i-felt-a-connection/) [Ray Fearon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-fearon/) > [“Your passion is your connection to God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-ray/your-passion-is-your-connection-to-god/) [Amit Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-ray/) > [Religion is no longer a connection point for most people. Our communities were built on coming together in physical locations once a week or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-mckelvey/religion-is-no-longer-a-connection-point-for-most-people-our/) [Miguel McKelvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-mckelvey/) > [“A man becomes creative, whether he is an artist or a scientist, when he finds a new unity in the variety of nature. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-bronowski/a-man-becomes-creative-whether-he-is-an-artist-or-a-scientist-when-he/) [Jacob Bronowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-bronowski/) > [“If you cannot wait for time to unearth roots, you must dig.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelou-keramati/if-you-cannot-wait-for-time-to-unearth-roots-you-must-dig/) Nelou Keramati > [“As a species, we are hardwired for connection. We are our best selves when we are sharing and communicating with others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-henry/as-a-species-we-are-hardwired-for-connection-we-are-our-best-selves/) [Tyler Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-henry/) > [“If you feel you don’t know the right people, turn to the next person you see on the street and introduce yourself—that connection could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raoul-davis-jr/if-you-feel-you-don-t-know-the-right-people-turn-to-the-next-person/) [Raoul Davis Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raoul-davis-jr/) > [I'm uninterested in superheroes. I am only interested in real stories, real people, real connection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/i-m-uninterested-in-superheroes-i-am-only-interested-in-real-stories/) [Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/) > [There's a spectrum of those moments of connection and the moments we fail to connect, going from super-large successes to failures. Success would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/there-s-a-spectrum-of-those-moments-of-connection-and-the-moments-we/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [I think my work comes out of both an intense desire for connection and what it means to feel isolated. There's always going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/i-think-my-work-comes-out-of-both-an-intense-desire-for-connection/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [I always have this sense of food as triangular, in that one point is nourishment, one point is connection, and one point is pleasure,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crescent-dragonwagon/i-always-have-this-sense-of-food-as-triangular-in-that-one-point-is/) [Crescent Dragonwagon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crescent-dragonwagon/) > [I don't mind writing so I didn't find that difficult, it's just a question of finding the time to do it. I kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cronenberg/i-don-t-mind-writing-so-i-didn-t-find-that-difficult-it-s-just-a/) [David Cronenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cronenberg/) [Browse all 1,649 Connection quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connection/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are drowning in partisan rhetoric that is just true enough not to be a lie; in industry-sponsored research; in social media's imitation of human connection; in legalese and corporate double-speak.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jon Lovett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/we-are-drowning-in-partisan-rhetoric-that-is-just-true-enough-not-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Connection" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/we-are-drowning-in-partisan-rhetoric-that-is-just-true-enough-not-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/781/jon-lovett-8245_connection_we-are-drowning-in-partisan-rhetoric-tha_3019470.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/781/jon-lovett-8245_connection_we-are-drowning-in-partisan-rhetoric-tha_3019470.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/781/jon-lovett-8245_connection_we-are-drowning-in-partisan-rhetoric-tha_3019470.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We are drowning in partisan rhetoric that is just true enough not to be a lie; in industry-sponsored…” — Jon Lovett", "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": "Jon Lovett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We are drowning in partisan rhetoric...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/we-are-drowning-in-partisan-rhetoric-that-is-just-true-enough-not-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/we-are-drowning-in-partisan-rhetoric-that-is-just-true-enough-not-to/#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 } } ] } ```