--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whenever you hear a politician start a…" description: "\"“Whenever you hear a politician start a sentence with, “If we can put a man on the moon . . . ,” grab your wallet.”\" — Jonah Goldberg" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/jonah-goldberg-2339_politician_whenever-you-hear-a-politician-start-a-s_488811.png" --- # Whenever you hear a politician start a sentence with, “If… ![“Whenever you hear a politician start a sentence with, “If we can put a man on the moon . . . ,” grab your wallet.” quote by Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/jonah-goldberg-2339_politician_whenever-you-hear-a-politician-start-a-s_488811.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/jonah-goldberg-2339_politician_whenever-you-hear-a-politician-start-a-s_488811.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/jonah-goldberg-2339_politician_whenever-you-hear-a-politician-start-a-s_488811.png) > ““Whenever you hear a politician start a sentence with, “If we can put a man on the moon . . . ,” grab your wallet.”” [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Criticizes politicians who use lofty space achievements to justify spending, urging vigilance over fiscal promises. **In simple terms:** Watch for politicians using space goals to sell spending. Key Takeaway Be skeptical of big‑promise rhetoric. Themes politics economics skepticism Mood cautious critical Type analytical political When to use this quote - voting decisions - budget planning - public discourse - tax debates Key Concepts public policy budget priorities trust media literacy Questions to Reflect On - How do you verify a politician’s fiscal claims? - What alternatives to space funding could benefit citizens? A Different Perspective Such rhetoric can inspire genuine innovation despite misuse. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hear Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hear-politician-1850597/) [Man Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-moon/) [Moon Grab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moon-grab-4187904/) [Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician/) [Politician Start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician-start-4187905/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [When I hear a politician speak biographically, I never know what's part of the campaign biography narrative that's been carefully crafted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/when-i-hear-a-politician-speak-biographically-i-never-know-what-s/) [Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/) > [When you hear a politician say 'fair share,' you are talking about hypocritical political propaganda. You are not talking about an intelligent discussion of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wynn/when-you-hear-a-politician-say-fair-share-you-are-talking-about/) [Steve Wynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wynn/) > [“did you ever hear of a politician who wasn’t elected on a platform of economy in office?” “That isn’t it,” I said. “Oh yes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erle-stanley-gardner/did-you-ever-hear-of-a-politician-who-wasn-t-elected-on-a-platform-of/) [Erle Stanley Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erle-stanley-gardner/) > [Whenever you hear a politician carry on about what a mess the schools are, be aware that you are looking at the culprit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/whenever-you-hear-a-politician-carry-on-about-what-a-mess-the-schools/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [“When I hear a politician has died in a car accident, I think, “How tragic! Even if the car suffered only a small dent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/when-i-hear-a-politician-has-died-in-a-car-accident-i-think-how/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I've never met a politician I haven't wanted to walk away from, and I've yet to hear a politician speak and actually believe the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/i-ve-never-met-a-politician-i-haven-t-wanted-to-walk-away-from-and-i/) [Ray Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/) > [Every time I hear a politician mention the word 'stimulus,' my mind flashes back to high school biology class, when I touched battery wires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/every-time-i-hear-a-politician-mention-the-word-stimulus-my-mind/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [Somebody else can be the first man on the moon. It doesn't interest me at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hartnell/somebody-else-can-be-the-first-man-on-the-moon-it-doesn-t-interest-me/) [William Hartnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hartnell/) > [“I Mean come on, if they can put a man on the moon, we ought to be able to put one in your bedroom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-bouchard/i-mean-come-on-if-they-can-put-a-man-on-the-moon-we-ought-to-be-able/) [Jackie Bouchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-bouchard/) > [“They put a man on the moon. Can’t they find some way to end the scourge of algebra?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-piner/they-put-a-man-on-the-moon-can-t-they-find-some-way-to-end-the/) [Huston Piner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-piner/) > [They'll put a man on the moon before I hit a home run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaylord-perry/they-ll-put-a-man-on-the-moon-before-i-hit-a-home-run/) [Gaylord Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaylord-perry/) > [This administration and these folk who run Washington are no more interested in our welfare and our well being than the man on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavis-smiley/this-administration-and-these-folk-who-run-washington-are-no-more/) [Tavis Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavis-smiley/) > [“Up there in the sky. Don’t you see him? No, not the moon. The Man in the Moon. He wasn’t always a man. Nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-joyce/up-there-in-the-sky-don-t-you-see-him-no-not-the-moon-the-man-in-the/) [William Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-joyce/) > [“It is scarcely the same thing to put a man on the Moon as to put a bone in your nose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-henry-iii/it-is-scarcely-the-same-thing-to-put-a-man-on-the-moon-as-to-put-a/) [William A. Henry III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-henry-iii/) > [I am bold enough to say that a man-made Moon voyage will never occur regardless of all scientific advances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-de-forest/i-am-bold-enough-to-say-that-a-man-made-moon-voyage-will-never-occur/) [Lee De Forest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-de-forest/) ## More by Jonah Goldberg > [Not reassuring when weathermen say 'Today will be terrible but don't worry it won't be as terrible as tomorrow or Friday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/not-reassuring-when-weathermen-say-today-will-be-terrible-but-don-t/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [Are you a producer or a looter? If diversity were always and everywhere good we would be clamoring for more midgets in the NBA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/are-you-a-producer-or-a-looter-if-diversity-were-always-and/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [You can make a very good argument that society would be much worse off if you let 10 rapists and murderers free rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/you-can-make-a-very-good-argument-that-society-would-be-much-worse/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [“The nasty racism that infused the progressive eugenics of Margaret Sanger and others has largely melted away. But liberal fascists are still racist in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/the-nasty-racism-that-infused-the-progressive-eugenics-of-margaret/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [Liberals are Nazis, and Nazis are liberals. And if you don't agree with me, you're a Nazi too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/liberals-are-nazis-and-nazis-are-liberals-and-if-you-don-t-agree-with/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [I have always seen the Clinton Foundation - yes, they do a lot of charitable good works. But by my lights, the charitable good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/i-have-always-seen-the-clinton-foundation-yes-they-do-a-lot-of/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [(I)f France's righteous bloviating against war makes them your Dashboard Saint of International Integrity, it's either because you are sand-poundingly ignorant of how the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/i-f-france-s-righteous-bloviating-against-war-makes-them-your/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [(I)t is simply wrong to confuse cowardice with appeasement. Cowardice is a failing of character. Appeasement is a failure of policy. Stalin appeased Hitler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/i-t-is-simply-wrong-to-confuse-cowardice-with-appeasement-cowardice/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [Social distinctions tend to matter only at your own level and above.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/social-distinctions-tend-to-matter-only-at-your-own-level-and-above/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [The logical upshot of liberalism's hatred of hypocrisy is that it is better for the liar to champion lying, the glutton to advocate gluttony,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/the-logical-upshot-of-liberalism-s-hatred-of-hypocrisy-is-that-it-is/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [“No nation influenced American thinking more profoundly than Germany, W.E.B. DuBois, Charles Beard, Walter Weyl, Richard Ely, Richard Ely, Nicholas Murray Butler, and countless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/no-nation-influenced-american-thinking-more-profoundly-than-germany-w/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [In Europe and America alike, voters increasingly recognize that the benefits of the green revolution aren't worth the costs, particularly when the revolutionaries don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/in-europe-and-america-alike-voters-increasingly-recognize-that-the/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [“Tom Friedman says China is so awesome they make kosher pigs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/tom-friedman-says-china-is-so-awesome-they-make-kosher-pigs/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [Facts are mere speed bumps on the road to lefty moral outrage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/facts-are-mere-speed-bumps-on-the-road-to-lefty-moral-outrage/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [There was no intellectual movement in American history called social Darwinism. The people who were supposedly the leaders of the social Darwinist movement never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/there-was-no-intellectual-movement-in-american-history-called-social/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) [Explore all 171 Jonah Goldberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) ## More Politician quotes > [Thatcher was the best politician I have ever witnessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clarke/thatcher-was-the-best-politician-i-have-ever-witnessed/) [Kenneth Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clarke/) > [90% of politicians give the other 10% a bad name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/90-of-politicians-give-the-other-10-a-bad-name/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [In a world shaped and colored more and more by politicians, the nations meet politically, and hardly any other way to settle their differences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-priestley/in-a-world-shaped-and-colored-more-and-more-by-politicians-the/) [J. B. Priestley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-priestley/) > [Angela Merkel has been focused on the right things. She has focused on the interests of her citizens - and not just in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-trudeau/angela-merkel-has-been-focused-on-the-right-things-she-has-focused-on/) [Justin Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-trudeau/) > [The politician attempts to remedy the evil by increasing the very thing that caused the evil in the first place: legal plunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-politician-attempts-to-remedy-the-evil-by-increasing-the-very/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [Adam Clayton Powell's entire political career has to be looked at in the entire context of the American history and the history of, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/adam-clayton-powell-s-entire-political-career-has-to-be-looked-at-in/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“A man full of warm, speculative benevolence may wish his society otherwise constituted than he finds it; but a good patriot, and a true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/a-man-full-of-warm-speculative-benevolence-may-wish-his-society/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [I don't know a politician who enjoys fundraising. The system is such that the American people have lost faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-don-t-know-a-politician-who-enjoys-fundraising-the-system-is-such/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [I can get along great with the Hispanics. In fact, I sure would like to meet them, even the politicians, maybe in the back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-arpaio/i-can-get-along-great-with-the-hispanics-in-fact-i-sure-would-like-to/) [Joe Arpaio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-arpaio/) > [Professional politicians like to talk about the value of experience in government. Nuts! The only experience you gain in politics is how to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/professional-politicians-like-to-talk-about-the-value-of-experience/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Socialism is humanity's second nature. All politicians do is turn human vice into votes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilana-mercer/socialism-is-humanity-s-second-nature-all-politicians-do-is-turn/) [Ilana Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilana-mercer/) > [A statesman is a politician who has been dead ten or fifteen years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman-2/a-statesman-is-a-politician-who-has-been-dead-ten-or-fifteen-years/) [Harry S Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman-2/) > [In our system of government, the judicial and legislative branches have different roles. Judges are not politicians. Judges must decide cases, not champion causes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orrin-hatch/in-our-system-of-government-the-judicial-and-legislative-branches/) [Orrin Hatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orrin-hatch/) > [The president we have today is a typical Washington politician that's prone to hyperbole and decisiveness and false outrage. And I think it's very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/the-president-we-have-today-is-a-typical-washington-politician-that-s/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [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/) [Browse all 3,971 Politician quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Whenever you hear a politician start a sentence with, “If we can put a man on the moon . . . ,” grab your wallet.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jonah Goldberg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/whenever-you-hear-a-politician-start-a-sentence-with-if-we-can-put-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Politician" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/whenever-you-hear-a-politician-start-a-sentence-with-if-we-can-put-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/jonah-goldberg-2339_politician_whenever-you-hear-a-politician-start-a-s_488811.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/jonah-goldberg-2339_politician_whenever-you-hear-a-politician-start-a-s_488811.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/jonah-goldberg-2339_politician_whenever-you-hear-a-politician-start-a-s_488811.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Whenever you hear a politician start a sentence with, “If we can put a man on the moon . . . ,” grab your…” — Jonah Goldberg", "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": "Jonah Goldberg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Whenever you hear a politician start...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/whenever-you-hear-a-politician-start-a-sentence-with-if-we-can-put-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/whenever-you-hear-a-politician-start-a-sentence-with-if-we-can-put-a/#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 } } ] } ```