--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is as if Clinton had called one of the…" description: "\"It is as if Clinton had called one of the most respected character witnesses in all of U.S. history to testify that the primal urge has a most distingu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/746/joseph-j-ellis-13690_character_it-is-as-if-clinton-had-called-one-of-th_2937937.jpg" --- # It is as if Clinton had called one of the most respected… ![“It is as if Clinton had called one of the most respected character witnesses in all of U.S. history to testify that the primal urge has a most distinguished presidential pedigree.” quote by Joseph J. Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/746/joseph-j-ellis-13690_character_it-is-as-if-clinton-had-called-one-of-th_2937937.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/746/joseph-j-ellis-13690_character_it-is-as-if-clinton-had-called-one-of-th_2937937.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/746/joseph-j-ellis-13690_character_it-is-as-if-clinton-had-called-one-of-th_2937937.jpg) > “It is as if Clinton had called one of the most respected character witnesses in all of U.S. history to testify that the primal urge has a most distinguished presidential pedigree.” [Joseph J. Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-ellis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Clinton’s character witness highlights that even presidents share primal, human urges, linking personal flaws to leadership. **In simple terms:** Presidents share basic human drives. Key Takeaway Acknowledge leaders’ humanity. Themes politics leadership human nature character history Mood analytical critical Type historical political When to use this quote - election analysis - leadership training - public speaking Key Concepts political science psychology biography Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance accountability with empathy? A Different Perspective Does focusing on flaws undermine respect? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Respected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respected/) [Witnesses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witnesses/) ## Related quotes > [Hillary Clinton called President Assad a "reformer". She called Assad a "different kind of leader". 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Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-ellis/) > [“The first symptom of the trouble appeared when Madison studied Hamilton’s proposal for the funding of the domestic debt. On the one hand, Hamilton’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-ellis/the-first-symptom-of-the-trouble-appeared-when-madison-studied/) [Joseph J. Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-ellis/) > [“But if insecurity was the primal source of Hamilton's incredibly energy, one would have to conclude that providence had conspired to produce at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-ellis/but-if-insecurity-was-the-primal-source-of-hamilton-s-incredibly/) [Joseph J. 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