--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I do believe that we should have to…" description: "\"I do believe that we should have to - make the voters first; not the donors first.\" — Keith Ellison" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/734/keith-ellison-4072_believe_i-do-believe-that-we-should-have-to-make_1841019.png" --- # I do believe that we should have to - make the voters… ![“I do believe that we should have to - make the voters first; not the donors first.” quote by Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/734/keith-ellison-4072_believe_i-do-believe-that-we-should-have-to-make_1841019.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/734/keith-ellison-4072_believe_i-do-believe-that-we-should-have-to-make_1841019.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/734/keith-ellison-4072_believe_i-do-believe-that-we-should-have-to-make_1841019.png) > “I do believe that we should have to - make the voters first; not the donors first.” [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He argues that voters should be prioritized over donors in political decision‑making. **In simple terms:** Voters first, donors later. Key Takeaway Prioritize electorate over money. Themes democracy politics funding Mood determined urgent Type political activist When to use this quote - elections - policy advocacy - grassroots organizing Key Concepts campaign finance citizen engagement Questions to Reflect On - How can we reduce donor sway? - What reforms ensure voter power? A Different Perspective Money influences politics heavily. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Donors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/donors/) [Voters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voters/) ## Related quotes > [It used to be that you could have fun with interviews with the foreign press, knowing that nothing you said would make it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-estrich/it-used-to-be-that-you-could-have-fun-with-interviews-with-the/) [Susan Estrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-estrich/) > [Hillary Clinton is got to make the case for herself that nobody else can make, and for voters to see somebody who looks more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-walter/hillary-clinton-is-got-to-make-the-case-for-herself-that-nobody-else/) [Amy Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-walter/) > [I love the donors and we thank them, but it has to be that the guys in the barber shop, the lady at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/i-love-the-donors-and-we-thank-them-but-it-has-to-be-that-the-guys-in/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [I'm particularly good at turnout. So in my district, I had the lowest voter turnout in 2006.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/i-m-particularly-good-at-turnout-so-in-my-district-i-had-the-lowest-2/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [I'm particularly good at turnout. So in my district, I had the lowest voter turnout in 2006. And now I have the highest turnout…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/i-m-particularly-good-at-turnout-so-in-my-district-i-had-the-lowest/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [“If thousand people say you can't, and you alone believe you can, you will make it happen! But if million people say you can,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/if-thousand-people-say-you-can-t-and-you-alone-believe-you-can-you/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“when we believe in ourselves that we will make it in life we doubt sometimes if it is really possible that is why most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solex-trix/when-we-believe-in-ourselves-that-we-will-make-it-in-life-we-doubt/) Solex Trix > [“You are what you believe you are.We make images in our minds of what will be based on what we believe or want, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-d-randle/you-are-what-you-believe-you-are-we-make-images-in-our-minds-of-what/) [Kristen D. Randle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-d-randle/) > [I believe to make yourself original and to stand out from the rest of the bunch you need to do something different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cher-lloyd/i-believe-to-make-yourself-original-and-to-stand-out-from-the-rest-of/) [Cher Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cher-lloyd/) > [You might not believe it...but you make the world a better place when you smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/you-might-not-believe-it-but-you-make-the-world-a-better-place-when/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [If you believe in yourself you can make yourself whatever you want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lea-michele/if-you-believe-in-yourself-you-can-make-yourself-whatever-you-want-to/) [Lea Michele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lea-michele/) > [Believe in yourself.Make your dream your passion. Find a way around & strive to make it happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/believe-in-yourself-make-your-dream-your-passion-find-a-way-around/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [If you believe you can make a living as a writer, you already have enough ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brin/if-you-believe-you-can-make-a-living-as-a-writer-you-already-have/) [David Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brin/) > [Dare to believe that you make a significant difference in our world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-arcuri/dare-to-believe-that-you-make-a-significant-difference-in-our-world/) [Dana Arcuri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-arcuri/) > [Its hard to believe someone, when they make so many excuses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vannyrae/its-hard-to-believe-someone-when-they-make-so-many-excuses/) VannyRae ## More by Keith Ellison > [If you put everything, your heart and soul into a campaign, it might take you a while to come around to the realization that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/if-you-put-everything-your-heart-and-soul-into-a-campaign-it-might/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [I think that you need all perspectives to reflect the needs of the country. If you only give people one perspective, inputting their views…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/i-think-that-you-need-all-perspectives-to-reflect-the-needs-of-the/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [I've been winning with 70 percent of the vote, and if you look at my district, you know it's a majority Christian district, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/i-ve-been-winning-with-70-percent-of-the-vote-and-if-you-look-at-my/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [If you ignore somebody's record and only focus on something that happened 25 years ago when all they were doing even then was trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/if-you-ignore-somebody-s-record-and-only-focus-on-something-that/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [When you're a leader, you cannot ignore parts of your constituency, even if you know they're not going to vote for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/when-you-re-a-leader-you-cannot-ignore-parts-of-your-constituency/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [We need a strong farm bill that gives assistance to farmers during times of drought, creates markets for local goods, protects our environment, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/we-need-a-strong-farm-bill-that-gives-assistance-to-farmers-during/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [Donald Trump was tainted every kind of way you could imagine. I mean, no way in the world that Donald Trump is a champion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/donald-trump-was-tainted-every-kind-of-way-you-could-imagine-i-mean/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [The middle class should not continue to foot the bill for tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/the-middle-class-should-not-continue-to-foot-the-bill-for-tax-breaks/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [I think that Donald Trump picked on people's fears, their anxieties and he gave them somebody to blame, and some folks just really turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/i-think-that-donald-trump-picked-on-people-s-fears-their-anxieties/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [I've been talking to people all over the country, city council members, grassroots leaders, party leaders, members in Congress - and you know what?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/i-ve-been-talking-to-people-all-over-the-country-city-council-members/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [I love the donors and we thank them, but it has to be that the guys in the barber shop, the lady at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/i-love-the-donors-and-we-thank-them-but-it-has-to-be-that-the-guys-in/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [I'm particularly good at turnout. So in my district, I had the lowest voter turnout in 2006. And now I have the highest turnout…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/i-m-particularly-good-at-turnout-so-in-my-district-i-had-the-lowest/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [I want to avoid sounding like I'm criticizing because I don't have all the facts in front of me yet. And I am trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/i-want-to-avoid-sounding-like-i-m-criticizing-because-i-don-t-have/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [ “\[Martin Luther King\] said that little black boys and little black girls would be able to join hands with little white boys and little… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/martin-luther-king-said-that-little-black-boys-and-little-black-girls/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [“America operates under the notion of equality before the law. Basic fairness is an article of faith. We may not agree on everything all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/america-operates-under-the-notion-of-equality-before-the-law-basic/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) [Explore all 116 Keith Ellison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I do believe that we should have to - make the voters first; not the donors first.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Keith Ellison" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/i-do-believe-that-we-should-have-to-make-the-voters-first-not-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/i-do-believe-that-we-should-have-to-make-the-voters-first-not-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/734/keith-ellison-4072_believe_i-do-believe-that-we-should-have-to-make_1841019.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/734/keith-ellison-4072_believe_i-do-believe-that-we-should-have-to-make_1841019.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/734/keith-ellison-4072_believe_i-do-believe-that-we-should-have-to-make_1841019.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I do believe that we should have to - make the voters first; not the donors first.” — Keith Ellison", "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": "Keith Ellison", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I do believe that we should...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/i-do-believe-that-we-should-have-to-make-the-voters-first-not-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/i-do-believe-that-we-should-have-to-make-the-voters-first-not-the/#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 } } ] } ```