--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I like Paul Ryan, and to a certain…" description: "\"I like Paul Ryan, and to a certain extent, I feel bad for him. But this is a moment of moral choice. And if he says that Hillary Clinton is worse than ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/keith-ellison-4072_absurd_i-like-paul-ryan-and-to-a-certain-extent_1780433.png" --- # I like Paul Ryan, and to a certain extent, I feel bad for… ![“I like Paul Ryan, and to a certain extent, I feel bad for him. But this is a moment of moral choice. And if he says that Hillary Clinton is worse than a openly racist, Muslim-hating misogynist who wants to build a wall to exclude Mexicans, who thinks that a judge, an American judge because of his…” quote by Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/keith-ellison-4072_absurd_i-like-paul-ryan-and-to-a-certain-extent_1780433.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/keith-ellison-4072_absurd_i-like-paul-ryan-and-to-a-certain-extent_1780433.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/keith-ellison-4072_absurd_i-like-paul-ryan-and-to-a-certain-extent_1780433.png) > “I like Paul Ryan, and to a certain extent, I feel bad for him. But this is a moment of moral choice. And if he says that Hillary Clinton is worse than a openly racist, Muslim-hating misogynist who wants to build a wall to exclude Mexicans, who thinks that a judge, an American judge because of his Mexican lineage cannot be fair to him, if you're saying that Hillary Clinton is worse than all that, then I just think that that just is ridiculous, it's absurd, and it really starts to damage the speaker's credibility.” [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. A critique of comparing political figures to extremist ideologies, warning it harms credibility. **In simple terms:** Comparing politicians to bigotry damages trust. Key Takeaway Use fair, factual comparisons in political discourse. Themes politics ethics credibility Mood critical concerned Type political analytical When to use this quote - debates - media commentary - public statements Key Concepts moral reasoning political rhetoric Questions to Reflect On - How can we discuss political flaws without hyperbole? - What impact does extreme comparison have on public trust? A Different Perspective Such comparisons may oversimplify complex issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurd/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Credibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/credibility/) [Mexican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mexican/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Racist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racist/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall/) ## Related quotes > [ I know it's absurd, but they're out saying so, and Hillary \[Clinton\] makes a big, big deal about climate change. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-know-it-s-absurd-but-they-re-out-saying-so-and-hillary-clinton/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Some people have made the argument, well, Donald Trump is bad, but Hillary Clinton may be worse, or there's really no difference. That's insane.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-nairn/some-people-have-made-the-argument-well-donald-trump-is-bad-but/) [Allan Nairn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-nairn/) > [A vast majority of the geographical area of the country would have been ignored during the campaign, and so the results would have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/a-vast-majority-of-the-geographical-area-of-the-country-would-have/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I think that Paul Ryan could be a great leader for our country. But I think that he is in a moral choice moment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/i-think-that-paul-ryan-could-be-a-great-leader-for-our-country-but-i/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [Unlike so many other conservative politicians, Paul Ryan doesn't duck from answering questions about the reality of our entitlement problem. Ryan doesn't only provide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-cain/unlike-so-many-other-conservative-politicians-paul-ryan-doesn-t-duck/) [Will Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-cain/) > [Analysts may be correct that the presidential election won't primarily turn on entitlements reform, but by choosing Paul Ryan as his running mate, Mitt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-limbaugh/analysts-may-be-correct-that-the-presidential-election-won-t/) [David Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-limbaugh/) > [Donald Trump said he doesn't care about Paul Ryan's support, he doesn't want Paul Ryan's support, that he might be better off without Paul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anderson-cooper/donald-trump-said-he-doesn-t-care-about-paul-ryan-s-support-he-doesn/) [Anderson Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anderson-cooper/) > [If Trump wins, the only thing blocking complete implementation of the programs of Trump, Paul Ryan, the Koch brothers, etc., is the Senate filibuster…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-nairn/if-trump-wins-the-only-thing-blocking-complete-implementation-of-the/) [Allan Nairn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-nairn/) > [I'm very happy that Paul Ryan has decided to treat Donald Trump like a Zika mosquito: avoid contact, or you will be infected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-navarro/i-m-very-happy-that-paul-ryan-has-decided-to-treat-donald-trump-like/) [Ana Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-navarro/) > [People who know Paul Ryan say, 'He will be president one day.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/people-who-know-paul-ryan-say-he-will-be-president-one-day/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [“Libertarianism used to have a robust left wing as well. Both disliked government. Both were driven by a fantastically nostalgic conviction that a country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-andersen/libertarianism-used-to-have-a-robust-left-wing-as-well-both-disliked/) [Kurt Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-andersen/) > [Paul Ryan needs to step down as Speaker of the House.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanine-pirro/paul-ryan-needs-to-step-down-as-speaker-of-the-house/) [Jeanine Pirro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanine-pirro/) > [Too bad that Paul Ryan confessed to being a fan of Rage Against The Machine. By doing so, he not only begged for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/too-bad-that-paul-ryan-confessed-to-being-a-fan-of-rage-against-the/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I don't want to sit here and disparage Paul Ryan the man, because he's a good guy. He's a moral person. He's a decent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-schmidt/i-don-t-want-to-sit-here-and-disparage-paul-ryan-the-man-because-he-s/) [Steve Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-schmidt/) > [So in our shared mission to make America great again, I support and endorse our Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/so-in-our-shared-mission-to-make-america-great-again-i-support-and/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) ## 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 Absurd quotes > [“It seem absurd to me that they don't know, haven't felt any change or tremor, even as my life has been completely turned upside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-seem-absurd-to-me-that-they-don-t-know-haven-t-felt-any-change-or/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [When a person’s tongue is extensively wrong, it is absurd, no less than unscriptural, to say that their heart is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle/when-a-person-s-tongue-is-extensively-wrong-it-is-absurd-no-less-than/) [J. C. Ryle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-ryle/) > [Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/every-sensible-man-every-honorable-man-must-hold-the-christian-sect/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [It is human nature to think wisely and to act in an absurd fashion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/it-is-human-nature-to-think-wisely-and-to-act-in-an-absurd-fashion/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [It is a dangerous and fateful presumption, besides the absurd temerity that it implies, to disdain what we do not comprehend. For after you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-a-dangerous-and-fateful-presumption-besides-the-absurd-temerity/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I thought to myself: if it’s true that every person has a star in the sky, mine must be distant, dim, and absurd. Perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadegh-hedayat/i-thought-to-myself-if-it-s-true-that-every-person-has-a-star-in-the/) [Sadegh Hedayat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadegh-hedayat/) > [If, indeed, a firearm were more dangerous to its possessors than to potential aggressors, would it not make sense for the government to arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/if-indeed-a-firearm-were-more-dangerous-to-its-possessors-than-to/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [“You were torturing a cat," she says. "With a freaking prod." "A prod I built myself in metal shop," he says. "But of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-were-torturing-a-cat-she-says-with-a-freaking-prod-a-prod-i-built/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [I have never heard enough classical music to be able to enjoy it; & the simple truth is, I detest it. Not mildly, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-have-never-heard-enough-classical-music-to-be-able-to-enjoy-it-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [To deprecate human reason by saying that none of us is or can be omniscient is absurd, for it takes an impossible standard as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/to-deprecate-human-reason-by-saying-that-none-of-us-is-or-can-be/) [Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/) > [“Rachel got up and did this happy little shuffle, like she was some cheerful farmer chick who'd just stepped outside to find the hick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/rachel-got-up-and-did-this-happy-little-shuffle-like-she-was-some/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [The absurd duty, too often inculcated, of obeying a parent only on account of his being a parent, shackles the mind, and prepares it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft/the-absurd-duty-too-often-inculcated-of-obeying-a-parent-only-on/) [Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft/) > [The workman of today works every day in his life at the same tasks, and this fate is no less absurd. But it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-workman-of-today-works-every-day-in-his-life-at-the-same-tasks/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I was once part of a Christmas cabaret. I sang 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.' I tap-danced. I had a ten-gallon hat. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dinklage/i-was-once-part-of-a-christmas-cabaret-i-sang-i-saw-mommy-kissing/) [Peter Dinklage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dinklage/) > [Solitude produces originality, bold and astonishing beauty, poetry. But solitude also produces perverseness, the disproportianate, the absurd and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mann/solitude-produces-originality-bold-and-astonishing-beauty-poetry-but/) [Thomas Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mann/) [Browse all 1,644 Absurd quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurd/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I like Paul Ryan, and to a certain extent, I feel bad for him. But this is a moment of moral choice. And if he says that Hillary Clinton is worse than a openly racist, Muslim-hating misogynist who wants to build a wall to exclude Mexicans, who thinks that a judge, an American judge because of his Mexican lineage cannot be fair to him, if you're saying that Hillary Clinton is worse than all that, then I just think that that just is ridiculous, it's absurd, and it really starts to damage the speaker's credibility.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Keith Ellison" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/i-like-paul-ryan-and-to-a-certain-extent-i-feel-bad-for-him-but-this/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Absurd" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/i-like-paul-ryan-and-to-a-certain-extent-i-feel-bad-for-him-but-this/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/keith-ellison-4072_absurd_i-like-paul-ryan-and-to-a-certain-extent_1780433.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/keith-ellison-4072_absurd_i-like-paul-ryan-and-to-a-certain-extent_1780433.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/keith-ellison-4072_absurd_i-like-paul-ryan-and-to-a-certain-extent_1780433.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I like Paul Ryan, and to a certain extent, I feel bad for him. 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