--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think anybody who has been in…" description: "\"I think anybody who has been in Washington for almost 40 years has been there too long.\" — Kelli Ward" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/kelli-ward-85511_has-beens_i-think-anybody-who-has-been-in-washingt_531062.jpg" --- # I think anybody who has been in Washington for almost 40… ![“I think anybody who has been in Washington for almost 40 years has been there too long.” quote by Kelli Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/kelli-ward-85511_has-beens_i-think-anybody-who-has-been-in-washingt_531062.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/kelli-ward-85511_has-beens_i-think-anybody-who-has-been-in-washingt_531062.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/kelli-ward-85511_has-beens_i-think-anybody-who-has-been-in-washingt_531062.jpg) > “I think anybody who has been in Washington for almost 40 years has been there too long.” [Kelli Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-ward/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Long tenure in a political hub can cause detachment and bias, reducing fresh perspective. **In simple terms:** Too long in Washington leads to stale views. Key Takeaway Seek new viewpoints, avoid echo chambers. Themes politics experience bias Mood critical thoughtful Type analysis political When to use this quote - policy making - campaign strategy - media commentary Key Concepts institutional inertia career longevity Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay objective after many years? - What fresh ideas can revitalize long-term service? A Different Perspective Experience can also bring valuable insight; balance is needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [40 Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/40-years/) [Anybody Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anybody-washington-2402504/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Too long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-long/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/washington/) [Washington 40](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/washington-40-2905503/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-long/) ## Related quotes > [I did my 40 years in Washington, 40-plus, and it's time to pause and reflect and think about what I've seen and done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/i-did-my-40-years-in-washington-40-plus-and-it-s-time-to-pause-and/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [Every time anybody in Washington talks about legal status, amnesty, anything of that nature, it becomes a magnet that lures people in quickly into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-gohmert/every-time-anybody-in-washington-talks-about-legal-status-amnesty/) [Louie Gohmert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-gohmert/) > [A career of nearly 40 years, is not very long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/a-career-of-nearly-40-years-is-not-very-long/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [You know, one thing I've learned over 40 years is that when you have jobs in Washington, you do it day by day and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/you-know-one-thing-i-ve-learned-over-40-years-is-that-when-you-have/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [We have for too long put vast oil and natural gas reserves off limits to exploration and production, as The Washington Post editorial stated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-costa/we-have-for-too-long-put-vast-oil-and-natural-gas-reserves-off-limits/) [Jim Costa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-costa/) > [“Twenty years was a long time. But Tengo knew that if he were to meet Aomame in another twenty years, he would feel the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/twenty-years-was-a-long-time-but-tengo-knew-that-if-he-were-to-meet/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“If only. Isn’t that what we all ask ourselves at one time or another? If I had to guess, the question of if only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-matayo/if-only-isn-t-that-what-we-all-ask-ourselves-at-one-time-or-another/) [Amy Matayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-matayo/) > [I have not had a drink for four years, which for me is a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-mcgillis/i-have-not-had-a-drink-for-four-years-which-for-me-is-a-long-time/) [Kelly McGillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-mcgillis/) > [and I circle ten thousand years long; And I still don't know if I'm a falcon, a storm, or an unfinished song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/and-i-circle-ten-thousand-years-long-and-i-still-don-t-know-if-i-m-a/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [I still love what I do and I've done OK over the years ... You're a long time retired and anyway, I'd get bored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-cummings/i-still-love-what-i-do-and-i-ve-done-ok-over-the-years-you-re-a-long/) [Bart Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-cummings/) > [Love lasts about seven years. That's how long it takes for the cells of the body to totally replace themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-lasts-about-seven-years-that-s-how-long-it-takes-for-the-cells/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm there for 15 years - there's no one else for that long in the UFC. I'm grateful for everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mauricio-rua/i-m-there-for-15-years-there-s-no-one-else-for-that-long-in-the-ufc-i/) [Mauricio Rua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mauricio-rua/) > [Although I was only 25 years old, I had been at Chelsea for five years. So, I was there long enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar/although-i-was-only-25-years-old-i-had-been-at-chelsea-for-five-years/) [Oscar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar/) > [Four years is a long time. You really get to know somebody in that time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-oubre-jr/four-years-is-a-long-time-you-really-get-to-know-somebody-in-that-time/) [Kelly Oubre, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-oubre-jr/) > [At college, I felt frustrated thinking three years was a long time and I just wanted a job but afterwards I was in employment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bailey/at-college-i-felt-frustrated-thinking-three-years-was-a-long-time-and/) [Bill Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bailey/) ## More by Kelli Ward > [John McCain is falling down on the job. He has gotten weak. He has gotten old. I do want to wish him a happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-ward/john-mccain-is-falling-down-on-the-job-he-has-gotten-weak-he-has/) [Kelli Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-ward/) > [I'm a physician. I see the physiological changes that happen in normal aging, in patients again and again and again over the last 20,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-ward/i-m-a-physician-i-see-the-physiological-changes-that-happen-in-normal/) [Kelli Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-ward/) [Explore all 3 Kelli Ward quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-ward/) ## More Has beens quotes > [Whatever meaning 'Annie's Song' had for me on a personal level, there was also a larger context. It could just as easily have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-denver/whatever-meaning-annie-s-song-had-for-me-on-a-personal-level-there/) [John Denver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-denver/) > [In the entire history of the universe, let alone in your own history, there has never been another day just like today, and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/in-the-entire-history-of-the-universe-let-alone-in-your-own-history/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [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 find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Gambling has held human beings in thrall for millennia. It has been engaged in everywhere, from the dregs of society to the most respectable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-bernstein/gambling-has-held-human-beings-in-thrall-for-millennia-it-has-been/) [Peter L. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-bernstein/) > [And I have been very blessed, having coached some of the greatest that have ever played the game. But if I had to start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-auerbach/and-i-have-been-very-blessed-having-coached-some-of-the-greatest-that/) [Red Auerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-auerbach/) > [My folks tried to make a preacher of me and missed by a narrow margin… I would have made a good one if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/my-folks-tried-to-make-a-preacher-of-me-and-missed-by-a-narrow-margin/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Here's the reality. The image of a white Jesus has been used to justify enslavement, conquest, colonialism, the genocide of indigenous peoples. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/here-s-the-reality-the-image-of-a-white-jesus-has-been-used-to/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [A lot of people have been saying 'The 100' reminds them of 'Lord Of The Flies,' 'Lost' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' and all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-avgeropoulos/a-lot-of-people-have-been-saying-the-100-reminds-them-of-lord-of-the/) [Marie Avgeropoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-avgeropoulos/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [During the last 17 years... I have been working at the restoration of a once exhausted hillside. Its scars are now healed over, though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/during-the-last-17-years-i-have-been-working-at-the-restoration-of-a/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) > [The world's history is a divine poem, of which the history of every nation is a canto, and every man a word. Its strains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/the-world-s-history-is-a-divine-poem-of-which-the-history-of-every/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) [Browse all 17,972 Has beens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think anybody who has been in Washington for almost 40 years has been there too long.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kelli Ward" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-ward/i-think-anybody-who-has-been-in-washington-for-almost-40-years-has/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Has beens" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-ward/i-think-anybody-who-has-been-in-washington-for-almost-40-years-has/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/kelli-ward-85511_has-beens_i-think-anybody-who-has-been-in-washingt_531062.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/kelli-ward-85511_has-beens_i-think-anybody-who-has-been-in-washingt_531062.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/kelli-ward-85511_has-beens_i-think-anybody-who-has-been-in-washingt_531062.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think anybody who has been in Washington for almost 40 years has been there too long.” — Kelli Ward", "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": "Kelli Ward", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-ward/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think anybody who has been...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-ward/i-think-anybody-who-has-been-in-washington-for-almost-40-years-has/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-ward/i-think-anybody-who-has-been-in-washington-for-almost-40-years-has/#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 } } ] } ```