--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If Jeff Sessions had been an editor of…" description: "\"If Jeff Sessions had been an editor of something like \"Breitbart\", Ronald Reagan wouldn't have even nominated him.\" — Lawrence O'Donnell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a0/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_editors_if-jeff-sessions-had-been-an-editor-of-s_2215574.jpg" --- # If Jeff Sessions had been an editor of something like… ![“If Jeff Sessions had been an editor of something like "Breitbart", Ronald Reagan wouldn't have even nominated him.” quote by Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a0/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_editors_if-jeff-sessions-had-been-an-editor-of-s_2215574.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a0/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_editors_if-jeff-sessions-had-been-an-editor-of-s_2215574.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a0/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_editors_if-jeff-sessions-had-been-an-editor-of-s_2215574.jpg) > “If Jeff Sessions had been an editor of something like "Breitbart", Ronald Reagan wouldn't have even nominated him.” [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A political remark suggesting that a controversial media outlet would have prevented Reagan from appointing Sessions **In simple terms:** A media outlet could have blocked Reagan's nomination of Sessions Key Takeaway Consider media influence on political appointments Themes politics media appointment controversy Mood critical analytical Type commentary political When to use this quote - election campaigns - candidate vetting - public opinion formation Key Concepts political strategy media bias Questions to Reflect On - How does media shape political decisions? - Can media bias be mitigated? A Different Perspective Media influence is not absolute; other factors matter ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [ Now an American president like \[Ronald\] Reagan wouldn't have a meeting, wouldn't have a summit. He'd give 'em a warning and then - or… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/now-an-american-president-like-ronald-reagan-wouldn-t-have-a-meeting/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Someone who traffics in much more than what Jeff Sessions said back then will be with the president every day in the White House…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/someone-who-traffics-in-much-more-than-what-jeff-sessions-said-back/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [He addressed a black lawyer as "boy". That's why Jeff Sessions couldn't get through Senate confirmation process under the old rules followed by Democrats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/he-addressed-a-black-lawyer-as-boy-that-s-why-jeff-sessions-couldn-t/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [When Ronald Reagan nominated Jeff Sessions for federal district court judgeship, the Senate Judiciary Committee rejected his nomination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/when-ronald-reagan-nominated-jeff-sessions-for-federal-district-court/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Something the committee had not done in 50 years. Jeff Sessions is now the Chairman of the Committee that rejected him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/something-the-committee-had-not-done-in-50-years-jeff-sessions-is-now/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [According to the old rules, Senator Jeff Sessions could not be confirmed by the United States Senate because in fact he wasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/according-to-the-old-rules-senator-jeff-sessions-could-not-be/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [ I remember the first few months of the \[Ronald\] Reagan administration when all sorts of things happened too fast. We cannot allow that to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/i-remember-the-first-few-months-of-the-ronald-reagan-administration/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [There's a level of frustration and anger here in the United States that we're not prosecuting this war, and we're actually in discussions about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-k-bannon/there-s-a-level-of-frustration-and-anger-here-in-the-united-states/) [Stephen K. Bannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-k-bannon/) > [“I really think that if we don’t start caring about whether people tell the truth or not, it’s going to be literally impossible to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-really-think-that-if-we-don-t-start-caring-about-whether-people/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I think the Democrats are right to protest, but I don't think Jeff Sessions is so far out of the range of normalcy that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/i-think-the-democrats-are-right-to-protest-but-i-don-t-think-jeff/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [ I'm not as concerned about what Mr. \[Jeff\] Sessions expressed, except for the fact that he did say that, you know, these things would… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-sharpton/i-m-not-as-concerned-about-what-mr-jeff-sessions-expressed-except-for/) [Al Sharpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-sharpton/) > [I am not the Jeff Sessions my detractors have tried to create. I am not a racist. I am not insensitive to blacks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sessions/i-am-not-the-jeff-sessions-my-detractors-have-tried-to-create-i-am/) [Jeff Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sessions/) > [Jeff Sessions is the lone voice in the Senate...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/jeff-sessions-is-the-lone-voice-in-the-senate/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [ It does not appear, nor is there any reason to believe that \[ Jeff Sessions\] will put policing reform front and center in the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-sharpton/it-does-not-appear-nor-is-there-any-reason-to-believe-that-jeff/) [Al Sharpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-sharpton/) > [The case against Jeff Sessions was threadbare three decades ago. It's based on hearsay and innuendo and a joke he made about the Klan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-lowry/the-case-against-jeff-sessions-was-threadbare-three-decades-ago-it-s/) [Rich Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-lowry/) ## More by Lawrence O'Donnell > [All writers are forced to live within deadlines, and deadlines determine how good they can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/all-writers-are-forced-to-live-within-deadlines-and-deadlines/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [The question for the Republicans running the confirmation hearings in the United States Senate is whose rules are they going to use?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/the-question-for-the-republicans-running-the-confirmation-hearings-in/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Prosecutors have absolutely no control over what witnesses say when they leave the grand jury room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/prosecutors-have-absolutely-no-control-over-what-witnesses-say-when/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Because Republicans defected and voted with all the Democrats to reject Jeff Sessions' nomination when they discovered that when he was working as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/because-republicans-defected-and-voted-with-all-the-democrats-to/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [ In this case, the government will essentially be run by the people who are running it now. The top level \[Barack\] Obama appointees will… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/in-this-case-the-government-will-essentially-be-run-by-the-people-who/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [I've never understood the value of putting someone on television to lie, knowing that they're going to lie ahead of time, knowing that that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/i-ve-never-understood-the-value-of-putting-someone-on-television-to/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [The Trump view of immigration defies our history. Immigration is a transaction that has historically benefited the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/the-trump-view-of-immigration-defies-our-history-immigration-is-a/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [ I don't think anybody knows it was Russia that broke into the DNC. She \[Hillary Clinton\] is saying Russia, Russia, Russia. Maybe it was.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/i-don-t-think-anybody-knows-it-was-russia-that-broke-into-the-dnc-she/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [If a reader comes across a story that makes them cry, you can be sure that the writer felt every single thing that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/if-a-reader-comes-across-a-story-that-makes-them-cry-you-can-be-sure/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [National security advisors are not there to be advocates, generally. They're not there to be partisans, they're not there to be ideologues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/national-security-advisors-are-not-there-to-be-advocates-generally/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Never once has Republican world said hey, maybe we should look into how police officers are carrying out their solemn public responsibility to serve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/never-once-has-republican-world-said-hey-maybe-we-should-look-into/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [When Ronald Reagan nominated Jeff Sessions for federal district court judgeship, the Senate Judiciary Committee rejected his nomination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/when-ronald-reagan-nominated-jeff-sessions-for-federal-district-court/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Show business comes with wonderfully long vacations, like the life of a college professor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/show-business-comes-with-wonderfully-long-vacations-like-the-life-of/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [It is amazing that Jeff Sessions is still in the job. Any self-respecting Attorney General of the United States would have publicly resigned as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/it-is-amazing-that-jeff-sessions-is-still-in-the-job-any-self/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Melania Trump's husband tweeted this: "Arianna Huffington is unattractive both inside and out. I fully understand why her former husband left her for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/melania-trump-s-husband-tweeted-this-arianna-huffington-is/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) [Explore all 214 Lawrence O'Donnell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) ## More Editors quotes > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [God often hides His blessing in trouble or trial, which makes it all the sweeter when it comes our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/god-often-hides-his-blessing-in-trouble-or-trial-which-makes-it-all/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [My biggest advice would be to take the pictures you want to take. Don’t think about the marketplace, what sells or what an editor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lachapelle/my-biggest-advice-would-be-to-take-the-pictures-you-want-to-take-don/) [David LaChapelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lachapelle/) > [A perfect movie is a different thing, but a funny movie is easy. I was really happy that I got everyone that I got.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/a-perfect-movie-is-a-different-thing-but-a-funny-movie-is-easy-i-was/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [ I walked all around it \[the Guggenheim Bilbao\] and couldn't find one clear, clean shot. To make things worse, the weather was lousy. Nothing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-polidori/i-walked-all-around-it-the-guggenheim-bilbao-and-couldn-t-find-one/) [Robert Polidori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-polidori/) > [A moment I've been dreading. George brought his ne're-do-well son around this morning and asked me to find the kid a job. Not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/a-moment-i-ve-been-dreading-george-brought-his-ne-re-do-well-son/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Authors of published papers and editors of scientific journals can, unfortunately, be slow to come to terms with criticism, and it's good that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-gelman/authors-of-published-papers-and-editors-of-scientific-journals-can/) Andrew Gelman > [Democracy becomes a government of bullies tempered by editors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/democracy-becomes-a-government-of-bullies-tempered-by-editors/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [51% of the French people - who are not very religious - were thinking that what "Charlie Hebdo" did was unwise. They aren't asking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/51-of-the-french-people-who-are-not-very-religious-were-thinking-that/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [If you look at any list of great modern writers such as Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, you'll notice two things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/if-you-look-at-any-list-of-great-modern-writers-such-as-ernest/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Only kings, presidents, editors, and people with tapeworms have the right to use the editorial 'we.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/only-kings-presidents-editors-and-people-with-tapeworms-have-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [While I was still going to embrace social media, I knew I had to do things that nobody else was doing. I decided I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-edward/while-i-was-still-going-to-embrace-social-media-i-knew-i-had-to-do/) [Mark Edward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-edward/) > [My books have been translated into various languages and sold in other countries, but I never have any contact with the foreign publishers and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-zarr/my-books-have-been-translated-into-various-languages-and-sold-in/) [Sara Zarr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-zarr/) > [Every newspaper editor says the heart of the paper is the reporter - which is true - except for the pay!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-germond/every-newspaper-editor-says-the-heart-of-the-paper-is-the-reporter/) [Jack Germond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-germond/) Browse all 976 Editors quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If Jeff Sessions had been an editor of something like \"Breitbart\", Ronald Reagan wouldn't have even nominated him.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lawrence O'Donnell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/if-jeff-sessions-had-been-an-editor-of-something-like-breitbart/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Editors" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/if-jeff-sessions-had-been-an-editor-of-something-like-breitbart/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a0/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_editors_if-jeff-sessions-had-been-an-editor-of-s_2215574.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a0/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_editors_if-jeff-sessions-had-been-an-editor-of-s_2215574.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a0/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_editors_if-jeff-sessions-had-been-an-editor-of-s_2215574.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If Jeff Sessions had been an editor of something like \"Breitbart\", Ronald Reagan wouldn't have even…” — Lawrence O'Donnell", "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": "Lawrence O'Donnell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If Jeff Sessions had been an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/if-jeff-sessions-had-been-an-editor-of-something-like-breitbart/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/if-jeff-sessions-had-been-an-editor-of-something-like-breitbart/#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 } } ] } ```