---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The one thing I think we learned this…"
description: "\"The one thing I think we learned this year is that the Democrats and the Republicans are completely worthless.\" — Lewis Black"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e6/lewis-black-1143_democrat_the-one-thing-i-think-we-learned-this-ye_2841867.png"
---

#  The one thing I think we learned this year is that the…

![“The one thing I think we learned this year is that the Democrats and the Republicans are completely worthless.” quote by Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e6/lewis-black-1143_democrat_the-one-thing-i-think-we-learned-this-ye_2841867.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e6/lewis-black-1143_democrat_the-one-thing-i-think-we-learned-this-ye_2841867.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e6/lewis-black-1143_democrat_the-one-thing-i-think-we-learned-this-ye_2841867.png)

> “The one thing I think we learned this year is that the Democrats and the Republicans are completely worthless.”

[Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A cynical view that both major US political parties have become ineffective.

**In simple terms:** Democrats and Republicans are worthless.

Key Takeaway

Seek alternatives beyond traditional parties.

Themes

politics disillusionment partisanship civic engagement societal critique

Mood

skeptical critical

Type

political social

When to use this quote

- voting decisions
- activism
- public debates
- media consumption

Key Concepts

political theory public policy democratic reform

Questions to Reflect On

- What causes political disillusionment?
- How can citizens effect change outside parties?

A Different Perspective

Some may argue one party still offers value.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Democrat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democrat/) [Democrats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democrats/) [Democrats Republicans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democrats-republicans/) [One thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-thing/) [Republican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republican/) [Republicans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republicans/) [Republicans Completely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republicans-completely-3730211/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Worthless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worthless/) [Year Democrats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/year-democrats-2472010/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/)

## Related quotes

> [During consideration in the Education and the Workforce Committee this year, Democrats and Republicans worked constructively together to improve the delivery of Head Start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-roybal-allard/during-consideration-in-the-education-and-the-workforce-committee/)

[Lucille Roybal-Allard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-roybal-allard/)

> [Most people don't see themselves as Democrats or Republicans. They see themselves as Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/most-people-don-t-see-themselves-as-democrats-or-republicans-they-see/)

[Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/)

> [Republicans are completely befuddled by Obama's 'star power' and don't seem to have a clear or effective strategy to compete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/republicans-are-completely-befuddled-by-obama-s-star-power-and-don-t/)

[Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/)

> [I do believe that 2016 is going to be a great year for Democrats... because we are right on the key issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lincoln-chafee/i-do-believe-that-2016-is-going-to-be-a-great-year-for-democrats/)

[Lincoln Chafee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lincoln-chafee/)

> [I voted Republican this year; the Democrats left a bad taste in my mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-lewinsky/i-voted-republican-this-year-the-democrats-left-a-bad-taste-in-my/)

[Monica Lewinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-lewinsky/)

> [Today we voted as Democrats and Republicans. Tomorrow we begin again as New Yorkers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/today-we-voted-as-democrats-and-republicans-tomorrow-we-begin-again/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [The way I've gotten things done is by working with Democrats and Republicans. I worked with Jay Rockefeller, for example, on highway safety issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-dewine/the-way-i-ve-gotten-things-done-is-by-working-with-democrats-and/)

[Mike DeWine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-dewine/)

> [I'm of the school that you've got to show a distinction between Democrats and Republicans. And in order to have the base energized, you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-inhofe/i-m-of-the-school-that-you-ve-got-to-show-a-distinction-between/)

[Jim Inhofe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-inhofe/)

> [Democrats and Republicans love Israel and all of us care about the existential threat to Israel from Iran.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-harman/democrats-and-republicans-love-israel-and-all-of-us-care-about-the/)

[Jane Harman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-harman/)

> [as a lobbyist he had long ago concluded there was no difference in how Democrats and Republicans conducted the business of government. The game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hiaasen/as-a-lobbyist-he-had-long-ago-concluded-there-was-no-difference-in/)

[Carl Hiaasen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-hiaasen/)

> [Walt Shaub is a dedicated public servant, has come up through the ranks under both Democrats and Republicans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reince-priebus/walt-shaub-is-a-dedicated-public-servant-has-come-up-through-the/)

[Reince Priebus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reince-priebus/)

> [That's not saying there's not a bunch of good Democrats. I'm sure there's a lot of people who still haven't figured that out yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-mcgruder/that-s-not-saying-there-s-not-a-bunch-of-good-democrats-i-m-sure/)

[Aaron McGruder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-mcgruder/)

> [Democrats are holistically bad at politics. They don't know how to fight in the way Republicans do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/democrats-are-holistically-bad-at-politics-they-don-t-know-how-to/)

[Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/)

> [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

## More by Lewis Black

> [I think one reason people play golf is it allows them to obsess about something other than the daily crap. It takes your mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/i-think-one-reason-people-play-golf-is-it-allows-them-to-obsess-about/)

[Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/)

> [If you're going to vote for somebody because you think they have a great faith in God, you'd better be sure that God has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/if-you-re-going-to-vote-for-somebody-because-you-think-they-have-a/)

[Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/)

> [I think that I don't panic as much as the folks on the left or the right do. I don't have that sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/i-think-that-i-don-t-panic-as-much-as-the-folks-on-the-left-or-the/)

[Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/)

> [“I don't know if you've noticed, but our two-party system is a bowl of shit looking at itself in the mirror.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/i-don-t-know-if-you-ve-noticed-but-our-two-party-system-is-a-bowl-of/)

[Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/)

> [These ballot initiatives against same sex marriage remind us that America is the land where people are free to dream whatever they want, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/these-ballot-initiatives-against-same-sex-marriage-remind-us-that/)

[Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/)

> [If you're going to pick a book and you want to base a system of government around it, why not 'Harry Potter?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/if-you-re-going-to-pick-a-book-and-you-want-to-base-a-system-of/)

[Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/)

> [No matter what, your parents are going to worry about you. I had a tour bus, and my mother still thought I was broke.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/no-matter-what-your-parents-are-going-to-worry-about-you-i-had-a-tour/)

[Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/)

> [I'm always amazed when I hear people saying, "That George Bush, he's a great leader". And I wonder, where can one find a drug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/i-m-always-amazed-when-i-hear-people-saying-that-george-bush-he-s-a/)

[Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/)

> [I knew that I'd lived in New York too long when, a few years ago, I was on a subway going downtown, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/i-knew-that-i-d-lived-in-new-york-too-long-when-a-few-years-ago-i-was/)

[Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/)

> [If you're seeing a psychiatrist, you're wasting money because all you've got to do is get on a plane, get on a subway tomorrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/if-you-re-seeing-a-psychiatrist-you-re-wasting-money-because-all-you/)

[Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/)

> [Well first of all, I'd just like to say that 2005 was a great year, if you like swimming through crap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/well-first-of-all-i-d-just-like-to-say-that-2005-was-a-great-year-if/)

[Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/)

> [I'd like the campaigning to be about all the things they're not going to do. Just tell me what you're not going do! Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/i-d-like-the-campaigning-to-be-about-all-the-things-they-re-not-going/)

[Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/)

> [All food is comfort food. Maybe I just like to chew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/all-food-is-comfort-food-maybe-i-just-like-to-chew/)

[Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/)

> [Johnny Vassilaros is the man who has created the finest cup of coffee ever served in the city of New York.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/johnny-vassilaros-is-the-man-who-has-created-the-finest-cup-of-coffee/)

[Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/)

> [“At seven p.m., hope is sparked again when some new chirpy airline employee announces that a new plane without that nasty mechanical problem -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/at-seven-p-m-hope-is-sparked-again-when-some-new-chirpy-airline/)

[Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/)

[Explore all 283 Lewis Black quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/)

## More Democrat quotes

> [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [I know of not one Republican candidate that would not appear publicly with Mitt Romney and I know many Democrats that don't even want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-sessions/i-know-of-not-one-republican-candidate-that-would-not-appear-publicly/)

[Pete Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-sessions/)

> [I can tell you this. It is not going to be evenly constituted and when she was Speaker Pelosi, she certainly showed no interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trey-gowdy/i-can-tell-you-this-it-is-not-going-to-be-evenly-constituted-and-when/)

[Trey Gowdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trey-gowdy/)

> [Remember that Abraham Lincoln was a Whig far longer than he was a Republican. As a whole, the Whigs looked upon banks and corporations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-c-guelzo/remember-that-abraham-lincoln-was-a-whig-far-longer-than-he-was-a/)

[Allen C. Guelzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-c-guelzo/)

> [I can't see the Democrats working with Donald Trump on tax reform unless the rich get soaked. The thing about this that should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-can-t-see-the-democrats-working-with-donald-trump-on-tax-reform/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [The Democrats and the Republicans are equally corrupt where money is concerned. It's only in the amount where the Republicans excel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-democrats-and-the-republicans-are-equally-corrupt-where-money-is/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

> [“A Republican is a man who wants you to go t'church every Sunday. A Democrat says if a man wants to have a glass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-abbott/a-republican-is-a-man-who-wants-you-to-go-t-church-every-sunday-a/)

[Karen Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-abbott/)

> [The Democrats in particular are do-nothing guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-george-peterson/the-democrats-in-particular-are-do-nothing-guys/)

[Peter George Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-george-peterson/)

> [The Democrats said, "We don't know what's wrong with America, but we can fix it." The Republicans said, "There's nothing wrong with America, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/the-democrats-said-we-don-t-know-what-s-wrong-with-america-but-we-can/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [I will not be a Democrat or a Republican. They are the problem, not the solution. We need to abolish political parties in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/i-will-not-be-a-democrat-or-a-republican-they-are-the-problem-not-the/)

[Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/)

> [Let's be honest, if the Democrats didn't support ignoring our nation's immigration laws, there is no way they could win the presidency or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/let-s-be-honest-if-the-democrats-didn-t-support-ignoring-our-nation-s/)

[Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/)

> [I'm a growth-is-good Democrat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-gabrieli/i-m-a-growth-is-good-democrat/)

[Chris Gabrieli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-gabrieli/)

> [The Democrats have been there for working people in our country. That's who we are, trickle-down vs. middle-class economics. That's the major difference between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/the-democrats-have-been-there-for-working-people-in-our-country-that/)

[Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/)

> [Once you convince people that they're victims, you really own them because you've just told them that whatever problems they have in life, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/once-you-convince-people-that-they-re-victims-you-really-own-them/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

[Browse all 2,519 Democrat quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democrat/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The one thing I think we learned this year is that the Democrats and the Republicans are completely worthless.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Lewis Black"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/the-one-thing-i-think-we-learned-this-year-is-that-the-democrats-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Democrat"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/the-one-thing-i-think-we-learned-this-year-is-that-the-democrats-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e6/lewis-black-1143_democrat_the-one-thing-i-think-we-learned-this-ye_2841867.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e6/lewis-black-1143_democrat_the-one-thing-i-think-we-learned-this-ye_2841867.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e6/lewis-black-1143_democrat_the-one-thing-i-think-we-learned-this-ye_2841867.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The one thing I think we learned this year is that the Democrats and the Republicans are completely worthless.” — Lewis Black",
                "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": "Lewis Black",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The one thing I think we...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/the-one-thing-i-think-we-learned-this-year-is-that-the-democrats-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/the-one-thing-i-think-we-learned-this-year-is-that-the-democrats-and/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
