--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Middle America believes in fair play, an…" description: "\"Middle America believes in fair play, an equal opportunity to succeed or to fail.\" — Mark McKinnon" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/mark-mckinnon-3139_america_middle-america-believes-in-fair-play-an_1166750.png" --- # Middle America believes in fair play, an equal opportunity… ![“Middle America believes in fair play, an equal opportunity to succeed or to fail.” quote by Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/mark-mckinnon-3139_america_middle-america-believes-in-fair-play-an_1166750.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/mark-mckinnon-3139_america_middle-america-believes-in-fair-play-an_1166750.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/mark-mckinnon-3139_america_middle-america-believes-in-fair-play-an_1166750.png) > “Middle America believes in fair play, an equal opportunity to succeed or to fail.” [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Middle America values fairness, offering both success and failure as equal possibilities. **In simple terms:** Fair play includes chance of success and failure. Key Takeaway Embrace both outcomes as learning. Themes fairness equal opportunity risk resilience regional identity Mood thoughtful balanced Type sociopolitical inspirational When to use this quote - career decisions - entrepreneurship - public policy - personal growth Key Concepts sociology political culture risk tolerance Questions to Reflect On - How does fair play manifest in your community? - What supports help turn failure into growth? A Different Perspective Risk of glorifying failure without addressing systemic barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Equal opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equal-opportunity/) [Fair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fair/) [Fair play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fair-play/) [Middle america](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-america/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) ## Related quotes > [While our bipartisan establishment worships diversity, Trump saw Middle America recoiling from the demographic change brought about by Third World invasions. And he promised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/while-our-bipartisan-establishment-worships-diversity-trump-saw/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [I think college football is a reflection of Middle America. You go into a college football town, and you will find three generations of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-jackson/i-think-college-football-is-a-reflection-of-middle-america-you-go/) [Keith Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-jackson/) > [I'm never going to understand what Middle America wants, because I'm on a show that Middle America doesn't necessarily like but I think is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaitlin-olson/i-m-never-going-to-understand-what-middle-america-wants-because-i-m/) [Kaitlin Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaitlin-olson/) > [I think middle America has changed very, very much. I think people are way more open-minded. I think - I think it's because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/i-think-middle-america-has-changed-very-very-much-i-think-people-are/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > [I think I'm in the majority of Americans. I believe that I am in the mainstream of middle America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/i-think-i-m-in-the-majority-of-americans-i-believe-that-i-am-in-the/) [Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/) > [When you travel, specifically for our show, you get inspired by rest stops, Cracker Barrel. Middle-America people are perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-heidecker/when-you-travel-specifically-for-our-show-you-get-inspired-by-rest/) [Tim Heidecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-heidecker/) > [If you look at Middle America and the reason why it's so red is because the Democratic Party cannot relate to them. They definitely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ojeda/if-you-look-at-middle-america-and-the-reason-why-it-s-so-red-is/) [Richard Ojeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ojeda/) > [My childhood was elegant homes, tree lined streets, the milkman, building backyard forts, droning airplanes, blue skies, picket fences, green grass, cherry trees. Middle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lynch/my-childhood-was-elegant-homes-tree-lined-streets-the-milkman/) [David Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lynch/) > [Mitt Romney said that he liked to fire people. Well, there's a pretty good message to send to Middle America. When Rick Perry heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/mitt-romney-said-that-he-liked-to-fire-people-well-there-s-a-pretty/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [“When you grow up in middle America you are inculcated from the earliest age with the belief - no, the understanding - that America…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/when-you-grow-up-in-middle-america-you-are-inculcated-from-the/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [I think I know what middle America enjoys seeing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariette-hartley/i-think-i-know-what-middle-america-enjoys-seeing/) [Mariette Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariette-hartley/) > [In Middle America men are awakening. Like awkward and untrained boys we begin to turn toward maturity and with our awakening we hunger for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwood-anderson/in-middle-america-men-are-awakening-like-awkward-and-untrained-boys/) [Sherwood Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwood-anderson/) > [Hollywood does not understand Middle America, and it certainly does not understand and, in fact, despises, the core values of the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-bannon/hollywood-does-not-understand-middle-america-and-it-certainly-does/) [Steve Bannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-bannon/) > [Elvis deserves a lot of credit for bringing the blues to middle America, not the Vegas stuff. The early stuff, The Sun records, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-tork/elvis-deserves-a-lot-of-credit-for-bringing-the-blues-to-middle/) [Peter Tork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-tork/) > [It's nice to see that people in Middle America are really affected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-harrison/it-s-nice-to-see-that-people-in-middle-america-are-really-affected/) [Randy Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-harrison/) ## More by Mark McKinnon > [Politics only makes the difficult challenge of marriage even harder, with the demands of the job and the public spotlight it casts on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/politics-only-makes-the-difficult-challenge-of-marriage-even-harder/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [It's just madness. First email. Then instant message. Then MySpace. Then Facebook. Then LinkedIn. Then Twitter. It's not enough anymore to 'Just do it.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/it-s-just-madness-first-email-then-instant-message-then-myspace-then/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [One thing is clear: Ron Paul defies labels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/one-thing-is-clear-ron-paul-defies-labels/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [Mitt Romney is a nice guy. But, we know where nice guys finish in politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/mitt-romney-is-a-nice-guy-but-we-know-where-nice-guys-finish-in/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [Sarah Palin is brilliant. She is a media magnet and a media magnate. She creates headlines and draws crowds wherever she goes, whether it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/sarah-palin-is-brilliant-she-is-a-media-magnet-and-a-media-magnate/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [I'm no economist. I don't even play one on TV. I'm just a husband, a father, a taxpayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/i-m-no-economist-i-don-t-even-play-one-on-tv-i-m-just-a-husband-a/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [Republicans constantly claim to be the party that defends the Constitution. We have no legitimate right to that claim until we get right on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/republicans-constantly-claim-to-be-the-party-that-defends-the/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [If we cannot come together to pause, to respect our dead and the heroic lives of meaning they led, then ours is truly a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/if-we-cannot-come-together-to-pause-to-respect-our-dead-and-the/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [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/) > [Every president becomes a caricature. The press, partisans, late-night shows, and other arbiters of our culture these days boil down complicated and multi-faceted personalities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/every-president-becomes-a-caricature-the-press-partisans-late-night/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [Now personally, I think the president should golf every day and never have a press conference. I want the leader of the free world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/now-personally-i-think-the-president-should-golf-every-day-and-never/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [In politics, not all lies are all lies. And not all truths are complete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/in-politics-not-all-lies-are-all-lies-and-not-all-truths-are-complete/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [There's no question that many factors contribute to voters' perceptions about debates and who wins and who loses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/there-s-no-question-that-many-factors-contribute-to-voters/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [Presidential primary debates are an important part of our political process. But the media has wrested complete control from the parties and candidates over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/presidential-primary-debates-are-an-important-part-of-our-political/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [Sometime in the not too distant future, denying gays the right to marry will be viewed as historically corrupt - as corrupt as denying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/sometime-in-the-not-too-distant-future-denying-gays-the-right-to/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) [Explore all 138 Mark McKinnon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [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/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Middle America believes in fair play, an equal opportunity to succeed or to fail.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mark McKinnon" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/middle-america-believes-in-fair-play-an-equal-opportunity-to-succeed/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/middle-america-believes-in-fair-play-an-equal-opportunity-to-succeed/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/mark-mckinnon-3139_america_middle-america-believes-in-fair-play-an_1166750.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/mark-mckinnon-3139_america_middle-america-believes-in-fair-play-an_1166750.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/mark-mckinnon-3139_america_middle-america-believes-in-fair-play-an_1166750.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Middle America believes in fair play, an equal opportunity to succeed or to fail.” — Mark McKinnon", "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": "Mark McKinnon", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Middle America believes in fair play,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/middle-america-believes-in-fair-play-an-equal-opportunity-to-succeed/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/middle-america-believes-in-fair-play-an-equal-opportunity-to-succeed/#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 } } ] } ```