---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Republicans working in leadership and the…"
description: "\"Republicans working in leadership and the trenches are largely old, white, male, out-of-touch, out of ideas, technology averse, and living in the past...."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b46/mark-mckinnon-3139_democracy_republicans-working-in-leadership-and-th_2365247.png"
---

#  Republicans working in leadership and the trenches are…

![“Republicans working in leadership and the trenches are largely old, white, male, out-of-touch, out of ideas, technology averse, and living in the past.” quote by Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b46/mark-mckinnon-3139_democracy_republicans-working-in-leadership-and-th_2365247.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b46/mark-mckinnon-3139_democracy_republicans-working-in-leadership-and-th_2365247.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b46/mark-mckinnon-3139_democracy_republicans-working-in-leadership-and-th_2365247.png)

> “Republicans working in leadership and the trenches are largely old, white, male, out-of-touch, out of ideas, technology averse, and living in the past.”

[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.

The quote critiques the demographic and cultural homogeneity of Republican leadership, suggesting it hampers relevance and innovation.

**In simple terms:** Republican leaders are mostly old white men, out of touch and resistant to change.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and promote diverse, forward‑thinking leadership.

Themes

politics diversity leadership culture technology

Mood

critical concerned

Type

analysis commentary

When to use this quote

- campaign strategy
- policy development
- media relations
- voter outreach

Key Concepts

representation institutional inertia generational gap

Questions to Reflect On

- How can parties broaden their leadership pipeline?
- What incentives encourage tech adoption in politics?

A Different Perspective

Change may be resisted by entrenched interests and power structures.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [In the past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/in-the-past/) [Largely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/largely/) [Largely Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/largely-old-5805576/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Leadership Trenches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership-trenches-5805577/) [Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living/) [Living in the past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-in-the-past/) [Male](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/male/) [Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old/) [Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/out/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Republicans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republicans/) [Republicans Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republicans-working-5805575/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Trenches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trenches/) [Trenches Largely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trenches-largely-5805578/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white/) [Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working/)

## Related quotes

> [I'm a fan of supersymmetry, largely because it seems to be the only route by which gravity can be brought into the scheme. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-higgs/i-m-a-fan-of-supersymmetry-largely-because-it-seems-to-be-the-only/)

[Peter Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-higgs/)

> [A lack of government oversight hasn't hindered the Internet. Quite the opposite. A hands-off approach is largely responsible for its fantastic growth and success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/a-lack-of-government-oversight-hasn-t-hindered-the-internet-quite-the/)

[Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/)

> [“Twango's hospitality, though largely symbolic, does him credit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-vance/twango-s-hospitality-though-largely-symbolic-does-him-credit/)

[Jack Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-vance/)

> [What Snapchat said was if we try to model conversations as they occur, they're largely ephemeral. We may try to write down and save…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-spiegel/what-snapchat-said-was-if-we-try-to-model-conversations-as-they-occur/)

[Evan Spiegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-spiegel/)

> [My study is a converted garage which is largely lined with bookshelves and cardboard boxes filled with manuscripts of my film scripts, plays and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-nicholson/my-study-is-a-converted-garage-which-is-largely-lined-with/)

[William Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-nicholson/)

> [Cities generate most of the global economy, and most of its energy use, resource demands and climate emissions. How we build cities over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-steffen/cities-generate-most-of-the-global-economy-and-most-of-its-energy-use/)

[Alex Steffen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-steffen/)

> [The modern Middle East was largely created by the British. It was they who carried the Allied war effort in the region during World…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-anderson/the-modern-middle-east-was-largely-created-by-the-british-it-was-they/)

[Scott Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-anderson/)

> [By the time a second term rolls around, the illusions about a president have largely evaporated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/by-the-time-a-second-term-rolls-around-the-illusions-about-a/)

[Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/)

> [There are all kinds of humor and I have largely indulged in clean comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiku-sharda/there-are-all-kinds-of-humor-and-i-have-largely-indulged-in-clean/)

[Kiku Sharda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiku-sharda/)

> [Realism hasn't fallen out of favor with most people, who are interested in people's lives rather than gymnastics of style or literary trends. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-seth/realism-hasn-t-fallen-out-of-favor-with-most-people-who-are/)

[Vikram Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-seth/)

> [There are all kinds of people who continue to be largely ignored by advertisers, whose lives largely go unseen. They deserve their moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/there-are-all-kinds-of-people-who-continue-to-be-largely-ignored-by/)

[Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/)

> [Politics is made up largely of irrelevancies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-camp/politics-is-made-up-largely-of-irrelevancies/)

[Dalton Camp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-camp/)

> [The willingness to take risk is largely a function of wealth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-conard/the-willingness-to-take-risk-is-largely-a-function-of-wealth/)

[Edward Conard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-conard/)

> [Studying Sol's interior by looking for analogous patterns on its incandescent face is known as helioseismology, an active - if largely unpronounceable - research…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/studying-sol-s-interior-by-looking-for-analogous-patterns-on-its/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

> [I was brought up largely by my grandfather because my father only returned from a prisoner-of-war camp in 1947 and worked in the nearest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-g-sebald/i-was-brought-up-largely-by-my-grandfather-because-my-father-only/)

[W. G. Sebald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-g-sebald/)

## 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 Democracy quotes

> [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/)

[Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/)

> [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [For not only every democracy, but certainly every republic, bears within itself the seeds of its own destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-not-only-every-democracy-but-certainly-every-republic-bears/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [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/)

> [There is plenty of time for Republicans to have a Macaca moment. But right now, as of October 17, 2014, the Republican Senate candidates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-continetti/there-is-plenty-of-time-for-republicans-to-have-a-macaca-moment-but/)

[Matthew Continetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-continetti/)

> [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/)

[Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/)

> [ Vote for Donald Trump. You're going to see something and you'll be so happy, you'll be so thrilled. This \[presidential\] election is about every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/vote-for-donald-trump-you-re-going-to-see-something-and-you-ll-be-so/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [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/)

> [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [Failure to find a way to incorporate political Islam in democracy, however uncomfortable its ideology is for secular liberals, will mean we have given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispin-blunt/failure-to-find-a-way-to-incorporate-political-islam-in-democracy/)

[Crispin Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispin-blunt/)

> [In a democratic nation, power must be linked with responsibility, and obliged to defend and justify itself within the framework of the general good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/in-a-democratic-nation-power-must-be-linked-with-responsibility-and/)

[Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/)

> [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. No. You are not allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/there-are-certain-things-you-must-not-say-in-spite-of-the-fact-that/)

[Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/)

> [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

[Browse all 11,220 Democracy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Republicans working in leadership and the trenches are largely old, white, male, out-of-touch, out of ideas, technology averse, and living in the past.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mark McKinnon"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/republicans-working-in-leadership-and-the-trenches-are-largely-old/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Democracy"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/republicans-working-in-leadership-and-the-trenches-are-largely-old/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b46/mark-mckinnon-3139_democracy_republicans-working-in-leadership-and-th_2365247.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b46/mark-mckinnon-3139_democracy_republicans-working-in-leadership-and-th_2365247.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b46/mark-mckinnon-3139_democracy_republicans-working-in-leadership-and-th_2365247.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Republicans working in leadership and the trenches are largely old, white, male, out-of-touch, out of ideas…” — 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": "Republicans working in leadership and the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/republicans-working-in-leadership-and-the-trenches-are-largely-old/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/republicans-working-in-leadership-and-the-trenches-are-largely-old/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
