--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Politicians generally respond to who is…" description: "\"Politicians generally respond to who is going to help them get elected and re-elected.\" — Michael Bloomberg" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa4/michael-bloomberg-1293_elected_politicians-generally-respond-to-who-is_2130058.png" --- # Politicians generally respond to who is going to help them… ![“Politicians generally respond to who is going to help them get elected and re-elected.” quote by Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa4/michael-bloomberg-1293_elected_politicians-generally-respond-to-who-is_2130058.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa4/michael-bloomberg-1293_elected_politicians-generally-respond-to-who-is_2130058.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa4/michael-bloomberg-1293_elected_politicians-generally-respond-to-who-is_2130058.png) > “Politicians generally respond to who is going to help them get elected and re-elected.” [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Politicians tend to act in ways that secure their electoral prospects, often prioritizing short‑term gains. **In simple terms:** Politicians often act to get re‑elected, focusing on short‑term benefits. Key Takeaway Advocate for policies that prioritize long‑term public good. Themes politics electoral incentives public policy Mood cautious reflective Type analytical critical When to use this quote - campaign strategy - legislative voting - public advocacy Key Concepts short‑termism accountability Questions to Reflect On - How can voters encourage long‑term thinking? - What mechanisms increase political accountability? A Different Perspective May overlook nuanced policy impacts in pursuit of votes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Elected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elected/) [Generally Respond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generally-respond-4089513/) [Help Elected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help-elected-3881544/) [Helping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping/) [Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician/) [Politicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politicians/) [Politicians Generally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politicians-generally-1950431/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) ## Related quotes > [It's always easy to look at either the politics of division or fear as effective tools in politics, but ultimately, even though they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-trudeau/it-s-always-easy-to-look-at-either-the-politics-of-division-or-fear/) [Justin Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-trudeau/) > [I generally respond to any story very organically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikramaditya-motwane/i-generally-respond-to-any-story-very-organically/) [Vikramaditya Motwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikramaditya-motwane/) > [Like environmentalists, politicians generally privilege flora and fauna over folks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilana-mercer/like-environmentalists-politicians-generally-privilege-flora-and-2/) [Ilana Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilana-mercer/) > [When philosophers try to be politicians they generally cease to be philosophers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/when-philosophers-try-to-be-politicians-they-generally-cease-to-be/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [Some newspapers have a hands-off policy on favored politicians. But it's generally very small newspapers or local TV stations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/some-newspapers-have-a-hands-off-policy-on-favored-politicians-but-it/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) > [Politicians generally do the right thing only when all other options are exhausted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-mitchell/politicians-generally-do-the-right-thing-only-when-all-other-options/) [Daniel J. Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-mitchell/) > [Politicians generally form alliances and not friendships. Individuals and institutions achieve their ends through continual barter. But deals are not bonds. Indeed, intense emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/politicians-generally-form-alliances-and-not-friendships-individuals/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [Mr. Trump, you were elected mainly because you found a way to connect with the average blue-collar worker who's sick of the games politicians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabrizio-moreira/mr-trump-you-were-elected-mainly-because-you-found-a-way-to-connect/) [Fabrizio Moreira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabrizio-moreira/) > [Having spent years ruining the housing markets with their interference, leading to a housing meltdown that has taken the whole economy down with it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/having-spent-years-ruining-the-housing-markets-with-their/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Politicians should be dedicated to the welfare of the people, but sometimes politics becomes like a game of chess, in which the sole aim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/politicians-should-be-dedicated-to-the-welfare-of-the-people-but/) [Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/) > [Politicians, after all, are not over a year behind public opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/politicians-after-all-are-not-over-a-year-behind-public-opinion/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [You can't have people making decisions about the future of the world who are scientifically illiterate. That's a recipe for disaster. And I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-can-t-have-people-making-decisions-about-the-future-of-the-world/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [I suspect most politicians feel overwhelmed because people's lives are a real struggle, full of unhappiness, and you would probably feel powerless to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-brand/i-suspect-most-politicians-feel-overwhelmed-because-people-s-lives/) [Jo Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-brand/) > [A statesman is a politician who has been dead ten or fifteen years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman-2/a-statesman-is-a-politician-who-has-been-dead-ten-or-fifteen-years/) [Harry S Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman-2/) > [90% of politicians give the other 10% a bad name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/90-of-politicians-give-the-other-10-a-bad-name/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) ## More by Michael Bloomberg > [I'm not going to run for president. No way, no how.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/i-m-not-going-to-run-for-president-no-way-no-how/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [Now, you might say – “But why should we pay people for doing what they’re supposed to do?” It’s a fair question – but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/now-you-might-say-but-why-should-we-pay-people-for-doing-what-they-re/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [What I'm trying to do is to create excitement. So people looking at the Bloomberg's office building say, "My goodness, what's going on here?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/what-i-m-trying-to-do-is-to-create-excitement-so-people-looking-at/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [You have to understand, we have better communications and better transportation, so people know what's available elsewhere and can get a message out, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/you-have-to-understand-we-have-better-communications-and-better/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [ The system \[in U.S.\] is designed for a two-party system. And those two parties have an interest in keeping third parties out. There's too… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/the-system-in-u-s-is-designed-for-a-two-party-system-and-those-two/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [If you want to do something for your children and show how much you love them, the single best thing-by far-is to support organizations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/if-you-want-to-do-something-for-your-children-and-show-how-much-you/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [We haven't had a world war in a long time. We do have mass movements of people out of Syria and North Africa. But,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/we-haven-t-had-a-world-war-in-a-long-time-we-do-have-mass-movements/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [I think one of the great dangers here is going and categorizing anybody from one religion as a terrorist. That's not true... That would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/i-think-one-of-the-great-dangers-here-is-going-and-categorizing/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [Stubborn isn't a word I would use to describe myself; pigheaded is more appropriate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/stubborn-isn-t-a-word-i-would-use-to-describe-myself-pigheaded-is/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [Many of America's and New York's sons and daughters are around the world fighting for the freedoms that the Statue of Liberty stands for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/many-of-america-s-and-new-york-s-sons-and-daughters-are-around-the/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [If you really believe that you're making a difference and that you can leave a legacy of better schools and jobs and safer streets,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/if-you-really-believe-that-you-re-making-a-difference-and-that-you/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [The next day after I got fired, literally the next day, I started a new company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/the-next-day-after-i-got-fired-literally-the-next-day-i-started-a-new/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [We all must recognize that homeland security funds should be allocated by threat and no other reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/we-all-must-recognize-that-homeland-security-funds-should-be/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [In New York City, a lot of people think "the great outdoors" is the area between your front door and a taxi cab.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/in-new-york-city-a-lot-of-people-think-the-great-outdoors-is-the-area/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [Is your company so small you have to do everything for yourself? Wait until you're so big that you can't. That's worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/is-your-company-so-small-you-have-to-do-everything-for-yourself-wait/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) [Explore all 259 Michael Bloomberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) ## More Elected quotes > [No matter how unusual a personality may be who gets elected to office, there are constraints in this country. You don't get to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/no-matter-how-unusual-a-personality-may-be-who-gets-elected-to-office/) [Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/) > [Realizing that they can't get their agenda across: against religious liberty, against a culture of life, they can't get those issues across through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-parsley/realizing-that-they-can-t-get-their-agenda-across-against-religious/) [Rod Parsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-parsley/) > [When I was elected governor of my state, I had a legislature 87 percent Democrat. It was not lost on me that to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/when-i-was-elected-governor-of-my-state-i-had-a-legislature-87/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [When you're running, when you're in elected office, you're surrounded with power. And, so every single day, you have to remind yourself why you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-rasoul/when-you-re-running-when-you-re-in-elected-office-you-re-surrounded/) [Sam Rasoul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-rasoul/) > [We hope that the elected officials will respond positively to a ground swell of letters, phone calls, e-mails and visits from parents. The law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-hope-that-the-elected-officials-will-respond-positively-to-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I came into office to do what was correct, not to see what was politically expedient to get re-elected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-fortuno/i-came-into-office-to-do-what-was-correct-not-to-see-what-was/) [Luis Fortuno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-fortuno/) > [The American people, in their own families, they understand that you have to do that. You have to make the tough decisions. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-mcmorris-rodgers/the-american-people-in-their-own-families-they-understand-that-you/) [Cathy McMorris Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-mcmorris-rodgers/) > [You now have the potential of 200 people deciding who ends up being elected president every single time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/you-now-have-the-potential-of-200-people-deciding-who-ends-up-being/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [If elected, I shall see to it that every man has a square deal, no less and no more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/if-elected-i-shall-see-to-it-that-every-man-has-a-square-deal-no-less/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Others will have opinions on how I do and that's just fine... I've been elected four times, delivered results for my constituents and delivered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-poilievre/others-will-have-opinions-on-how-i-do-and-that-s-just-fine-i-ve-been/) [Pierre Poilievre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-poilievre/) > [I was elected to Parliament as a Conservative three times, most recently in 2017.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-boles/i-was-elected-to-parliament-as-a-conservative-three-times-most/) [Nick Boles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-boles/) > [My goal was never to get re-elected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mccallum/my-goal-was-never-to-get-re-elected/) [Scott McCallum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mccallum/) > [I was elected because I believed in what we call "grassroots politics," politics from the bottom up, not the top down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-was-elected-because-i-believed-in-what-we-call-grassroots-politics/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [There are many Israelis who are not keen on Barack Obama - they did not want to see him elected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/there-are-many-israelis-who-are-not-keen-on-barack-obama-they-did-not/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) > [Now we have black and white elected officials working together. Today, we have gone beyond just passing laws. Now we have to create a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/now-we-have-black-and-white-elected-officials-working-together-today/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) [Browse all 542 Elected quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elected/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Politicians generally respond to who is going to help them get elected and re-elected.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Bloomberg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/politicians-generally-respond-to-who-is-going-to-help-them-get/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Elected" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/politicians-generally-respond-to-who-is-going-to-help-them-get/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa4/michael-bloomberg-1293_elected_politicians-generally-respond-to-who-is_2130058.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa4/michael-bloomberg-1293_elected_politicians-generally-respond-to-who-is_2130058.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa4/michael-bloomberg-1293_elected_politicians-generally-respond-to-who-is_2130058.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Politicians generally respond to who is going to help them get elected and re-elected.” — Michael Bloomberg", "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": "Michael Bloomberg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Politicians generally respond to who is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/politicians-generally-respond-to-who-is-going-to-help-them-get/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/politicians-generally-respond-to-who-is-going-to-help-them-get/#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 } } ] } ```