---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W…"
description: "\"Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W Bush (and, in their image, Tony Blair) bitterly annoyed their antagonists because they were - at least until t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/137/michael-wolff-423_george-w_ronald-reagan-bill-clinton-and-george-w_2195351.jpg"
---

#  Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W Bush (and, in…

![“Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W Bush (and, in their image, Tony Blair) bitterly annoyed their antagonists because they were - at least until the Iraq war caught up with Blair and Bush - Teflon. David Cameron is in this model.” quote by Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/137/michael-wolff-423_george-w_ronald-reagan-bill-clinton-and-george-w_2195351.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/137/michael-wolff-423_george-w_ronald-reagan-bill-clinton-and-george-w_2195351.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/137/michael-wolff-423_george-w_ronald-reagan-bill-clinton-and-george-w_2195351.jpg)

> “Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W Bush (and, in their image, Tony Blair) bitterly annoyed their antagonists because they were - at least until the Iraq war caught up with Blair and Bush - Teflon. David Cameron is in this model.”

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

## About This Quote

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

The author describes certain leaders as untouchable ("Teflon") until scandals exposed them, noting a pattern among several politicians.

**In simple terms:** Some politicians seem immune to criticism until major scandals.

Key Takeaway

Recognize that no one is truly untouchable.

Themes

politics power accountability

Mood

analytical critical

Type

political commentary

When to use this quote

- election cycles
- public scrutiny
- leadership evaluation

Key Concepts

political science media analysis

Questions to Reflect On

- What factors truly protect politicians from fallout?
- How does media framing affect perceived immunity?

A Different Perspective

The analogy may oversimplify complex political dynamics.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/image/) [Iraq war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq-war/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

## Related quotes

> [I'm 51; I'm younger than Tony Blair. I don't have a dicky heart; I'm up like a broom handle in the morning. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-galloway/i-m-51-i-m-younger-than-tony-blair-i-don-t-have-a-dicky-heart-i-m-up/)

[George Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-galloway/)

> [My journalistic mission was straightforward: to await the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Nobody knew quite when this would be. But the diplomacy - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-harding/my-journalistic-mission-was-straightforward-to-await-the-u-s-invasion/)

[Luke Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-harding/)

> [Tony Blair believed in a consumerist idea of democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-curtis/tony-blair-believed-in-a-consumerist-idea-of-democracy/)

[Adam Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-curtis/)

> [Is Tony Blair of the Labour party? The answer to that is profoundly 'yes', but that is not how, sentimentally, he is regarded in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-kinnock/is-tony-blair-of-the-labour-party-the-answer-to-that-is-profoundly/)

[Neil Kinnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-kinnock/)

> [I had a huge crush on Tony Blair, in a totally sexual way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gok-wan/i-had-a-huge-crush-on-tony-blair-in-a-totally-sexual-way/)

[Gok Wan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gok-wan/)

> [Tony Blair is a dreadful man; really truly dreadful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-don/tony-blair-is-a-dreadful-man-really-truly-dreadful/)

[Monty Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-don/)

> [I hesitated, too, because for better or worse, I have been one of the principal architects of New Labour and I have worked closely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mandelson/i-hesitated-too-because-for-better-or-worse-i-have-been-one-of-the/)

[Peter Mandelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mandelson/)

> [In a way I'm almost more rueful about the notion of having a non-ideological Labour party than I am about the personality of Tony…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/in-a-way-i-m-almost-more-rueful-about-the-notion-of-having-a-non/)

[Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/)

> [I remember when Tony Blair came into office, and there was a sense I was thinking, 'Well, what on Earth am I going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-bremner/i-remember-when-tony-blair-came-into-office-and-there-was-a-sense-i/)

[Rory Bremner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-bremner/)

> [I'm no friend of Tony Blair's and I consider the Middle East policies of the United States and the UK fatal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/i-m-no-friend-of-tony-blair-s-and-i-consider-the-middle-east-policies/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [Tony Blair - good thing there are not parliamentary elections in this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-ifill/tony-blair-good-thing-there-are-not-parliamentary-elections-in-this/)

[Gwen Ifill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwen-ifill/)

> [My guess is that good and bad parenting is spread fairly evenly across different social groups. But can you imagine Tony Blair lecturing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/my-guess-is-that-good-and-bad-parenting-is-spread-fairly-evenly/)

[Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/)

> [If there's one thing above all that sets me apart from Tony Blair it is this - I am not embarrassed to articulate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/if-there-s-one-thing-above-all-that-sets-me-apart-from-tony-blair-it/)

[William Hague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hague/)

> [I think Tony Blair has to come down on one side or the other. You can't be a half-hearted supporter of the possible attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-hoggart/i-think-tony-blair-has-to-come-down-on-one-side-or-the-other-you-can/)

[Simon Hoggart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-hoggart/)

> [Tony Blair is paid $500,000 for one speech, and no one asks how he is going to spend it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-ibrahim/tony-blair-is-paid-500-000-for-one-speech-and-no-one-asks-how-he-is/)

[Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/)

## More by Michael Wolff

> [Donald Trump doesn't necessarily stay mad for very long. He's a transactional guy. If you can offer him something, he will take it. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/donald-trump-doesn-t-necessarily-stay-mad-for-very-long-he-s-a/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [“he could yet make a case for a straight line from Nixon to Trump.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/he-could-yet-make-a-case-for-a-straight-line-from-nixon-to-trump/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [“it confirmed Bannon’s worst fear: Trump, in his true heart, was a marshmallow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/it-confirmed-bannon-s-worst-fear-trump-in-his-true-heart-was-a/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [“An important aspect of Kaplan’s New York Observer and its self-conscious inside media baseball was that the paper became the prime school for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/an-important-aspect-of-kaplan-s-new-york-observer-and-its-self/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [“The candidate who billed himself as a billionaire—ten times over—refused even to invest his own money in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/the-candidate-who-billed-himself-as-a-billionaire-ten-times-over/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [If institutions don't grow, they... well, I don't know what happens to them, because they always grow. I suppose the point is that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/if-institutions-don-t-grow-they-well-i-don-t-know-what-happens-to/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [“Even though Trump liked to portray his business as an empire, it was actually a discrete holding company and boutique enterprise,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/even-though-trump-liked-to-portray-his-business-as-an-empire-it-was/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [“the organizational premise of the Trump White House: the family would always prevail.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/the-organizational-premise-of-the-trump-white-house-the-family-would/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [“Trump, who referred to the Chinese leader as “Mr. X-i”; the president was told to think of him as a woman and call him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/trump-who-referred-to-the-chinese-leader-as-mr-x-i-the-president-was/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [“Donald Trump, even more than his father, was perceived as a vulgarian—after all, he put his name on his buildings, quite a déclassé thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/donald-trump-even-more-than-his-father-was-perceived-as-a-vulgarian/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [“The index that appeared in the print version of this title does not match the pages in your e-book. Please use the search function…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/the-index-that-appeared-in-the-print-version-of-this-title-does-not/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [“Trump liked to say that one of the things that made life worth living was getting your friends’ wives into bed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/trump-liked-to-say-that-one-of-the-things-that-made-life-worth-living/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [“The kids”—Jared and Ivanka—exhibited an increasingly panicked sense that the FBI and DOJ were moving beyond Russian election interference and into family finances. “Ivanka…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/the-kids-jared-and-ivanka-exhibited-an-increasingly-panicked-sense/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [I am old enough to think the word 'journalist' is not all that noble a designation. Journalist - that record keeper, quote taker and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/i-am-old-enough-to-think-the-word-journalist-is-not-all-that-noble-a/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [“Politics had seemed to become, even well before the age of Trump, a mortal affair. It was now zero-sum: When one side profited, another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/politics-had-seemed-to-become-even-well-before-the-age-of-trump-a/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

[Explore all 570 Michael Wolff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

## More George w quotes

> [“Does it work with sandwiches? he asked. I didn't move. He handed it over. George was watching with a kind of neutral curiosity, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/does-it-work-with-sandwiches-he-asked-i-didn-t-move-he-handed-it-over/)

[Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/)

> [The GOP is broken. They need a Bill Clinton moment with someone to figure things out. Let me just say - and I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahm-emanuel/the-gop-is-broken-they-need-a-bill-clinton-moment-with-someone-to/)

[Rahm Emanuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahm-emanuel/)

> [We're in more wars today under Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton than under George W. Bush or Ronald Reagan. Yet they tell you that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-re-in-more-wars-today-under-barack-obama-and-hillary-clinton-than/)

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

> [George Winston piano albums have been my go-to since junior high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sacca/george-winston-piano-albums-have-been-my-go-to-since-junior-high/)

[Chris Sacca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sacca/)

> [The administration of George W. Bush, emboldened by the Sept. 11 attacks and the backing of a Republican Congress, has sought to further extend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/the-administration-of-george-w-bush-emboldened-by-the-sept-11-attacks/)

[Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/)

> [“Doctor Parcival began to plead with George Willard. 'You must pay attention to me,' he urged. 'If something happens you will be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwood-anderson/doctor-parcival-began-to-plead-with-george-willard-you-must-pay/)

[Sherwood Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwood-anderson/)

> [We're half an hour from Toronto, which offers everything you could want from a city, and a couple of hours from beautiful vacation country.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linwood-barclay/we-re-half-an-hour-from-toronto-which-offers-everything-you-could/)

[Linwood Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linwood-barclay/)

> [The president of the United States of North America, George W. Bush, the little gentleman of the North, the political cadaver that is visiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-chavez/the-president-of-the-united-states-of-north-america-george-w-bush-the/)

[Hugo Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-chavez/)

> [I remember when President Bush, George W. Bush, came into office, he focused on No Child Left Behind, and with - and before very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-alexander/i-remember-when-president-bush-george-w-bush-came-into-office-he/)

[Lamar Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-alexander/)

> [“Distinctively gentle he was, and trustworthy, and of special courtesy. His great physical strength was never used in combat, men remembered, except when needed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-byrd-turner/distinctively-gentle-he-was-and-trustworthy-and-of-special-courtesy/)

[Nancy Byrd Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-byrd-turner/)

> [ “You can't really move forward until you look back. \[From Remaking America panel discussion at George Washington University\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/you-can-t-really-move-forward-until-you-look-back-from-remaking/)

[Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/)

> [I was one of the hardest-hitting conservatives on George W. Bush. Republicans didn't like me on George W. Bush. Republicans still don't like me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/i-was-one-of-the-hardest-hitting-conservatives-on-george-w-bush/)

[Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/)

> [President Obama gave a speech about healthcare tonight, and yesterday he gave a pep talk to students. He told them that in order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/president-obama-gave-a-speech-about-healthcare-tonight-and-yesterday/)

[Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/)

> [George W. Bush did an incredible job in the presidency, defending us from freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perry/george-w-bush-did-an-incredible-job-in-the-presidency-defending-us/)

[Rick Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perry/)

> [I'm not tempted to write a song about George W. Bush. I couldn't figure out what sort of song I would write. That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/i-m-not-tempted-to-write-a-song-about-george-w-bush-i-couldn-t-figure/)

[Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/)

Browse all 1,139 George w quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W Bush (and, in their image, Tony Blair) bitterly annoyed their antagonists because they were - at least until the Iraq war caught up with Blair and Bush - Teflon. David Cameron is in this model.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Michael Wolff"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/ronald-reagan-bill-clinton-and-george-w-bush-and-in-their-image-tony/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "George w"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/ronald-reagan-bill-clinton-and-george-w-bush-and-in-their-image-tony/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/137/michael-wolff-423_george-w_ronald-reagan-bill-clinton-and-george-w_2195351.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/137/michael-wolff-423_george-w_ronald-reagan-bill-clinton-and-george-w_2195351.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/137/michael-wolff-423_george-w_ronald-reagan-bill-clinton-and-george-w_2195351.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W Bush (and, in their image, Tony Blair) bitterly annoyed their…” — Michael Wolff",
                "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 Wolff",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/ronald-reagan-bill-clinton-and-george-w-bush-and-in-their-image-tony/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/ronald-reagan-bill-clinton-and-george-w-bush-and-in-their-image-tony/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
