---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Almost never does a candidate with high…"
description: "\"Almost never does a candidate with high negatives have much of a coattail effect.\" — Mitch McConnell"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/900/mitch-mcconnell-2153_candidate_almost-never-does-a-candidate-with-high_725047.jpg"
---

#  Almost never does a candidate with high negatives have…

![“Almost never does a candidate with high negatives have much of a coattail effect.” quote by Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/900/mitch-mcconnell-2153_candidate_almost-never-does-a-candidate-with-high_725047.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/900/mitch-mcconnell-2153_candidate_almost-never-does-a-candidate-with-high_725047.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/900/mitch-mcconnell-2153_candidate_almost-never-does-a-candidate-with-high_725047.jpg)

> “Almost never does a candidate with high negatives have much of a coattail effect.”

[Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/)

## About This Quote

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

Candidates with many negative traits rarely generate a strong coattail effect to meaning they don’t boost other candidates’ success.

**In simple terms:** Negatives hinder coattail impact.

Key Takeaway

Beware of negative candidate influence.

Themes

politics election strategy coattail effect

Mood

analytical critical

Type

political strategic

When to use this quote

- campaign planning
- candidate vetting
- media analysis

Key Concepts

voter perception party dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- What factors can mitigate a negative coattail?
- How do voters weigh negatives vs positives?

A Different Perspective

Strong positives can sometimes offset negatives.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Candidate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candidate/) [Candidate High](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candidate-high-5689999/) [Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/does/) [High](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high/) [High Negatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-negatives-5689998/) [Much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/much/) [Negatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negatives/) [Negatives Coattail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negatives-coattail-5689997/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/)

## Related quotes

> [No one will ever know what I went through to secure those negatives. The world can never appreciate it. It changed the whole course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathew-brady/no-one-will-ever-know-what-i-went-through-to-secure-those-negatives/)

[Mathew Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathew-brady/)

> [Growing up, I didn't give my grandfather's photography a second thought. I wasn't involved in his work, except that I helped my dad print…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-weston/growing-up-i-didn-t-give-my-grandfather-s-photography-a-second/)

[Kim Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-weston/)

> [Two wrongs don't make a right, but don't three lefts make a right? Two wrongs don't make a right, but don't two negatives make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-clements/two-wrongs-don-t-make-a-right-but-don-t-three-lefts-make-a-right-two/)

[Andrew Clements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-clements/)

> [I feel some people are cynical by nature. You show them anything, they only see the problems and negatives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajkumar-hirani/i-feel-some-people-are-cynical-by-nature-you-show-them-anything-they/)

[Rajkumar Hirani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajkumar-hirani/)

> [You've got to have positives and negatives about you. I think that's a good negative, that the only thing they could say about me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-donald/you-ve-got-to-have-positives-and-negatives-about-you-i-think-that-s-a/)

[Aaron Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-donald/)

> [Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you. Focus on the positives, and soon the negatives will be harder to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate/be-wise-enough-to-walk-away-from-the-nonsense-around-you-focus-on-the/)

[Nate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate/)

> [I learned working with the negatives could make for better pictures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/i-learned-working-with-the-negatives-could-make-for-better-pictures/)

[Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/)

> [All the negatives, the flags for the personal fouls and silly stuff after the play, that takes a toll. People don't want to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-kelce/all-the-negatives-the-flags-for-the-personal-fouls-and-silly-stuff/)

[Travis Kelce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-kelce/)

> [A lot of people don't want to vote because they believe the negatives rather than the positives about the outcome of their decisions about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bushwick-bill/a-lot-of-people-don-t-want-to-vote-because-they-believe-the-negatives/)

[Bushwick Bill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bushwick-bill/)

> [“We need to see the bigger picture of what is happening and not always highlight the negatives.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mullek/we-need-to-see-the-bigger-picture-of-what-is-happening-and-not-always/)

[Andrew Mullek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mullek/)

> [If I ever have a son, and if he wants to follow in my footsteps in Formula 1, my main responsibility will be to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenson-button/if-i-ever-have-a-son-and-if-he-wants-to-follow-in-my-footsteps-in/)

[Jenson Button](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenson-button/)

> [Life is like photography, you develop from the negatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/latest/life-is-like-photography-you-develop-from-the-negatives/)

[Latest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/latest/)

> [My whole life has been about changing negatives into positives. I got famous, then I got cancer, and now I live to talk about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-drescher/my-whole-life-has-been-about-changing-negatives-into-positives-i-got/)

[Fran Drescher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-drescher/)

> [If you're associated with the Philadelphia media or town, you look for negatives. I don't know if there's something about their upbringing or they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-schmidt/if-you-re-associated-with-the-philadelphia-media-or-town-you-look-for/)

[Mike Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-schmidt/)

> [People write negatives things, cause they feel that's what sells. Good news to them, doesn't sell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/people-write-negatives-things-cause-they-feel-that-s-what-sells-good/)

[Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/)

## More by Mitch McConnell

> [When you hang the 'bipartisan' tag on something, the perception is that differences have been worked out, and there's a broad agreement that that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/when-you-hang-the-bipartisan-tag-on-something-the-perception-is-that/)

[Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/)

> [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/)

> [I'm optimistic that none of my members in the end want to be responsible for the status quo on Obamacare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/i-m-optimistic-that-none-of-my-members-in-the-end-want-to-be/)

[Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/)

> [America's a land of second opportunities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/america-s-a-land-of-second-opportunities/)

[Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/)

> [To call this a recovery is an insult to recoveries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/to-call-this-a-recovery-is-an-insult-to-recoveries/)

[Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/)

> [I believe that marriage should be between one man and one woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/i-believe-that-marriage-should-be-between-one-man-and-one-woman/)

[Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/)

> [I'm really proud of this Supreme Court and the way they've been dealing with the issue of First Amendment political speech.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/i-m-really-proud-of-this-supreme-court-and-the-way-they-ve-been/)

[Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/)

> [I think it is to the advantage of my state to have the opportunity to come to meetings occasionally and to vote in person,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/i-think-it-is-to-the-advantage-of-my-state-to-have-the-opportunity-to/)

[Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/)

> [It is time for a leader who will lead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/it-is-time-for-a-leader-who-will-lead/)

[Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/)

> [On the issue of Iraq, it is my hope, and my challenge to my colleagues, that our debate will be based on what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/on-the-issue-of-iraq-it-is-my-hope-and-my-challenge-to-my-colleagues/)

[Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/)

> [Eventually, Americans would be stuck with government-run health care whether they like it or not. That's when the worst scenario would take shape, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/eventually-americans-would-be-stuck-with-government-run-health-care/)

[Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/)

> [Our nation has a regrettable history of drawing down our forces and readiness after each conflict, only to find ourselve ill-prepared for the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/our-nation-has-a-regrettable-history-of-drawing-down-our-forces-and/)

[Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/)

> [As President Obama reminded us, we're all on one team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/as-president-obama-reminded-us-we-re-all-on-one-team/)

[Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/)

> [The Frist fairness rule guarantees up-or-down votes for every circuit court or Supreme Court nomination, regardless of which party controls the Senate or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/the-frist-fairness-rule-guarantees-up-or-down-votes-for-every-circuit/)

[Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/)

> [I always think a debt ceiling is a good tool to carry something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/i-always-think-a-debt-ceiling-is-a-good-tool-to-carry-something/)

[Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/)

[Explore all 182 Mitch McConnell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/)

## More Candidate quotes

> [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/)

> [As a registered Democrat, I am praying for a credible presidential candidate to emerge from the younger tier of politicians in their late 40s.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/as-a-registered-democrat-i-am-praying-for-a-credible-presidential/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [Obama did organize a great large number of people and many enthusiastic people, what's called in the press 'Obama's Army.' But the army is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/obama-did-organize-a-great-large-number-of-people-and-many/)

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

> [Candidate Trump held out his hand to Vladimir Putin. He rejected further U.S. intervention in Syria other than to smash ISIS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/candidate-trump-held-out-his-hand-to-vladimir-putin-he-rejected/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

> [You should not be misled about the so-called single opposition candidate. There are so many of them now that you will lack the fingers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-lukashenko/you-should-not-be-misled-about-the-so-called-single-opposition/)

[Alexander Lukashenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-lukashenko/)

> [I want to say that I cannot be intimidated or stopped. In order to put an end to various attempts to get rid of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vitali-klitschko/i-want-to-say-that-i-cannot-be-intimidated-or-stopped-in-order-to-put/)

[Vitali Klitschko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vitali-klitschko/)

> [Today, I'm a candidate for the office of president of the United States of America. My kids can't believe I just said that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-huntsman-jr/today-i-m-a-candidate-for-the-office-of-president-of-the-united/)

[Jon Huntsman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-huntsman-jr/)

> [I think Trump is a very interesting candidate in this sense: I think he has cross-party appeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/i-think-trump-is-a-very-interesting-candidate-in-this-sense-i-think/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

> [I do think that sometimes, especially coming into this going straight from activism to being a candidate or to being a person who potentially,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/i-do-think-that-sometimes-especially-coming-into-this-going-straight/)

[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/)

> [Even though I don't agree with Donald Trump on everything, and I think there may be certain things or statements of his that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-zeldin/even-though-i-don-t-agree-with-donald-trump-on-everything-and-i-think/)

[Lee Zeldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-zeldin/)

> [I'm not quite certain how you can force a candidate to stick by the rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-ifill/i-m-not-quite-certain-how-you-can-force-a-candidate-to-stick-by-the/)

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

> [I am not a fan of Mitt Romney, but I admit that he is, politically speaking, a good candidate for president. He has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-schlossberg/i-am-not-a-fan-of-mitt-romney-but-i-admit-that-he-is-politically/)

[Jack Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-schlossberg/)

> [I am aware of the responsibility I am taking on as the chancellor. Things have developed very quickly for me in recent years, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-kurz/i-am-aware-of-the-responsibility-i-am-taking-on-as-the-chancellor/)

[Sebastian Kurz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-kurz/)

> [For people to even think that I'd be considered or a good candidate for a supporting actress nomination is mind blowing to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naya-rivera/for-people-to-even-think-that-i-d-be-considered-or-a-good-candidate/)

[Naya Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naya-rivera/)

> [A candidate's faith is not the only consideration, but should be a major consideration in electing the president of the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jeffress/a-candidate-s-faith-is-not-the-only-consideration-but-should-be-a/)

[Robert Jeffress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jeffress/)

[Browse all 529 Candidate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candidate/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Almost never does a candidate with high negatives have much of a coattail effect.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mitch McConnell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/almost-never-does-a-candidate-with-high-negatives-have-much-of-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Candidate"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/almost-never-does-a-candidate-with-high-negatives-have-much-of-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/900/mitch-mcconnell-2153_candidate_almost-never-does-a-candidate-with-high_725047.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/900/mitch-mcconnell-2153_candidate_almost-never-does-a-candidate-with-high_725047.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/900/mitch-mcconnell-2153_candidate_almost-never-does-a-candidate-with-high_725047.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Almost never does a candidate with high negatives have much of a coattail effect.” — Mitch McConnell",
                "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": "Mitch McConnell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Almost never does a candidate with...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/almost-never-does-a-candidate-with-high-negatives-have-much-of-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/almost-never-does-a-candidate-with-high-negatives-have-much-of-a/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
