--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To its committed members (the Democratic…" description: "\"To its committed members (the Democratic Party) was still the party of heart, humanity, and justice, but to those removed a few paces it looked like Ca..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/nicholas-von-hoffman-32722_alcoholics_to-its-committed-members-the-democratic_1285527.jpg" --- # To its committed members (the Democratic Party) was still… ![“To its committed members (the Democratic Party) was still the party of heart, humanity, and justice, but to those removed a few paces it looked like Captain Hook’s crew–ambulance-chasing lawyers, rapacious public policy grants persons, civil rights gamesmen, ditzy-brained movie stars, fat-assed…” quote by Nicholas von Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/nicholas-von-hoffman-32722_alcoholics_to-its-committed-members-the-democratic_1285527.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/nicholas-von-hoffman-32722_alcoholics_to-its-committed-members-the-democratic_1285527.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/nicholas-von-hoffman-32722_alcoholics_to-its-committed-members-the-democratic_1285527.jpg) > “To its committed members (the Democratic Party) was still the party of heart, humanity, and justice, but to those removed a few paces it looked like Captain Hook’s crew–ambulance-chasing lawyers, rapacious public policy grants persons, civil rights gamesmen, ditzy-brained movie stars, fat-assed civil servant desk squatters, recovering alcoholics, recovering wife-beaters, recovering child-buggers, and so forth and so on, a grotesque line-up of ill-mannered self-pitying, caterwauling freeloaders banging their tin cups on the pavement demanding handouts.” [Nicholas von Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-von-hoffman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes the Democratic Party as noble to insiders but corrupt and parasitic to outsiders, using vivid negative imagery. **In simple terms:** Party seen as good by members, bad by critics. Key Takeaway Beware of dehumanizing rhetoric. Themes politics polarization elitism Mood critical sarcastic Type political satirical When to use this quote - campaign speeches - media analysis - public debates Key Concepts identity us vs them political rhetoric Questions to Reflect On - How does language shape political perception? - What are the effects of vilifying opponents? A Different Perspective May exaggerate faults and fuel division. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alcoholics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alcoholics/) [Captain Hook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/captain-hook-2/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Civil Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-right/) [Civil rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) [Civil servants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-servants/) [Democratic party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic-party/) [Ditzy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ditzy/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Ill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ill/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Lawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyer/) [Movie star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie-star/) [Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) [Party Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party-party/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Public policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-policy/) [Recovering alcoholics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recovering-alcoholics/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Servant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/servant/) [Squatters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/squatters/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/) [Tin cup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tin-cup/) [Wife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wife/) ## Related quotes > [I think Hillary Clinton deserves to have people vouch for her other than members of the Democratic National Committee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/i-think-hillary-clinton-deserves-to-have-people-vouch-for-her-other/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [Whether they be young in spirit, or young in age, the members of the Democratic Party must never lose that youthful zest for new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/whether-they-be-young-in-spirit-or-young-in-age-the-members-of-the/) [John F. 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But I mean, I'm not dumb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-simpson/i-m-definitely-ditzy-and-people-believe-that-about-me-but-i-mean-i-m/) [Jessica Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-simpson/) > [It took Sydney Pollack a long time to get me to do Tootsie. I asked myself if I wanted to play some frothy, ditzy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-lange/it-took-sydney-pollack-a-long-time-to-get-me-to-do-tootsie-i-asked/) [Jessica Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-lange/) > [I think since I'm not particularly well-known as myself, it's funny all the different perceptions people have of me. Like, if someone's only seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-elizabeth-winstead/i-think-since-i-m-not-particularly-well-known-as-myself-it-s-funny/) [Mary Elizabeth Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-elizabeth-winstead/) > [“We would not be ashamed of doing some of the things we do in private, if the number of sane human beings who do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/we-would-not-be-ashamed-of-doing-some-of-the-things-we-do-in-private/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Mr. Latino with the big ego got bested by a ditzy, blond bimbo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/mr-latino-with-the-big-ego-got-bested-by-a-ditzy-blond-bimbo/) [Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/) > [Is this chicken what I have or is this fish? I know it's tuna. But it says chicken. By the sea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-simpson/is-this-chicken-what-i-have-or-is-this-fish-i-know-it-s-tuna-but-it-2/) [Jessica Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-simpson/) > [“It wasn't that she was shallow, exactly, but everyone knows, looks are important for media work...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hogan/it-wasn-t-that-she-was-shallow-exactly-but-everyone-knows-looks-are/) Faith Hogan > [A teacher asked us if anybody knew the names of the continents. I was sooo excited. I was like, Damn it! It's my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-simpson/a-teacher-asked-us-if-anybody-knew-the-names-of-the-continents-i-was/) [Jessica Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-simpson/) > [ People think Paris \[Hilton\] is a ditzy blond, and I don't want to blow it for her, but she plays it really well. She… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-rex/people-think-paris-hilton-is-a-ditzy-blond-and-i-don-t-want-to-blow/) [Simon Rex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-rex/) > [My money slow, my money stupid, money ditzy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/my-money-slow-my-money-stupid-money-ditzy/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [I am a recovering alcoholic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-j-kennedy/i-am-a-recovering-alcoholic/) [Patrick J. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-j-kennedy/) ## More by Nicholas von Hoffman > [Americans will quarrel over how, who, or what to rescue or save, but the idea that the nation ought to be off doing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-von-hoffman/americans-will-quarrel-over-how-who-or-what-to-rescue-or-save-but-the/) [Nicholas von Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-von-hoffman/) > [We are the people are parents warned us against.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-von-hoffman/we-are-the-people-are-parents-warned-us-against/) [Nicholas von Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-von-hoffman/) > [ ... Don \[Hewitt, 60 Minutes exec producer\] told me, "You have set broadcast journalism back 20 years." 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We believe in it, we give our lives in war for it, but the closest most of us come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-von-hoffman/we-preach-free-enterprise-capitalism-we-believe-in-it-we-give-our/) [Nicholas von Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-von-hoffman/) > [The American government has been harvesting the Middle Eastern grapes of wrath for a generation and not making a secret of it, either. 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This way, until the alcoholic begins removing their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/if-you-decide-on-having-an-alcoholic-at-your-party-make-sure-it-s-a/) [Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/) > [I started drinking when I was like 15, and by the time I was 19 everybody knew I was an alcoholic. So I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-esparza/i-started-drinking-when-i-was-like-15-and-by-the-time-i-was-19/) [Felipe Esparza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-esparza/) > [There are plenty of alcoholics who can be magnificent when drunk: it does not make them any less alcoholic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-bengis/there-are-plenty-of-alcoholics-who-can-be-magnificent-when-drunk-it/) [Ingrid Bengis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-bengis/) > [The idea that the creative endeavor and mind-altering substances are entwined is one of the great pop-intellectual myths of our time. ... Substance abusing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-idea-that-the-creative-endeavor-and-mind-altering-substances-are/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [It is most absurdly said, in popular language, of any man, that he is disguised in liquor; for, on the contrary, most men are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-de-quincey/it-is-most-absurdly-said-in-popular-language-of-any-man-that-he-is/) [Thomas de Quincey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-de-quincey/) > [“Your alcoholics may include some of your brightest stars. The problem is to identify them, protected as they always are by their secretaries and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/your-alcoholics-may-include-some-of-your-brightest-stars-the-problem/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [I haven't had an alcoholic drink in 22 years, but when I did drink I'd go for either Canadian whisky or Budweiser. 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I like to think of myself as an advanced drinker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/i-don-t-like-the-word-alcoholic-i-like-to-think-of-myself-as-an/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [I feel that people who haven't read my books and haven't heard me lecture - who don't in fact know what my work is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-feel-that-people-who-haven-t-read-my-books-and-haven-t-heard-me/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [When people who believe themselves to be addicts or alcoholics come under great stress or trauma, they mentally give themselves permission to drink or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/when-people-who-believe-themselves-to-be-addicts-or-alcoholics-come/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [It took a great deal of acceptance to come to terms with being an alcoholic, but the acceptance was key to my sobriety. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-eckersley/it-took-a-great-deal-of-acceptance-to-come-to-terms-with-being-an/) [Dennis Eckersley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-eckersley/) [Browse all 377 Alcoholics quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alcoholics/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To its committed members (the Democratic Party) was still the party of heart, humanity, and justice, but to those removed a few paces it looked like Captain Hook’s crew–ambulance-chasing lawyers, rapacious public policy grants persons, civil rights gamesmen, ditzy-brained movie stars, fat-assed civil servant desk squatters, recovering alcoholics, recovering wife-beaters, recovering child-buggers, and so forth and so on, a grotesque line-up of ill-mannered self-pitying, caterwauling freeloaders banging their tin cups on the pavement demanding handouts.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nicholas von Hoffman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-von-hoffman/to-its-committed-members-the-democratic-party-was-still-the-party-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alcoholics" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-von-hoffman/to-its-committed-members-the-democratic-party-was-still-the-party-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/nicholas-von-hoffman-32722_alcoholics_to-its-committed-members-the-democratic_1285527.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/nicholas-von-hoffman-32722_alcoholics_to-its-committed-members-the-democratic_1285527.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/nicholas-von-hoffman-32722_alcoholics_to-its-committed-members-the-democratic_1285527.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To its committed members (the Democratic Party) was still the party of heart, humanity, and justice, but to…” — Nicholas von Hoffman", "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": "Nicholas von Hoffman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-von-hoffman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To its committed members (the Democratic...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-von-hoffman/to-its-committed-members-the-democratic-party-was-still-the-party-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-von-hoffman/to-its-committed-members-the-democratic-party-was-still-the-party-of/#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 } } ] } ```