--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Neither liberal nor conservative…" description: "\"Neither liberal nor conservative politicians can resist the temptation to stand as mighty sequoias of rectitude amid the lowly underbrush of fundraisin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/175/p-j-o-rourke-184_conservative_neither-liberal-nor-conservative-politic_2367299.png" --- # Neither liberal nor conservative politicians can resist… ![“Neither liberal nor conservative politicians can resist the temptation to stand as mighty sequoias of rectitude amid the lowly underbrush of fundraising.” quote by P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/175/p-j-o-rourke-184_conservative_neither-liberal-nor-conservative-politic_2367299.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/175/p-j-o-rourke-184_conservative_neither-liberal-nor-conservative-politic_2367299.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/175/p-j-o-rourke-184_conservative_neither-liberal-nor-conservative-politic_2367299.png) > “Neither liberal nor conservative politicians can resist the temptation to stand as mighty sequoias of rectitude amid the lowly underbrush of fundraising.” [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Politicians, regardless of party, often prioritize fundraising over genuine principle, appearing virtuous but driven by money. **In simple terms:** Politicians chase money, not principles. Key Takeaway Scrutinize motives behind political rhetoric. Themes politics fundraising hypocrisy integrity Mood cynical critical Type satirical political When to use this quote - voting - donations - policy advocacy - media analysis Key Concepts campaign finance public trust ethical compromise Questions to Reflect On - How does money influence political decisions? - What reforms could reduce fundraising pressure? A Different Perspective Some may argue fundraising is necessary for campaign viability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conservative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservative/) [Fundraising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundraising/) [Liberal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberal/) [Lowly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lowly/) [Politicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politicians/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Temptation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/temptation/) ## Related quotes > [ \[Political\] conventions lend themselves to pandering, as few politicians can resist the temptation to tell a national television audience how well they will run… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/political-conventions-lend-themselves-to-pandering-as-few-politicians/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [The main aim of conservative politicians is to get through to the next election without being noticed. Nothing is more embarrassing to them than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/the-main-aim-of-conservative-politicians-is-to-get-through-to-the/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [Labour has lots of groups of people, whether it's public sector workers, nurses and so on who will push their policies out for them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemi-badenoch/labour-has-lots-of-groups-of-people-whether-it-s-public-sector/) [Kemi Badenoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemi-badenoch/) > [Putting measures like gay marriage on ballots for elections only hurts the gay rights cause and elects more conservative politicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roseanne-barr/putting-measures-like-gay-marriage-on-ballots-for-elections-only/) [Roseanne Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roseanne-barr/) > [“Davy’s work in Bristol came under attack by conservative politicians, including the famous Irish MP Edmund Burke, who accused the gas experiments of promoting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/davy-s-work-in-bristol-came-under-attack-by-conservative-politicians/) [Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/) > [Though I have looked everywhere / I can find nothing lowly / in the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-ammons/though-i-have-looked-everywhere-i-can-find-nothing-lowly-in-the/) [A. R. Ammons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-ammons/) > [Ideally, content should be shared, mixed, mashed, and reposted - it wants to flow through the Internet like water. This was the point of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/ideally-content-should-be-shared-mixed-mashed-and-reposted-it-wants/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [“Thus God's work and His eyes are in the depths, but man's only in the height.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/thus-god-s-work-and-his-eyes-are-in-the-depths-but-man-s-only-in-the/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“Most sane human beings who have managed to attain and retain fame each uses it to dramatically increase their name’s chances of being remembered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/most-sane-human-beings-who-have-managed-to-attain-and-retain-fame/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [no job, no matter how lowly, is truly 'unskilled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/no-job-no-matter-how-lowly-is-truly-unskilled/) [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) > [If someone thinks I'm posh, it just shows how lowly they are. Some people think I went to Eton. I'm far too stupid to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-horsley/if-someone-thinks-i-m-posh-it-just-shows-how-lowly-they-are-some/) [Sebastian Horsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-horsley/) > [No man made great by death offers more hope to lowly pride than does Abraham Lincoln; for while living he was himself so simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-man-made-great-by-death-offers-more-hope-to-lowly-pride-than-does/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Back in the 1980s, when I was a lowly editorial assistant by day and trying to be a novelist by night, no god reigned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/back-in-the-1980s-when-i-was-a-lowly-editorial-assistant-by-day-and/) [Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/) > [You, God, made yourself lowly and small to make us great!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/you-god-made-yourself-lowly-and-small-to-make-us-great/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [“The lowly have small ambitions, and are satisfied with small indulgences. They need not get fair treatment. They need only think that they do... ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/the-lowly-have-small-ambitions-and-are-satisfied-with-small/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) ## More by P. J. O'Rourke > [I'm fascinated by political enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/i-m-fascinated-by-political-enthusiasm/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [In comparative terms, there's no poverty in America by a long shot. Heritage Foundation political scientist Robert Rector has worked up figures showing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/in-comparative-terms-there-s-no-poverty-in-america-by-a-long-shot/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [The Democrats said, "We don't know what's wrong with America, but we can fix it." The Republicans said, "There's nothing wrong with America, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/the-democrats-said-we-don-t-know-what-s-wrong-with-america-but-we-can/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [At Epcot Center the Disney corporation has focused its attention on two things greatly in need of Disneyfication: the tedious future and the annoying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/at-epcot-center-the-disney-corporation-has-focused-its-attention-on/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [So-called Western Civilization, as practised in half of Europe, some of Asia and a few parts of North America, is better than anything else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/so-called-western-civilization-as-practised-in-half-of-europe-some-of/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [My whole family can talk. They are all car salesmen. They are all funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/my-whole-family-can-talk-they-are-all-car-salesmen-they-are-all-funny/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [It was Ronald Reagan who used to say that the 10 most frightening words in the English language are, "I'm from the federal government,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/it-was-ronald-reagan-who-used-to-say-that-the-10-most-frightening/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Gun violence has cost us too many political leaders, and hardly ever the worst ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/gun-violence-has-cost-us-too-many-political-leaders-and-hardly-ever/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Pete Seeger is a modest, unassuming, cheerful, and kind-natured man. He's a good folk singer, if you can stand folk singing. And he's such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/pete-seeger-is-a-modest-unassuming-cheerful-and-kind-natured-man-he-s/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Journalists are notoriously easy to kid. All you have to do is speak to a journalist in a very serious tone of voice, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/journalists-are-notoriously-easy-to-kid-all-you-have-to-do-is-speak/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I like to think of my behavior in the sixties as a 'learning experience.' Then again, I like to think of anything stupid I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/i-like-to-think-of-my-behavior-in-the-sixties-as-a-learning/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I'll be 56 this year, I've got two kids, and I think it's probably time to go back to writing one-glove jokes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/i-ll-be-56-this-year-i-ve-got-two-kids-and-i-think-it-s-probably-time/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Something that comes to us, some gym shoe that comes to us as a result of child labor from a brutal dictatorship, where people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/something-that-comes-to-us-some-gym-shoe-that-comes-to-us-as-a-result/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Russians not only vehemently despise blacks, they believe Africa begins at the Ukraine border.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/russians-not-only-vehemently-despise-blacks-they-believe-africa/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Now, do I think the baby boomers tend to be self-absorbed? I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/now-do-i-think-the-baby-boomers-tend-to-be-self-absorbed-i-do/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) [Explore all 983 P. J. O'Rourke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) ## More Conservative quotes > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [Progressive Conservative candidates from Quebec want to exert real power in Ottawa, not simply be content with playing a secondary role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-campbell/progressive-conservative-candidates-from-quebec-want-to-exert-real/) [Kim Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-campbell/) > [Play small ball. Get back to basics. I would say that you need to be a conservative, but you need to maintain your independent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-tantaros/play-small-ball-get-back-to-basics-i-would-say-that-you-need-to-be-a/) [Andrea Tantaros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-tantaros/) > [I am a conservative type of person, so sometimes when I'm chilling with myself, people always come ask me, 'What's wrong with you? What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-wonder/i-am-a-conservative-type-of-person-so-sometimes-when-i-m-chilling/) [Wayne Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-wonder/) > [In the Tea Party era, it is the restless conservative Republican who has become passion's plaything, the toy of impetuous romance, an erotomania only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wolcott/in-the-tea-party-era-it-is-the-restless-conservative-republican-who/) [James Wolcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wolcott/) > [I'm a principle liberty, rule-of-law Conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-o-toole/i-m-a-principle-liberty-rule-of-law-conservative/) [Erin O'Toole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-o-toole/) > [I would say I'm a fiscal conservative and a social liberal, if that contradiction can make sense, because in Bolivia, we have a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gonzalo-sanchez-de-lozada/i-would-say-i-m-a-fiscal-conservative-and-a-social-liberal-if-that/) [Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gonzalo-sanchez-de-lozada/) > [My dad's quite a conservative person, and he brought me up to be very questioning of the commercial world. He looked down on pop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-and-the-diamonds/my-dad-s-quite-a-conservative-person-and-he-brought-me-up-to-be-very/) [Marina and the Diamonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-and-the-diamonds/) > [To all conservative women out there: If you are so sure the embryo needed for stem cell research are precious human life that can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/to-all-conservative-women-out-there-if-you-are-so-sure-the-embryo/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [There are a lot of conservative people, a lot of moderate people, Republicans, Democrats, in Hollywood. It is just that the conservative people by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/there-are-a-lot-of-conservative-people-a-lot-of-moderate-people/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) > [“Those who consider themselves ‘Conservative’ frequently identify with family values, so they should consider carefully the fact that in 1960, only 18% of women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-befumo/those-who-consider-themselves-conservative-frequently-identify-with/) [Joseph Befumo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-befumo/) > [A faithfully kept program of savings and conservative investments can give you more money and a better life than that of your neighbors who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-bryant-quinn/a-faithfully-kept-program-of-savings-and-conservative-investments-can/) [Jane Bryant Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-bryant-quinn/) > [Conservative political opinion in America cleaves to the tradition of the judge as passive interpreter, believing that his absolute loyalty to authoritative law is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/conservative-political-opinion-in-america-cleaves-to-the-tradition-of/) [Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/) > [Conservative feminism is such an artificial term that doesn't mean much to me. For me conservatism means accepting reality. I acknowledge that there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristina-schroder/conservative-feminism-is-such-an-artificial-term-that-doesn-t-mean/) [Kristina Schroder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristina-schroder/) [Browse all 2,995 Conservative quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservative/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Neither liberal nor conservative politicians can resist the temptation to stand as mighty sequoias of rectitude amid the lowly underbrush of fundraising.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "P. J. O'Rourke" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/neither-liberal-nor-conservative-politicians-can-resist-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conservative" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/neither-liberal-nor-conservative-politicians-can-resist-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/175/p-j-o-rourke-184_conservative_neither-liberal-nor-conservative-politic_2367299.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/175/p-j-o-rourke-184_conservative_neither-liberal-nor-conservative-politic_2367299.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/175/p-j-o-rourke-184_conservative_neither-liberal-nor-conservative-politic_2367299.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Neither liberal nor conservative politicians can resist the temptation to stand as mighty sequoias of…” — P. J. O'Rourke", "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": "P. J. O'Rourke", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Neither liberal nor conservative politicians can...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/neither-liberal-nor-conservative-politicians-can-resist-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/neither-liberal-nor-conservative-politicians-can-resist-the/#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 } } ] } ```