--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It taught me that Clinton's instinct to…" description: "\"It taught me that Clinton's instinct to make this about your life as a citizen, rather than his as a human being, was the right answer to these things...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccc/paul-begala-13540_answers_it-taught-me-that-clinton-s-instinct-to_1701377.png" --- # It taught me that Clinton's instinct to make this about… ![“It taught me that Clinton's instinct to make this about your life as a citizen, rather than his as a human being, was the right answer to these things.” quote by Paul Begala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccc/paul-begala-13540_answers_it-taught-me-that-clinton-s-instinct-to_1701377.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccc/paul-begala-13540_answers_it-taught-me-that-clinton-s-instinct-to_1701377.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccc/paul-begala-13540_answers_it-taught-me-that-clinton-s-instinct-to_1701377.png) > “It taught me that Clinton's instinct to make this about your life as a citizen, rather than his as a human being, was the right answer to these things.” [Paul Begala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-begala/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that focusing on civic responsibilities rather than personal identity leads to better decisions for society. **In simple terms:** Civic focus beats personal focus. Key Takeaway Prioritize public duty over self. Themes civic responsibility political strategy identity public discourse Mood thoughtful analytical Type political reflective When to use this quote - political campaigns - public policy debates - community organizing - media analysis Key Concepts democratic theory ethical leadership Questions to Reflect On - How does personal identity influence civic choices? - When is personal perspective essential in politics? A Different Perspective It may oversimplify complex personal motivations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/) [Citizen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizen/) [Citizen Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizen-human-513883/) [Citizens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens/) [Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clinton/) [Clinton Instinct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clinton-instinct-1153891/) [House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/house/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Instinct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instinct/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Citizen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-citizen-1153893/) [Taught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taught/) [Taught Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taught-clinton-1153892/) ## Related quotes > [“Citizenship is the name of a reciprocal relationship between an individual and a sheltering polity. When there was no state, no one was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/citizenship-is-the-name-of-a-reciprocal-relationship-between-an/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [Before you're a writer, you're a citizen, a human being, and therefore the weapons of the citizen are at your disposal to use or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wole-soyinka/before-you-re-a-writer-you-re-a-citizen-a-human-being-and-therefore/) [Wole Soyinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wole-soyinka/) > [The First Amendment has the same role in my life as a citizen and a writer as the sun has in our ecosystem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/the-first-amendment-has-the-same-role-in-my-life-as-a-citizen-and-a/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [The life of a citizen is the property of his country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/the-life-of-a-citizen-is-the-property-of-his-country/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [What the 1990s taught the Clinton veterans was that you could 'triangulate' with a GOP-controlled Congress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/what-the-1990s-taught-the-clinton-veterans-was-that-you-could/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) > [Hillary Clinton has no instinct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/hillary-clinton-has-no-instinct/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The most important thing an institution does is not to prepare a student for a career but for a life as a citizen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-n-newman/the-most-important-thing-an-institution-does-is-not-to-prepare-a/) [Frank N. Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-n-newman/) > [The life of every citizen is becoming a business. This, it seems to me, is one of the worst interpretations of the meaning of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/the-life-of-every-citizen-is-becoming-a-business-this-it-seems-to-me/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [I think as you grow up, you realize you have obligations just in your life - being a citizen, being part of humanity -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/i-think-as-you-grow-up-you-realize-you-have-obligations-just-in-your/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) > [In the period where I had to live the life of a citizen - a life where, like everybody else, I did tons of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/in-the-period-where-i-had-to-live-the-life-of-a-citizen-a-life-where/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [“You are carrying the future of America in your heart and your mind. So live your dreams and remember, whatever you choose to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-clinton/you-are-carrying-the-future-of-america-in-your-heart-and-your-mind-so/) [Bill Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-clinton/) > [I mean, for all of his faults and the troubles in his marriage, Bill Clinton is still married to a girl he met in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-begala/i-mean-for-all-of-his-faults-and-the-troubles-in-his-marriage-bill/) [Paul Begala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-begala/) > [The average ordinary citizen can do a lot of different things when it comes to the climate crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/the-average-ordinary-citizen-can-do-a-lot-of-different-things-when-it/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [I will be a model prisoner, as I have been a model citizen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-edwards/i-will-be-a-model-prisoner-as-i-have-been-a-model-citizen/) [Edwin Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-edwards/) > [Politics is not an issue whether you like or dislike , but every citizen must involve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khem-veasna/politics-is-not-an-issue-whether-you-like-or-dislike-but-every/) [Khem Veasna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khem-veasna/) ## More by Paul Begala > [You can drive yourself crazy trying to peer into a person's soul--or you can do the sensible thing: ask not what inner motives drive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-begala/you-can-drive-yourself-crazy-trying-to-peer-into-a-person-s-soul-or/) [Paul Begala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-begala/) > [Never interrupt your opponent when he's destroying himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-begala/never-interrupt-your-opponent-when-he-s-destroying-himself/) [Paul Begala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-begala/) > [Republicans want to punish work and reward wealth; hence the high payroll tax and the low dividend tax. Said one Bush economic adviser, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-begala/republicans-want-to-punish-work-and-reward-wealth-hence-the-high/) [Paul Begala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-begala/) > [I mean, for all of his faults and the troubles in his marriage, Bill Clinton is still married to a girl he met in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-begala/i-mean-for-all-of-his-faults-and-the-troubles-in-his-marriage-bill/) [Paul Begala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-begala/) > [One of the problems we saw in the last presidential election in our party is that our nominee, while winning the election, which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-begala/one-of-the-problems-we-saw-in-the-last-presidential-election-in-our/) [Paul Begala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-begala/) > [My view was that the campaign had been a sacred thing, that it had been a real compact, because I was there and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-begala/my-view-was-that-the-campaign-had-been-a-sacred-thing-that-it-had/) [Paul Begala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-begala/) > [If my wife hears one more report that I'm joining Hillary's campaign I'm going to have to go in the Pundit Protection Program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-begala/if-my-wife-hears-one-more-report-that-i-m-joining-hillary-s-campaign/) [Paul Begala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-begala/) > [This gets back to the fundamental lesson of political survival that Bill Clinton taught me, which is if you make it about the American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-begala/this-gets-back-to-the-fundamental-lesson-of-political-survival-that/) [Paul Begala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-begala/) > [I used to go in at 5:30 or 6:00 so I could run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-begala/i-used-to-go-in-at-5-30-or-6-00-so-i-could-run/) [Paul Begala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-begala/) > [I grew up in Tom DeLay's district.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-begala/i-grew-up-in-tom-delay-s-district/) [Paul Begala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-begala/) > [Politics is show business for ugly people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-begala/politics-is-show-business-for-ugly-people/) [Paul Begala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-begala/) > [There's the great line: the definition of a liberal is someone who's afraid to take their own side in a fight. And that's my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-begala/there-s-the-great-line-the-definition-of-a-liberal-is-someone-who-s/) [Paul Begala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-begala/) > [Always attack, Never defend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-begala/always-attack-never-defend/) [Paul Begala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-begala/) > [If it was about lying under oath - we actually know that Clinton certainly was deceptive, as most people would be about their sex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-begala/if-it-was-about-lying-under-oath-we-actually-know-that-clinton/) [Paul Begala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-begala/) > [I think his deepest quality is empathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-begala/i-think-his-deepest-quality-is-empathy/) [Paul Begala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-begala/) [Explore all 50 Paul Begala quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-begala/) ## More Answers quotes > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. 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It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/there-is-a-comfort-in-rituals-and-rituals-provide-a-framework-for/) [Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/) > [A religious person answers to God, not to the elected or non-elected official.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/a-religious-person-answers-to-god-not-to-the-elected-or-non-elected/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [Instead of asking a girl how she feels, try looking through her recently listened to songs. 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