---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You see, to me, it doesn't really matter…"
description: "\"You see, to me, it doesn't really matter if an elected official has a D or an R behind her name, or his name. I honestly don't give a damn about who be..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c7/richard-trumka-23732_about_you-see-to-me-it-doesn-t-really-matter-i_777837.jpg"
---

#  You see, to me, it doesn't really matter if an elected…

![“You see, to me, it doesn't really matter if an elected official has a D or an R behind her name, or his name. I honestly don't give a damn about who belongs to either political party.” quote by Richard Trumka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c7/richard-trumka-23732_about_you-see-to-me-it-doesn-t-really-matter-i_777837.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c7/richard-trumka-23732_about_you-see-to-me-it-doesn-t-really-matter-i_777837.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c7/richard-trumka-23732_about_you-see-to-me-it-doesn-t-really-matter-i_777837.jpg)

> “You see, to me, it doesn't really matter if an elected official has a D or an R behind her name, or his name. I honestly don't give a damn about who belongs to either political party.”

[Richard Trumka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-trumka/)

## About This Quote

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

The speaker expresses indifference toward political party labels, emphasizing that personal values matter more than partisan affiliation.

**In simple terms:** Party labels are irrelevant to the speaker.

Key Takeaway

Focus on issues, not party names.

Themes

politics individualism values

Mood

skeptical reflective

Type

political opinion

When to use this quote

- voting decisions
- community organizing
- public discourse
- policy advocacy

Key Concepts

nonpartisanship citizen engagement critical thinking

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you evaluate a candidate beyond party?
- What values guide your political choices?

A Different Perspective

Party affiliation can still influence policy outcomes and voter perception.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-party/)

## Related quotes

> [You see, to me, it doesnt really matter if an elected official has a D or an R behind her name, or his name.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-trumka/you-see-to-me-it-doesnt-really-matter-if-an-elected-official-has-a-d/)

[Richard Trumka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-trumka/)

> [Al is, and always has been, the person who has been the candidate - the elected official. And he is the one who makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tipper-gore/al-is-and-always-has-been-the-person-who-has-been-the-candidate-the/)

[Tipper Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tipper-gore/)

> [I do not believe you have to be an elected official to help 'change the world.' In fact, maybe it is easier from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-gabrieli/i-do-not-believe-you-have-to-be-an-elected-official-to-help-change/)

[Chris Gabrieli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-gabrieli/)

> [There is only one thing more harmful to society than an elected official forgetting the promises he made in order to get elected; that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccarthy/there-is-only-one-thing-more-harmful-to-society-than-an-elected/)

[John McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccarthy/)

> [I am an elected official. I am a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gideon/i-am-an-elected-official-i-am-a-parent/)

[Sara Gideon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gideon/)

> [Since 2001, I've done what every elected official should be doing in government right now. My staff and I took a look at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-quigley/since-2001-i-ve-done-what-every-elected-official-should-be-doing-in/)

[Mike Quigley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-quigley/)

> [The First Lady is such a fascinating office to hold. You're not elected, but it's very much official. You can see the latitude of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bellamy-young/the-first-lady-is-such-a-fascinating-office-to-hold-you-re-not/)

[Bellamy Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bellamy-young/)

> [You don't have to be an elected official to be a public servant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/you-don-t-have-to-be-an-elected-official-to-be-a-public-servant/)

[William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/)

> [Somehow, someway, for some people there's an automatic assumption that a mayor who is African-American or some other elected official has to support another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nutter/somehow-someway-for-some-people-there-s-an-automatic-assumption-that/)

[Michael Nutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nutter/)

> [How can you have the religion of the sovereign be the religion of the state if the sovereign belongs to many religions? And it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/how-can-you-have-the-religion-of-the-sovereign-be-the-religion-of-the/)

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

> [I am an elected official, a politician who has been very successful in Washington, in city halls and state houses for my entire career.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-capuano/i-am-an-elected-official-a-politician-who-has-been-very-successful-in/)

[Michael Capuano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-capuano/)

> [I was honored to serve as an elected official for twenty-four years of my life. But right now, I believe our democratic processes have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/i-was-honored-to-serve-as-an-elected-official-for-twenty-four-years/)

[Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/)

> [As the youngest child of a single immigrant mother with a third-grade education, I never thought in my wildest dreams that I'd ever be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-de-leon/as-the-youngest-child-of-a-single-immigrant-mother-with-a-third-grade/)

[Kevin de Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-de-leon/)

> [Any time an elected official in the world we're in today that appears so dysfunctional challenges a core constituency not of their opponent but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/any-time-an-elected-official-in-the-world-we-re-in-today-that-appears/)

[Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/)

> [“Let’s say you’re a politician. You’re still you, but you are an elected official. In other words, in this scenario, you get to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/let-s-say-you-re-a-politician-you-re-still-you-but-you-are-an-elected/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

## More by Richard Trumka

> [The bottom has fallen out of America's wage floor. And the erosion of the minimum wage has lowered pay and working standards for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-trumka/the-bottom-has-fallen-out-of-america-s-wage-floor-and-the-erosion-of/)

[Richard Trumka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-trumka/)

> [We're building an independent political program that can run electoral politics and then turn on a dime to hold our leaders to task, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-trumka/we-re-building-an-independent-political-program-that-can-run/)

[Richard Trumka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-trumka/)

> [We can support President Barack Obama, because he supports us. We can support Barack Obama, because he shares our values and our vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-trumka/we-can-support-president-barack-obama-because-he-supports-us-we-can/)

[Richard Trumka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-trumka/)

> [Friends, I'm angry about what's happening in politics today! Why is it wrong to ask the wealthiest people and most profitable corporations to pay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-trumka/friends-i-m-angry-about-what-s-happening-in-politics-today-why-is-it/)

[Richard Trumka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-trumka/)

> [And, you know, money is - the money edge is really dangerous to democracy. Because what you have right now - people have said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-trumka/and-you-know-money-is-the-money-edge-is-really-dangerous-to-democracy/)

[Richard Trumka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-trumka/)

> [You can be dogmatic, like Donald Trump, and say don't tell me any of the facts, I have made up my mind, I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-trumka/you-can-be-dogmatic-like-donald-trump-and-say-don-t-tell-me-any-of/)

[Richard Trumka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-trumka/)

> [I say let's go back to a truer use of the word 'freedom.' Let's start with President Franklin Roosevelt's Four Freedoms: freedom of speech…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-trumka/i-say-let-s-go-back-to-a-truer-use-of-the-word-freedom-let-s-start/)

[Richard Trumka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-trumka/)

> [Time after time we're told corporations should have freedom from pesky job safety regulations, environmental protections and labor standards - giving working people the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-trumka/time-after-time-we-re-told-corporations-should-have-freedom-from/)

[Richard Trumka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-trumka/)

> [I do believe that freedom isn't free - but today the corporate and political right wing is trying to cheapen this truly American value.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-trumka/i-do-believe-that-freedom-isn-t-free-but-today-the-corporate-and/)

[Richard Trumka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-trumka/)

> [There is nothing stronger than the American labor movement. United, we cannot and we will not be turned aside. We'll work for it, sisters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-trumka/there-is-nothing-stronger-than-the-american-labor-movement-united-we/)

[Richard Trumka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-trumka/)

> [What I care about is whether or not a leader will work with America's working people, whether or not a leader cares about responsibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-trumka/what-i-care-about-is-whether-or-not-a-leader-will-work-with-america-s/)

[Richard Trumka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-trumka/)

> [When the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act, Sarah Palin tweeted, 'Obama lies; freedom dies.' She's referring, I guess, to the freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-trumka/when-the-u-s-supreme-court-upheld-the-affordable-care-act-sarah-palin/)

[Richard Trumka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-trumka/)

> [Better world. Better life for everybody, every worker. Poor kids oughta be able to go anyplace their brains will take them. Not where Daddy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-trumka/better-world-better-life-for-everybody-every-worker-poor-kids-oughta/)

[Richard Trumka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-trumka/)

> [We have a raising wages agenda. And that includes tax policy, trade policy. TPP is a very bad agreement. Covers 40 percent of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-trumka/we-have-a-raising-wages-agenda-and-that-includes-tax-policy-trade/)

[Richard Trumka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-trumka/)

> [The ultimate goal of those who blame workers for Wall Street's economic crisis is to unravel the fabric of our common life in pursuit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-trumka/the-ultimate-goal-of-those-who-blame-workers-for-wall-street-s/)

[Richard Trumka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-trumka/)

[Explore all 25 Richard Trumka quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-trumka/)

## More About quotes

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/)

[Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/)

[Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/)

> [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/)

[Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/)

> [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/)

[Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/)

> [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/)

[Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/)

> [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/)

[Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/)

> [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

Browse all 26,122 About quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "You see, to me, it doesn't really matter if an elected official has a D or an R behind her name, or his name. I honestly don't give a damn about who belongs to either political party.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Richard Trumka"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-trumka/you-see-to-me-it-doesn-t-really-matter-if-an-elected-official-has-a-d/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "About"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-trumka/you-see-to-me-it-doesn-t-really-matter-if-an-elected-official-has-a-d/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c7/richard-trumka-23732_about_you-see-to-me-it-doesn-t-really-matter-i_777837.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c7/richard-trumka-23732_about_you-see-to-me-it-doesn-t-really-matter-i_777837.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c7/richard-trumka-23732_about_you-see-to-me-it-doesn-t-really-matter-i_777837.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You see, to me, it doesn't really matter if an elected official has a D or an R behind her name, or his…” — Richard Trumka",
                "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": "Richard Trumka",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-trumka/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "You see, to me, it doesn't...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-trumka/you-see-to-me-it-doesn-t-really-matter-if-an-elected-official-has-a-d/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-trumka/you-see-to-me-it-doesn-t-really-matter-if-an-elected-official-has-a-d/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
