Appetite Quote by Robert J. Samuelson
“If President Clinton has his way, we will have a false debate in the 1996 election campaign. It will not engage real political choices - choices framed by our appetite for government services and our distaste for taxes - but rather artificial choices crafted by Clinton to advance his reelection. Clinton has clearly been using the budget as an election platform...I dislike using the word 'lies,' but Clinton exploits such forbearance (widespread in the press) to spread untruths.”
About This Quote
Source Article: The New York Times, “Clinton’s Budget Tactics,” 1995
The author argues Clinton manipulates budget debates to create superficial choices, avoiding genuine policy discussion about taxes and services.
In simple terms: Clinton steers political talk toward easy topics, hiding real issues.
Key Takeaway
Watch for political framing that masks true choices.
Themes
politics
media
public policy
election strategy
Mood
skeptical
critical
concerned
Type
analytical
commentary
When to use this quote
- voter education
- media literacy
- policy analysis
- campaign strategy
Key Concepts
agenda setting
political communication
public choice
Questions to Reflect On
- How can voters discern authentic policy debates?
- What role should media play in exposing political framing?
A Different Perspective
The claim may overstate intent without concrete evidence.
![“You saw that the other night in the debate, where some people said [Hillary Clinton] made virtually a fool of herself. This is not presidential material, believe me. What they say is false and slanderous in virtually every respect.” quote by Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/957/donald-trump-18_believe_you-saw-that-the-other-night-in-the-deba_2194000.jpg)
