--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The best thing about being President is…" description: "\"The best thing about being President is that it gets you out of American life. I don't know what the theory is behind this, but it is a fact. The first..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6eb/russell-baker-2930_american-life_the-best-thing-about-being-president-is_1523367.png" --- # The best thing about being President is that it gets you… ![“The best thing about being President is that it gets you out of American life. I don't know what the theory is behind this, but it is a fact. The first thing we do with a President is shunt him off to a siding where nothing American can ever happen to him.” quote by Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6eb/russell-baker-2930_american-life_the-best-thing-about-being-president-is_1523367.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6eb/russell-baker-2930_american-life_the-best-thing-about-being-president-is_1523367.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6eb/russell-baker-2930_american-life_the-best-thing-about-being-president-is_1523367.png) > “The best thing about being President is that it gets you out of American life. I don't know what the theory is behind this, but it is a fact. The first thing we do with a President is shunt him off to a siding where nothing American can ever happen to him.” [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being President isolates one from ordinary life, making the role feel detached from everyday American experiences. **In simple terms:** Presidency separates you from normal life. Key Takeaway Recognize the isolation of high office. Themes power isolation politics Mood cynical reflective Type satirical observational When to use this quote - political leadership - media scrutiny - personal life - public expectations Key Concepts public service detachment role expectations Questions to Reflect On - How does power change personal relationships? - Can leadership remain grounded? A Different Perspective The quote may exaggerate for humor; not all presidents feel detached. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-life/) [Behinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behinds/) [Best thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-thing/) [Best things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-things/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [President Gets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president-gets-438606/) [President Shunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president-shunt-5635916/) [Siding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/siding/) [Theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theory/) [Thing President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-president-687518/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) ## Related quotes > [Let's assume for the moment that the logic behind Presidents Day is actually sound for certain presidents. 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My first term was about dragging the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-streeting/i-have-been-a-national-president-who-gets-the-job-done-and-who/) [Wes Streeting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-streeting/) > [If there's a major foreign policy event, the President gets on TV, the Congress doesn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-silver/if-there-s-a-major-foreign-policy-event-the-president-gets-on-tv-the/) [Nate Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-silver/) > [“He held his face in his hands for a moment and then looked up again. “I’m pretty good at coming up with solutions, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/he-held-his-face-in-his-hands-for-a-moment-and-then-looked-up-again-i/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [Here's a president who gets 47 or 48 percent of the vote and takes 100 percent of the power, as if he had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/here-s-a-president-who-gets-47-or-48-percent-of-the-vote-and-takes/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Once a president gets to the White House, the only audience that is left that really matters is history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/once-a-president-gets-to-the-white-house-the-only-audience-that-is/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [When a new president comes in, a new president gets to clean house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/when-a-new-president-comes-in-a-new-president-gets-to-clean-house/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [The good news is that the president gets another chance. The bad news is that he'll be two weeks older.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-carson/the-good-news-is-that-the-president-gets-another-chance-the-bad-news/) [Johnny Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-carson/) > [It seems to be a law of American life that whatever enriches us anywhere except in the wallet inevitably becomes uneconomic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/it-seems-to-be-a-law-of-american-life-that-whatever-enriches-us/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [Journalism talk is part of the nonstop background noise of American life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/journalism-talk-is-part-of-the-nonstop-background-noise-of-american/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [There is one thing about being President -- nobody can tell you when to sit down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/there-is-one-thing-about-being-president-nobody-can-tell-you-when-to/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [I can only say this, a very, very important element of any country, but our country, and in my opinion, the single most important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-can-only-say-this-a-very-very-important-element-of-any-country-but/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [That's the good thing about being President--I can do whatever I want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-s-the-good-thing-about-being-president-i-can-do-whatever-i-want/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I'm a huge Obama fan. I think it's such an unbelievably great thing to have a President who's competent and not insane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-cohen/i-m-a-huge-obama-fan-i-think-it-s-such-an-unbelievably-great-thing-to/) [Randy Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-cohen/) > [I'm the commander -- see, I don't need to explain -- I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the interesting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-m-the-commander-see-i-don-t-need-to-explain-i-do-not-need-to/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) ## More by Russell Baker > [Unpleasant questions are being raised about Mother's Day. Is this day necessary? . . . Isn't it bad public policy? . . . No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/unpleasant-questions-are-being-raised-about-mother-s-day-is-this-day/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [The people who are always hankering loudest for some golden yesteryear usually drive new cars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/the-people-who-are-always-hankering-loudest-for-some-golden/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [In writing, punctuation plays the role of body language. It helps readers hear you the way you want to be heard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/in-writing-punctuation-plays-the-role-of-body-language-it-helps/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [Kingsley Amis was one of a trio of brilliant comic novelists who made English literature sparkle in the twentieth century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/kingsley-amis-was-one-of-a-trio-of-brilliant-comic-novelists-who-made/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [Life seemed to be an educator's practical joke in which you spent the first half learning and the second half learning that everything you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/life-seemed-to-be-an-educator-s-practical-joke-in-which-you-spent-the/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [I gave up on new poetry myself 30 years ago when most of it began to read like coded messages passing between lonely aliens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/i-gave-up-on-new-poetry-myself-30-years-ago-when-most-of-it-began-to/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [After two years studying what rewrite men did with the facts I phoned them, I knew that journalism was essentially a task of stringing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/after-two-years-studying-what-rewrite-men-did-with-the-facts-i-phoned/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [American foreign policy had still not recovered from its victory over communism when George W. Bush and Condoleezza Rice took over at the White…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/american-foreign-policy-had-still-not-recovered-from-its-victory-over/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [Anything that isn't opposed by about 40 percent of humanity is either an evil business or so unimportant that it simply doesn't matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/anything-that-isn-t-opposed-by-about-40-percent-of-humanity-is-either/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [When you're the only pea in the pod, your parents are likely to get you confused with the Hope diamond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/when-you-re-the-only-pea-in-the-pod-your-parents-are-likely-to-get/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [Serious journalism need not be solemn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/serious-journalism-need-not-be-solemn/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [Ireland really is my problem; the breaking point of the huge suppuration which all British and all European society now is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/ireland-really-is-my-problem-the-breaking-point-of-the-huge/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [Journalism talk is part of the nonstop background noise of American life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/journalism-talk-is-part-of-the-nonstop-background-noise-of-american/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [An educated person is one who has learned that information almost always turns out to be at best incomplete and very often false, misleading,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/an-educated-person-is-one-who-has-learned-that-information-almost/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [The best discussion of trouble in boardroom and business office is found in newspapers' own financial pages and speeches by journalists in management jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/the-best-discussion-of-trouble-in-boardroom-and-business-office-is/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) [Explore all 145 Russell Baker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) ## More American life quotes > [“As we look over the list of the early leaders of the republic, Washington, John Adams, Hamilton, and others, we discern that they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-truslow-adams/as-we-look-over-the-list-of-the-early-leaders-of-the-republic/) [James Truslow Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-truslow-adams/) > [Our families and our homes are the center of American life, Everything we do is to make those homes-and the lives in them-more beautiful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stewart/our-families-and-our-homes-are-the-center-of-american-life-everything/) [Martha Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stewart/) > [As Americans, we want peace - we work and sacrifice for peace. 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Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-e-burger/) [Browse all 344 American life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The best thing about being President is that it gets you out of American life. I don't know what the theory is behind this, but it is a fact. 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