--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wish that in order to secure his…" description: "\"“I wish that in order to secure his party’s nomination, a presidential candidate would be required to point at the sky and name all the stars; have the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a9/sarah-vowell-2016_candidate_i-wish-that-in-order-to-secure-his-party_2755597.jpg" --- # I wish that in order to secure his party’s nomination, a… ![“I wish that in order to secure his party’s nomination, a presidential candidate would be required to point at the sky and name all the stars; have the periodic table of the elements memorized; rattle off the kings and queens of Spain; define the significance of the Gatling gun; joke around in…” quote by Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a9/sarah-vowell-2016_candidate_i-wish-that-in-order-to-secure-his-party_2755597.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a9/sarah-vowell-2016_candidate_i-wish-that-in-order-to-secure-his-party_2755597.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a9/sarah-vowell-2016_candidate_i-wish-that-in-order-to-secure-his-party_2755597.jpg) > ““I wish that in order to secure his party’s nomination, a presidential candidate would be required to point at the sky and name all the stars; have the periodic table of the elements memorized; rattle off the kings and queens of Spain; define the significance of the Gatling gun; joke around in Latin; interpret the symbolism in seventeenth-century Dutch painting; explain photosynthesis to a six-year-old; recite Emily Dickenson; bake a perfect popover; build a shortwave radio out of a coconut; and know all the words to Hoagy Carmichael’s “Two Sleepy People”, Johnny Cash’s “Five Feet High and Rising”, and “You Got the Silver” by the Rolling Stones...What we need is a president who is at least twelve kinds of nerd, a nerd messiah to come along every four years, acquire the Secret Service code name Poindexter, install a Revenge of the Nerds screen saver on the Oval Office computer, and one by one decrypt our woes.”” [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) ## 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 sat that a president should be a polymath, mastering diverse, obscure knowledge to solve complex problems. **In simple terms:** A president needs many nerdy skills. Key Takeaway Value broad learning. Themes knowledge leadership humor politics education Mood witty ironic thoughtful Type satirical political commentary When to use this quote - campaign speeches - policy debates - public debates - education reform - media interviews Key Concepts interdisciplinary expertise critical thinking creativity Questions to Reflect On - Can a leader be both specialist and generalist? - How does expertise translate to policy? A Different Perspective Such breadth may be unrealistic for effective governance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Candidate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candidate/) [Periodic table](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/periodic-table/) [Presidential candidate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presidential-candidate/) [Revenge Of The Nerds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revenge-of-the-nerds/) ## Related quotes > [“I wish it were different. I wish that we privileged knowledge in politicians, that the ones who know things didn't have to hide it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/i-wish-it-were-different-i-wish-that-we-privileged-knowledge-in/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [The candidate was required to prepare himself by confession, fasting, and passing the night in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horatio-alger/the-candidate-was-required-to-prepare-himself-by-confession-fasting/) Horatio Alger > [Love is anterior to life/ Posterior to death/ Initial of creation/ And the exponent of earth. - Emily Dickenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-dickenson/love-is-anterior-to-life-posterior-to-death-initial-of-creation-and/) Emily Dickenson > [“Halliday’s favorites, like WarGames, Ghostbusters, Real Genius, Better Off Dead, or Revenge of the Nerds”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-cline/halliday-s-favorites-like-wargames-ghostbusters-real-genius-better/) [Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/) > [Early on in my career I got a part in Revenge Of The Nerds II: Nerds In Paradise. If I hadn't done that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-whitford/early-on-in-my-career-i-got-a-part-in-revenge-of-the-nerds-ii-nerds/) [Bradley Whitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-whitford/) > [I auditioned for 'Revenge Of The Nerds,' and I so did not want the picture. I didn't want it. I didn't want be in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cromwell/i-auditioned-for-revenge-of-the-nerds-and-i-so-did-not-want-the/) [James Cromwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cromwell/) > [There is that stereotype of a nerd with the high pants and pocket protector and that kind of thing. That can sustain comedy for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-galecki/there-is-that-stereotype-of-a-nerd-with-the-high-pants-and-pocket/) [Johnny Galecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-galecki/) > [Dirty money, no footprints in dirt. We geeked up, the revenge of the nerds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/dirty-money-no-footprints-in-dirt-we-geeked-up-the-revenge-of-the/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) > [I owe a great deal to Revenge Of The Nerds movie and I loved making it. But I've said this a lot: My character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-armstrong/i-owe-a-great-deal-to-revenge-of-the-nerds-movie-and-i-loved-making/) [Curtis Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-armstrong/) > [You tryin to fight the urge to splurge and blow purp watch revenge of the nerds fuck untill we roll herb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-tryin-to-fight-the-urge-to-splurge-and-blow-purp-watch-revenge-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think people have this stereotypical idea in their head of what a nerd is. People have said to me before, "You're not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hardwick/i-think-people-have-this-stereotypical-idea-in-their-head-of-what-a/) [Chris Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hardwick/) > [When I went to college, I lived on campus, and the guys I hung out with made the characters in Revenge of the Nerds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-miller/when-i-went-to-college-i-lived-on-campus-and-the-guys-i-hung-out-with/) [Dennis Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-miller/) > [All of the dirty tricks, basically, the Russians employ to tear down liberal democracy, we need to work together on a bipartisan basis, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-schiff/all-of-the-dirty-tricks-basically-the-russians-employ-to-tear-down/) [Adam Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-schiff/) > [We need a president who stands up, number one, and says, we will defeat ISIS. And number two, says the greatest national security threat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/we-need-a-president-who-stands-up-number-one-and-says-we-will-defeat/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [I strongly believe that at this point in America's history, we need a president that will not just continue, even with a new face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/i-strongly-believe-that-at-this-point-in-america-s-history-we-need-a/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) ## More by Sarah Vowell > [“She is either male property (Mrs.), wannabe male property (Miss), or man-hating harpy (Ms.).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/she-is-either-male-property-mrs-wannabe-male-property-miss-or-man/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [“We were breathing sooty air. The soot was composed of incinerated glass and steel but also, we knew, incinerated human flesh. When the local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/we-were-breathing-sooty-air-the-soot-was-composed-of-incinerated/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [I was a big Nancy Drew reader. Nancy figures it out. Case closed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/i-was-a-big-nancy-drew-reader-nancy-figures-it-out-case-closed/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [“After Hymns and tears, they boarded the brig Thaddeus, a vessel so crappy, it made the Mayflower look like the QE2.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/after-hymns-and-tears-they-boarded-the-brig-thaddeus-a-vessel-so/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [“The last line of Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen is addressed to the American people and their congressmen. "As they deal with me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/the-last-line-of-hawaii-s-story-by-hawaii-s-queen-is-addressed-to-the/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [“In the gravedigger scene in act V, Hamlet looks upon an anonymous skull and jokes that even Alexander the Great decomposed into dust that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/in-the-gravedigger-scene-in-act-v-hamlet-looks-upon-an-anonymous/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [“Another reason I’m intrigued with the hanged of Salem, especially the women, is that a number of them aroused suspicion in the first place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/another-reason-i-m-intrigued-with-the-hanged-of-salem-especially-the/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [Listening to the radio every day for an entire year was a prison sentence. It was the most depressing, annoying, debilitating project I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/listening-to-the-radio-every-day-for-an-entire-year-was-a-prison/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [That's what I like to call him, "the current president." I find it difficult to say or type his name, George W. Bush. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/that-s-what-i-like-to-call-him-the-current-president-i-find-it/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [“The historical periods I like to learn about aren’t so much costume dramas as slasher flicks. The French Revolution is a favorite because it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/the-historical-periods-i-like-to-learn-about-aren-t-so-much-costume/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [While I gave up God a long time ago, I never shook the habit of wanting to believe in something. So I replaced my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/while-i-gave-up-god-a-long-time-ago-i-never-shook-the-habit-of/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [Most people don't like to talk about violent historical death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/most-people-don-t-like-to-talk-about-violent-historical-death/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [There are two kinds of people in the world: the kind who alphabetize their record collections, and the kind who don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/there-are-two-kinds-of-people-in-the-world-the-kind-who-alphabetize/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [What are you hiding? No one ever asks that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/what-are-you-hiding-no-one-ever-asks-that/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [“I don't have a driver's license (phobia).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/i-don-t-have-a-driver-s-license-phobia/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) [Explore all 190 Sarah Vowell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) ## More Candidate quotes > [I know of not one Republican candidate that would not appear publicly with Mitt Romney and I know many Democrats that don't even want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-sessions/i-know-of-not-one-republican-candidate-that-would-not-appear-publicly/) [Pete Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-sessions/) > [As a registered Democrat, I am praying for a credible presidential candidate to emerge from the younger tier of politicians in their late 40s.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/as-a-registered-democrat-i-am-praying-for-a-credible-presidential/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [Obama did organize a great large number of people and many enthusiastic people, what's called in the press 'Obama's Army.' But the army is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/obama-did-organize-a-great-large-number-of-people-and-many/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Candidate Trump held out his hand to Vladimir Putin. He rejected further U.S. intervention in Syria other than to smash ISIS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/candidate-trump-held-out-his-hand-to-vladimir-putin-he-rejected/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [You should not be misled about the so-called single opposition candidate. There are so many of them now that you will lack the fingers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-lukashenko/you-should-not-be-misled-about-the-so-called-single-opposition/) [Alexander Lukashenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-lukashenko/) > [I want to say that I cannot be intimidated or stopped. In order to put an end to various attempts to get rid of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vitali-klitschko/i-want-to-say-that-i-cannot-be-intimidated-or-stopped-in-order-to-put/) [Vitali Klitschko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vitali-klitschko/) > [Today, I'm a candidate for the office of president of the United States of America. My kids can't believe I just said that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-huntsman-jr/today-i-m-a-candidate-for-the-office-of-president-of-the-united/) [Jon Huntsman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-huntsman-jr/) > [I think Trump is a very interesting candidate in this sense: I think he has cross-party appeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/i-think-trump-is-a-very-interesting-candidate-in-this-sense-i-think/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [I do think that sometimes, especially coming into this going straight from activism to being a candidate or to being a person who potentially,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/i-do-think-that-sometimes-especially-coming-into-this-going-straight/) [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) > [Even though I don't agree with Donald Trump on everything, and I think there may be certain things or statements of his that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-zeldin/even-though-i-don-t-agree-with-donald-trump-on-everything-and-i-think/) [Lee Zeldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-zeldin/) > [I'm not quite certain how you can force a candidate to stick by the rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-ifill/i-m-not-quite-certain-how-you-can-force-a-candidate-to-stick-by-the/) [Gwen Ifill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwen-ifill/) > [I am not a fan of Mitt Romney, but I admit that he is, politically speaking, a good candidate for president. He has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-schlossberg/i-am-not-a-fan-of-mitt-romney-but-i-admit-that-he-is-politically/) [Jack Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-schlossberg/) > [I am aware of the responsibility I am taking on as the chancellor. Things have developed very quickly for me in recent years, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-kurz/i-am-aware-of-the-responsibility-i-am-taking-on-as-the-chancellor/) [Sebastian Kurz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-kurz/) > [For people to even think that I'd be considered or a good candidate for a supporting actress nomination is mind blowing to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naya-rivera/for-people-to-even-think-that-i-d-be-considered-or-a-good-candidate/) [Naya Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naya-rivera/) > [A candidate's faith is not the only consideration, but should be a major consideration in electing the president of the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jeffress/a-candidate-s-faith-is-not-the-only-consideration-but-should-be-a/) [Robert Jeffress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jeffress/) [Browse all 529 Candidate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candidate/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I wish that in order to secure his party’s nomination, a presidential candidate would be required to point at the sky and name all the stars; have the periodic table of the elements memorized; rattle off the kings and queens of Spain; define the significance of the Gatling gun; joke around in Latin; interpret the symbolism in seventeenth-century Dutch painting; explain photosynthesis to a six-year-old; recite Emily Dickenson; bake a perfect popover; build a shortwave radio out of a coconut; and know all the words to Hoagy Carmichael’s “Two Sleepy People”, Johnny Cash’s “Five Feet High and Rising”, and “You Got the Silver” by the Rolling Stones...What we need is a president who is at least twelve kinds of nerd, a nerd messiah to come along every four years, acquire the Secret Service code name Poindexter, install a Revenge of the Nerds screen saver on the Oval Office computer, and one by one decrypt our woes.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sarah Vowell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/i-wish-that-in-order-to-secure-his-party-s-nomination-a-presidential/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Candidate" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/i-wish-that-in-order-to-secure-his-party-s-nomination-a-presidential/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a9/sarah-vowell-2016_candidate_i-wish-that-in-order-to-secure-his-party_2755597.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a9/sarah-vowell-2016_candidate_i-wish-that-in-order-to-secure-his-party_2755597.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a9/sarah-vowell-2016_candidate_i-wish-that-in-order-to-secure-his-party_2755597.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I wish that in order to secure his party’s nomination, a presidential candidate would be required to point…” — Sarah Vowell", "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": "Sarah Vowell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I wish that in order to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/i-wish-that-in-order-to-secure-his-party-s-nomination-a-presidential/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/i-wish-that-in-order-to-secure-his-party-s-nomination-a-presidential/#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 } } ] } ```