--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But presidents matter. That's one of the…" description: "\"But presidents matter. That's one of the biggest lessons I learned being in the White House.\" — Sidney Blumenthal" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1d/sidney-blumenthal-17731_house_but-presidents-matter-that-s-one-of-the_2016010.png" --- # But presidents matter. That's one of the biggest lessons I… ![“But presidents matter. That's one of the biggest lessons I learned being in the White House.” quote by Sidney Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1d/sidney-blumenthal-17731_house_but-presidents-matter-that-s-one-of-the_2016010.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1d/sidney-blumenthal-17731_house_but-presidents-matter-that-s-one-of-the_2016010.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1d/sidney-blumenthal-17731_house_but-presidents-matter-that-s-one-of-the_2016010.png) > “But presidents matter. That's one of the biggest lessons I learned being in the White House.” [Sidney Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-blumenthal/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leadership positions shape policy and personal growth, highlighting the importance of institutional roles. **In simple terms:** Presidents influence more than policy. Key Takeaway Recognize the impact of leadership roles. Themes politics leadership experience Mood reflective analytical Type political memoir When to use this quote - policy making - career development - historical analysis Key Concepts public service institutional influence Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities come with high office? - How does personal experience affect governance? A Different Perspective Critics may view this as anecdotal rather than universal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons/) [Lessons learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons-learned/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Presidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presidents/) [White house](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-house/) ## Related quotes > [“The people who influence our presidents matter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kengor/the-people-who-influence-our-presidents-matter/) [Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kengor/) > [The biggest lessons I learned were probably the times where I had the biggest setbacks and the biggest challenges - when I had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-kwan/the-biggest-lessons-i-learned-were-probably-the-times-where-i-had-the/) [Michelle Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-kwan/) > [One of the biggest lessons I have learned along my journey thus far is to embrace myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiana-madeira/one-of-the-biggest-lessons-i-have-learned-along-my-journey-thus-far/) [Kiana Madeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiana-madeira/) > [One of my biggest lessons in life is, we heal at the speed of our forgiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romany-malco/one-of-my-biggest-lessons-in-life-is-we-heal-at-the-speed-of-our/) [Romany Malco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romany-malco/) > [I have known several presidents quite well, including my husband, and I worked closely with President George W. Bush and the White House then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-have-known-several-presidents-quite-well-including-my-husband-and-i/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [“Sometimes I wonder if we make too much of our presidents. Might it be better if we ignored them a little more than we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/sometimes-i-wonder-if-we-make-too-much-of-our-presidents-might-it-be/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [“There are often great lessons to be learned at the roots of stress, drama, and heartache. Don’t let the magnitude of the circumstance blind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/there-are-often-great-lessons-to-be-learned-at-the-roots-of-stress/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [“You've learned the lessons well. You first learned to live on less than you earn. Next you learned to seek advice from those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-clason/you-ve-learned-the-lessons-well-you-first-learned-to-live-on-less/) [George S. Clason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-clason/) > [One of the first lessons I learned in football is that it takes a team to win a game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-mata/one-of-the-first-lessons-i-learned-in-football-is-that-it-takes-a/) [Juan Mata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-mata/) > [“In the school of life, every experience offers a lesson.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/in-the-school-of-life-every-experience-offers-a-lesson/) [Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/) > [“For balance to be restored, lessons must be learned”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sameh-elsayed/for-balance-to-be-restored-lessons-must-be-learned/) [Sameh Elsayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sameh-elsayed/) > [It was a huge deal, a huge musical discovery that became life lessons learned. You can't return from having an experience like that. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-harper/it-was-a-huge-deal-a-huge-musical-discovery-that-became-life-lessons/) [Ben Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-harper/) > [One of the lessons learned during the Vietnam War was that the depiction of wounded soldiers, of coffins stacked higher than their living guards,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-dean-myers/one-of-the-lessons-learned-during-the-vietnam-war-was-that-the/) [Walter Dean Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-dean-myers/) > [My family was always playing music; I always enjoyed it. My cousin, who is a little older than me, he started playing music, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vile/my-family-was-always-playing-music-i-always-enjoyed-it-my-cousin-who/) [Kurt Vile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vile/) > [I teach my children that in life, there is no control of what tomorrow is going to bring. There really isn't. But in whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bebe-winans/i-teach-my-children-that-in-life-there-is-no-control-of-what-tomorrow/) [BeBe Winans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bebe-winans/) ## More by Sidney Blumenthal > [Bill Clinton was in the line of great progressive presidents who faced the realities in his own time and applied innovative solutions to problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-blumenthal/bill-clinton-was-in-the-line-of-great-progressive-presidents-who/) [Sidney Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-blumenthal/) > [It's absolutely crucial for the Democrats to have a sense of their history, of who they are, in order to be able to project…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-blumenthal/it-s-absolutely-crucial-for-the-democrats-to-have-a-sense-of-their/) [Sidney Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-blumenthal/) > [The book shows Clinton in the presidency as a profile in growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-blumenthal/the-book-shows-clinton-in-the-presidency-as-a-profile-in-growth/) [Sidney Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-blumenthal/) > [I call George W. Bush a radical because he is undertaking a fundamental transformation of our Constitutional system of government and of our longstanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-blumenthal/i-call-george-w-bush-a-radical-because-he-is-undertaking-a/) [Sidney Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-blumenthal/) > [George W. Bush has deliberately polarized and divided America for political purposes, politicizing the most basic questions of war and peace for partisan advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-blumenthal/george-w-bush-has-deliberately-polarized-and-divided-america-for/) [Sidney Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-blumenthal/) > [What happened to the Bush Administration regarding terrorism is that they regarded it as a secondary issue, and associated with Clinton. One of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-blumenthal/what-happened-to-the-bush-administration-regarding-terrorism-is-that/) [Sidney Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-blumenthal/) > [Clinton took very tough decisions on the economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-blumenthal/clinton-took-very-tough-decisions-on-the-economy/) [Sidney Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-blumenthal/) > [The biggest mistakes, early on, involved foreign policy and involved the strategy for health care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-blumenthal/the-biggest-mistakes-early-on-involved-foreign-policy-and-involved/) [Sidney Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-blumenthal/) > [Even on education, his one accomplishment, the Leave No Child Behind Act, and he has left it unfunded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-blumenthal/even-on-education-his-one-accomplishment-the-leave-no-child-behind/) [Sidney Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-blumenthal/) > [On the contrary, it might even be a projection of what the truth is of the Bush Administration's complacency and ineptitude on the terrorism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-blumenthal/on-the-contrary-it-might-even-be-a-projection-of-what-the-truth-is-of/) [Sidney Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-blumenthal/) > [Clinton was a president who used his office, in creative ways, to try to reinvigorate the federal government to benefit the majority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-blumenthal/clinton-was-a-president-who-used-his-office-in-creative-ways-to-try/) [Sidney Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-blumenthal/) > [The incubator for terrorism, after the Middle East, is Europe, partly because of proximity, partly because of the existence of large Muslim communities there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-blumenthal/the-incubator-for-terrorism-after-the-middle-east-is-europe-partly/) [Sidney Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-blumenthal/) > [And Louis Freeh was a completely dysfunctional FBI Director, who was actually waging his own private war against the Clinton Administration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-blumenthal/and-louis-freeh-was-a-completely-dysfunctional-fbi-director-who-was/) [Sidney Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-blumenthal/) > [The Bush Administration, and particularly Bush's chief political strategist and Deputy Chief of Staff, Karl Rove, have been expert in both galvanizing and mobilizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-blumenthal/the-bush-administration-and-particularly-bush-s-chief-political/) [Sidney Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-blumenthal/) > [Every decision that they take has enormous consequences, and ripple out from the White House.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-blumenthal/every-decision-that-they-take-has-enormous-consequences-and-ripple/) [Sidney Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-blumenthal/) [Explore all 36 Sidney Blumenthal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-blumenthal/) ## More House quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [Our concept of a family holiday was going to a guest house in the Lake district or Wales where walking was part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/our-concept-of-a-family-holiday-was-going-to-a-guest-house-in-the/) [Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [Houses are like the human beings that inhabit them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/houses-are-like-the-human-beings-that-inhabit-them/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [I don't own designer clothes, or a sports car, or a huge house, but I am seeing the world, experiencing amazing things, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roz-savage/i-don-t-own-designer-clothes-or-a-sports-car-or-a-huge-house-but-i-am/) [Roz Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roz-savage/) > [Then all this earth shines like one house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/then-all-this-earth-shines-like-one-house/) [Ramana Maharshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-maharshi/) > [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [She'd read once that if you ran into a bear in the woods you should avoid eye contact and you shouldn't run away, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-ursu/she-d-read-once-that-if-you-ran-into-a-bear-in-the-woods-you-should/) [Anne Ursu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-ursu/) > [We were so poor as kids. I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [Perhaps the most important reason to be skeptical of government inflation numbers is that the government, like a fox campaigning to guard a hen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/perhaps-the-most-important-reason-to-be-skeptical-of-government/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [I didn't expect to be so comfortable handing my child off to a nanny without getting any of her information. As soon as she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-wong/i-didn-t-expect-to-be-so-comfortable-handing-my-child-off-to-a-nanny/) [Ali Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-wong/) > [I think of novels as houses. You live in them over the course of a long period, both as a reader and as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/i-think-of-novels-as-houses-you-live-in-them-over-the-course-of-a/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [Well this is aptly called a junket, for both of us. I have never been to a house of prostitution, but I understand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/well-this-is-aptly-called-a-junket-for-both-of-us-i-have-never-been/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) Browse all 14,318 House quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But presidents matter. 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