---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think it's less risky for the Kerry…"
description: "\"I think it's less risky for the Kerry campaign to embrace former President Clinton than it is to reject him.\" — Stuart Rothenberg"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee7/stuart-rothenberg-34631_campaigns_i-think-it-s-less-risky-for-the-kerry-ca_2366880.jpg"
---

#  I think it's less risky for the Kerry campaign to embrace…

![“I think it's less risky for the Kerry campaign to embrace former President Clinton than it is to reject him.” quote by Stuart Rothenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee7/stuart-rothenberg-34631_campaigns_i-think-it-s-less-risky-for-the-kerry-ca_2366880.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee7/stuart-rothenberg-34631_campaigns_i-think-it-s-less-risky-for-the-kerry-ca_2366880.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee7/stuart-rothenberg-34631_campaigns_i-think-it-s-less-risky-for-the-kerry-ca_2366880.jpg)

> “I think it's less risky for the Kerry campaign to embrace former President Clinton than it is to reject him.”

[Stuart Rothenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rothenberg/)

## About This Quote

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

Suggests that the Kerry campaign would benefit more from aligning with Clinton than rejecting him, highlighting strategic risk assessment

**In simple terms:** Kerry should embrace Clinton for political advantage

Key Takeaway

Consider strategic alliances over opposition

Themes

politics strategy risk campaign alliances

Mood

analytical cautious

Type

political strategic

When to use this quote

- campaign planning
- media strategy
- voter outreach

Key Concepts

electoral dynamics party unity public perception

Questions to Reflect On

- What are the trade‑offs of embracing a former opponent?
- How can a campaign balance risk and reward?

A Different Perspective

Aligning may alienate core supporters

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Campaigns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaigns/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [President Clinton is going to embrace President Obama, as he should. They are working together. They're different kinds of people. Obama is cool, Clinton…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-richardson/president-clinton-is-going-to-embrace-president-obama-as-he-should/)

[Bill Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-richardson/)

> [Real movement in the Kerry campaign now. His poll numbers are moving, donations are moving, endorsements are moving. The only thing not moving is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/real-movement-in-the-kerry-campaign-now-his-poll-numbers-are-moving/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [The White House begun airing their TV commercials to re-elect the president, and the John Kerry campaign is condemning his use of 9/11 in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/the-white-house-begun-airing-their-tv-commercials-to-re-elect-the/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [A number of us had conversations with the Kerry campaign about what he was going to say about CAFE. What he told us was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-granholm/a-number-of-us-had-conversations-with-the-kerry-campaign-about-what/)

[Jennifer Granholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-granholm/)

> [John Kerry's campaign attacks on gas prices ignore the reality of Kerry's long record of supporting higher gas prices and blocking the president's comprehensive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-schmidt/john-kerry-s-campaign-attacks-on-gas-prices-ignore-the-reality-of/)

[Steve Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-schmidt/)

> [This is so weird. I saw the new John Kerry campaign commercial and he says, 'I'm John Kerry and I approve of this message…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-kilborn/this-is-so-weird-i-saw-the-new-john-kerry-campaign-commercial-and-he/)

[Craig Kilborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-kilborn/)

> [The Kerry campaign was a difficult one to be involved with, it is a real juggling act to set the tone and pace of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-granholm/the-kerry-campaign-was-a-difficult-one-to-be-involved-with-it-is-a/)

[Jennifer Granholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-granholm/)

> [Bill Clinton has a brand new book coming out in a few months and the Democrats are worried that the Clinton book might upstage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/bill-clinton-has-a-brand-new-book-coming-out-in-a-few-months-and-the/)

[David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/)

> [The words, 'penalty,' 'restrict' and 'violate' appeared more times in President Clinton's health care reform bill than in his crime bill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-forbes/the-words-penalty-restrict-and-violate-appeared-more-times-in/)

[Steve Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-forbes/)

> [I very strongly disagreed with President Clinton on the deregulation of Wall Street. I opposed that strenuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/i-very-strongly-disagreed-with-president-clinton-on-the-deregulation/)

[Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/)

> [“They’d arranged to meet with an Omegan mole who worked in the Clinton administration. He was helping them with a new Omega Agency operation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-morcan/they-d-arranged-to-meet-with-an-omegan-mole-who-worked-in-the-clinton/)

[James Morcan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-morcan/)

> [“...when President Clinton, on the anniversary of his election, spoke in the church in Tennessee where Martin Luther King, Jr., had delivered his last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-himmelfarb/when-president-clinton-on-the-anniversary-of-his-election-spoke-in/)

[Gertrude Himmelfarb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-himmelfarb/)

> [I would not ask anyone to vote for me based on my last name. I am certainly not campaigning to be president because my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/i-would-not-ask-anyone-to-vote-for-me-based-on-my-last-name-i-am/)

[Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/)

> [President Clinton not only benefits by gay and lesbian votes, but he benefits by showing the nation that he is a strong leader who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mixner/president-clinton-not-only-benefits-by-gay-and-lesbian-votes-but-he/)

[David Mixner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mixner/)

> [We make a lot of fun at President Clinton's expense. But this transition is going to be tough because it's been 25 years since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/we-make-a-lot-of-fun-at-president-clinton-s-expense-but-this/)

[David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/)

## More by Stuart Rothenberg

> [The Democratic coalition has changed. It includes environmentalists and women's groups. It's a very different party. And so labor is still a part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rothenberg/the-democratic-coalition-has-changed-it-includes-environmentalists/)

[Stuart Rothenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rothenberg/)

> [I think the White House is filled with confrontation, and is doing things to continue it. The White House and congressional Democrats think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rothenberg/i-think-the-white-house-is-filled-with-confrontation-and-is-doing/)

[Stuart Rothenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rothenberg/)

> [California is going to be quite good for the Democrats. But the rest of the country is a draw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rothenberg/california-is-going-to-be-quite-good-for-the-democrats-but-the-rest/)

[Stuart Rothenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rothenberg/)

> [We will be drawing down some troops. If the president wants to try to turn that into the beginning of a success, he actually,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rothenberg/we-will-be-drawing-down-some-troops-if-the-president-wants-to-try-to/)

[Stuart Rothenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rothenberg/)

> [ The same electorate that is unhappy with \[Pennsylvania's\] GOP Sen. Rick Santorum appears to have some qualms with Rendell. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rothenberg/the-same-electorate-that-is-unhappy-with-pennsylvania-s-gop-sen-rick/)

[Stuart Rothenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rothenberg/)

> [What we're seeing early on is Democrats rallying around Al Gore, Republicans rallying around George Bush and the difficulty of anybody else to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rothenberg/what-we-re-seeing-early-on-is-democrats-rallying-around-al-gore/)

[Stuart Rothenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rothenberg/)

> [ \[on debates\] Accomplished a bit more for Bush than for Gore only because there were more question marks for Bush. I think he established… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rothenberg/on-debates-accomplished-a-bit-more-for-bush-than-for-gore-only/)

[Stuart Rothenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rothenberg/)

> [The environment is better and better for Democrats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rothenberg/the-environment-is-better-and-better-for-democrats/)

[Stuart Rothenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rothenberg/)

> [The worst time to take a survey is in the middle of a cataclysmic event.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rothenberg/the-worst-time-to-take-a-survey-is-in-the-middle-of-a-cataclysmic/)

[Stuart Rothenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rothenberg/)

> [I think the Republican Party has changed. I think our politics have changed. The parties have deteriorated in their strength. They decentralized. We have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rothenberg/i-think-the-republican-party-has-changed-i-think-our-politics-have/)

[Stuart Rothenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rothenberg/)

> [Republicans have to be relieved. Given all the bad news this White House has faced, at least the president's hemorrhaging has stopped.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rothenberg/republicans-have-to-be-relieved-given-all-the-bad-news-this-white/)

[Stuart Rothenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rothenberg/)

> [If this isn't the Fat Lady singing, it's awful close to that. If Ari seriously thought she was a contender for the presidential nomination,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rothenberg/if-this-isn-t-the-fat-lady-singing-it-s-awful-close-to-that-if-ari/)

[Stuart Rothenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rothenberg/)

> [It was a very different Republican Party in 2013. And so I think particularly the House Republicans are more confrontational, less willing to compromise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rothenberg/it-was-a-very-different-republican-party-in-2013-and-so-i-think/)

[Stuart Rothenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rothenberg/)

[Explore all 14 Stuart Rothenberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rothenberg/)

## More Campaigns quotes

> [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [If you put everything, your heart and soul into a campaign, it might take you a while to come around to the realization that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/if-you-put-everything-your-heart-and-soul-into-a-campaign-it-might/)

[Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/)

> [MAC allowed me to have complete freedom on the collaborations—from the shades, the look-and-feel, to the campaign visuals. I have to admit that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-treacy/mac-allowed-me-to-have-complete-freedom-on-the-collaborations-from/)

[Philip Treacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-treacy/)

> [My wife and daughters work. My campaign manager in 2005 was a working mother. I appointed 5 women to my senior staff as Attorney General.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mcdonnell/my-wife-and-daughters-work-my-campaign-manager-in-2005-was-a-working/)

[Bob McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mcdonnell/)

> [I would like to have campaign spending limits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/i-would-like-to-have-campaign-spending-limits/)

[Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/)

> [The reason that minorities and women don't have a better shot at getting elected to the Senate or to statewide office is because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-moseley-braun/the-reason-that-minorities-and-women-don-t-have-a-better-shot-at/)

[Carol Moseley Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-moseley-braun/)

> [We need to be more precise in how we talk about these issues. People around the word follow our presidential campaigns so closely, trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-need-to-be-more-precise-in-how-we-talk-about-these-issues-people/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [I did it once, and National Geographic recruited me. I did it primarily out of curiosity. A lot of legendary photographers had worked on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-abell/i-did-it-once-and-national-geographic-recruited-me-i-did-it-primarily/)

[Sam Abell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-abell/)

> [Social media has become a primary factor in political campaigns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/social-media-has-become-a-primary-factor-in-political-campaigns/)

[Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/)

> [We in the Hispanic community are truly tired of both the Democrats and the Republicans promising all of these things during the campaigns and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-ramos/we-in-the-hispanic-community-are-truly-tired-of-both-the-democrats/)

[Jorge Ramos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-ramos/)

> [I measure the amount of shows I should do by my hair. If my hair isn't good for campaigns and editorials, then obviously I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-wixson/i-measure-the-amount-of-shows-i-should-do-by-my-hair-if-my-hair-isn-t/)

[Lindsey Wixson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-wixson/)

> [I think that, you know, this is a different year than most years. We've got to tell the American people that we have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-buck/i-think-that-you-know-this-is-a-different-year-than-most-years-we-ve/)

[Ken Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-buck/)

> [When you have the Chief of Staff of the Republican National Committee and the political director of the Romney campaign, and their two companies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-caddell/when-you-have-the-chief-of-staff-of-the-republican-national-committee/)

[Patrick Caddell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-caddell/)

> [What 'eminent domain' laws mean in practice is that politicians have a right to seize your property and turn it over to someone else,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/what-eminent-domain-laws-mean-in-practice-is-that-politicians-have-a/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [After Donald Trump wrote Lindsey Graham's cellphone number on a piece of paper and showed it to everybody, Graham said he's getting a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/after-donald-trump-wrote-lindsey-graham-s-cellphone-number-on-a-piece/)

[Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/)

[Browse all 1,797 Campaigns quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaigns/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think it's less risky for the Kerry campaign to embrace former President Clinton than it is to reject him.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Stuart Rothenberg"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rothenberg/i-think-it-s-less-risky-for-the-kerry-campaign-to-embrace-former/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Campaigns"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rothenberg/i-think-it-s-less-risky-for-the-kerry-campaign-to-embrace-former/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee7/stuart-rothenberg-34631_campaigns_i-think-it-s-less-risky-for-the-kerry-ca_2366880.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee7/stuart-rothenberg-34631_campaigns_i-think-it-s-less-risky-for-the-kerry-ca_2366880.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee7/stuart-rothenberg-34631_campaigns_i-think-it-s-less-risky-for-the-kerry-ca_2366880.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think it's less risky for the Kerry campaign to embrace former President Clinton than it is to reject him.” — Stuart Rothenberg",
                "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": "Stuart Rothenberg",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rothenberg/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think it's less risky for...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rothenberg/i-think-it-s-less-risky-for-the-kerry-campaign-to-embrace-former/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rothenberg/i-think-it-s-less-risky-for-the-kerry-campaign-to-embrace-former/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
