---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An honest politician is either a…"
description: "\"An honest politician is either a hypocrite - or he is doomed.\" — Taylor Caldwell"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/taylor-caldwell-4748_doomed_an-honest-politician-is-either-a-hypocri_1019778.png"
---

#  An honest politician is either a hypocrite - or he is…

![“An honest politician is either a hypocrite - or he is doomed.” quote by Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/taylor-caldwell-4748_doomed_an-honest-politician-is-either-a-hypocri_1019778.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/taylor-caldwell-4748_doomed_an-honest-politician-is-either-a-hypocri_1019778.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/taylor-caldwell-4748_doomed_an-honest-politician-is-either-a-hypocri_1019778.png)

> “An honest politician is either a hypocrite - or he is doomed.”

[Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/)

## About This Quote

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

Politicians who lack integrity are either deceitful or doomed by their own dishonesty.

**In simple terms:** Dishonest politicians cannot survive.

Key Takeaway

Demand honesty and accountability.

Themes

politics integrity hypocrisy consequences

Mood

critical concerned hopeful

Type

political ethical

When to use this quote

- elections
- legislative debates
- campaigns
- public office

Key Concepts

ethical leadership public trust moral failure

Questions to Reflect On

- What safeguards protect integrity in governance?
- How can citizens hold leaders accountable?

A Different Perspective

Even honest politicians may face systemic corruption.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Doomed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doomed/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Honest Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest-politician-554238/) [Hypocrite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypocrite/) [Hypocrite Doomed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypocrite-doomed-2266243/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician/) [Politician Hypocrite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician-hypocrite-2266242/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/)

## Related quotes

> [“I studied history in college, and I've always enjoyed reading, especially political biographies, and I can state that in all my studies and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-hartmann/i-studied-history-in-college-and-i-ve-always-enjoyed-reading/)

[John W. Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-hartmann/)

> [To meditate for world peace, to pray for a better world, and to work for social justice and environmental protection while continuing to purchase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-tuttle/to-meditate-for-world-peace-to-pray-for-a-better-world-and-to-work/)

[Will Tuttle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-tuttle/)

> [“An honest politician is one that stays bought.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/an-honest-politician-is-one-that-stays-bought/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [Looking for an honest politician is like looking for an ethical burglar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/looking-for-an-honest-politician-is-like-looking-for-an-ethical/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [He's an honest politician--he stays bought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/he-s-an-honest-politician-he-stays-bought/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [An honest politician has no goodies to toss around. This limits his effectiveness profoundly, because political power in India is dispersed throughout a multi-tiered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aravind-adiga/an-honest-politician-has-no-goodies-to-toss-around-this-limits-his/)

[Aravind Adiga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aravind-adiga/)

> [An honest politician is one who when he is bought will stay bought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-cameron/an-honest-politician-is-one-who-when-he-is-bought-will-stay-bought/)

[Simon Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-cameron/)

> [“An honest politician is one who, when bought, will stay bought.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-cameron-pa/an-honest-politician-is-one-who-when-bought-will-stay-bought/)

[Simon Cameron PA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-cameron-pa/)

> [It is hard for any one to be an honest politician who is not born and bred a Dissenter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/it-is-hard-for-any-one-to-be-an-honest-politician-who-is-not-born-and/)

[William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

> [“The idea of a vegetarian butcher is absurd; but there is something more absurd than this: The idea of an honest politician!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/the-idea-of-a-vegetarian-butcher-is-absurd-but-there-is-something/)

[Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [You show me a politician with his heels ten feet in the air, and by Judas priest, Ill show you an honest politician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/you-show-me-a-politician-with-his-heels-ten-feet-in-the-air-and-by/)

[Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/)

> [An Honest politician will not be tolerated by a democracy unless he is very stupid ... because only a very stupid man can honestly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/an-honest-politician-will-not-be-tolerated-by-a-democracy-unless-he/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [There are two impossibilities in life: "just one drink" and "an honest politician."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/there-are-two-impossibilities-in-life-just-one-drink-and-an-honest/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [An honest politician is an oxymoron.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/an-honest-politician-is-an-oxymoron/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [I'm a very honest politician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-zuma/i-m-a-very-honest-politician/)

[Jacob Zuma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-zuma/)

## More by Taylor Caldwell

> [“It's a funny thing about love: you don't need to have it returned to love somebody. Loving's enough. -- A Prologue to Love ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/it-s-a-funny-thing-about-love-you-don-t-need-to-have-it-returned-to/)

[Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/)

> [If there is a God, then he was particularly harsh to me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/if-there-is-a-god-then-he-was-particularly-harsh-to-me/)

[Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/)

> [People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/people-must-again-learn-to-work-instead-of-living-on-public-assistance/)

[Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/)

> [“What manner of men had lived in those days...who had so eagerly surrendered their sovereignty for a lie and a delusion? Why had they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/what-manner-of-men-had-lived-in-those-days-who-had-so-eagerly/)

[Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/)

> [I will know him by his eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/i-will-know-him-by-his-eyes/)

[Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/)

> [I am the skeptic of skeptics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/i-am-the-skeptic-of-skeptics/)

[Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/)

> [“Then, my sweet, you are still an innocent, and I am amazed. Lies are far more potent than the truth, and far ore dangerous.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/then-my-sweet-you-are-still-an-innocent-and-i-am-amazed-lies-are-far/)

[Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/)

> [“Forests, hills, mountains, rivers, and green streams had no protection in the face of rapacity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/forests-hills-mountains-rivers-and-green-streams-had-no-protection-in/)

[Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/)

> [Corrupt citizens breed corrupt rulers, and it is the mob who finally decides when virtue shall die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/corrupt-citizens-breed-corrupt-rulers-and-it-is-the-mob-who-finally/)

[Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/)

> [Man was the outlaw, the rebel, the distorted shape that scarred the earth, the voice that silenced the music of Eden, the hand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/man-was-the-outlaw-the-rebel-the-distorted-shape-that-scarred-the/)

[Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/)

> [At 8, I made a pact with God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/at-8-i-made-a-pact-with-god/)

[Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/)

> [There is no solid satisfaction in any career for a woman like myself. There is no home, no true freedom, no hope, no joy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/there-is-no-solid-satisfaction-in-any-career-for-a-woman-like-myself/)

[Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/)

> [“On the day when you again allow abominable men to confiscate your freedom, your money, your lives, your private property, your manhood and your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/on-the-day-when-you-again-allow-abominable-men-to-confiscate-your/)

[Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/)

> [No woman has ever been an authentic genius of the stature of men, but that does not enrage me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/no-woman-has-ever-been-an-authentic-genius-of-the-stature-of-men-but/)

[Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/)

> [Even the most malignant gods would not continue to inflict life upon humanity, time without end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/even-the-most-malignant-gods-would-not-continue-to-inflict-life-upon/)

[Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/)

[Explore all 105 Taylor Caldwell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/)

## More Doomed quotes

> [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/)

> [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/)

[Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/)

> [A language possesses utility only insofar as it can construct conventional boundaries. A language of no boundaries is no language at all, and thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/a-language-possesses-utility-only-insofar-as-it-can-construct/)

[Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/)

> [I didn't have any role models. I really thought I was doomed to this loveless, lonely life. I didn't know any gay people until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-batt/i-didn-t-have-any-role-models-i-really-thought-i-was-doomed-to-this/)

[Bryan Batt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-batt/)

> [“Despite which, Charlie seems doomed to stumble around in the dark, clutching pieces of a puzzle he still can't see.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-risk-hallberg/despite-which-charlie-seems-doomed-to-stumble-around-in-the-dark/)

[Garth Risk Hallberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-risk-hallberg/)

> [Monotheism is in its turn doomed to subtract one more God and become atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/monotheism-is-in-its-turn-doomed-to-subtract-one-more-god-and-become/)

[Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/)

> [“Why are we doomed to crave most that which we cannot have?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-are-we-doomed-to-crave-most-that-which-we-cannot-have/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I'm doomed! And all 'cause Miss Man decides to take her little drag show on the road. -Mushu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mulan/i-m-doomed-and-all-cause-miss-man-decides-to-take-her-little-drag/)

[Mulan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mulan/)

> [It is important for investors to understand what they do and don't know. Learn to recognize that you cannot possibly know what is going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/it-is-important-for-investors-to-understand-what-they-do-and-don-t/)

[Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/)

> [O Logic: born gatekeeper to the Temple of Science, victim of capricious destiny: doomed hitherto to be the drudge of pedants: come to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-bentham/o-logic-born-gatekeeper-to-the-temple-of-science-victim-of-capricious/)

[Jeremy Bentham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-bentham/)

> [For the planet's sake, I hope we have bird flu or some other thing that will reduce the population, because otherwise we're doomed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-blackmore/for-the-planet-s-sake-i-hope-we-have-bird-flu-or-some-other-thing/)

[Susan Blackmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-blackmore/)

> [The enemy's spies who have come to spy on us must be sought out, tempted with bribes, led away and comfortably housed. Thus they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-enemy-s-spies-who-have-come-to-spy-on-us-must-be-sought-out/)

[Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/)

> [I do honestly think that if women were running the world there would be more investment in peace, because basically as women we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/i-do-honestly-think-that-if-women-were-running-the-world-there-would/)

[Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/)

> [When you think that most of us are doomed by divine grace to roast in hell, to say nothing of mortgages and hail and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/when-you-think-that-most-of-us-are-doomed-by-divine-grace-to-roast-in/)

[Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/)

> [I am doomed or fortunate to stick to what I do best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-sobule/i-am-doomed-or-fortunate-to-stick-to-what-i-do-best/)

[Jill Sobule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-sobule/)

[Browse all 648 Doomed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doomed/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "An honest politician is either a hypocrite - or he is doomed.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Taylor Caldwell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/an-honest-politician-is-either-a-hypocrite-or-he-is-doomed/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Doomed"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/an-honest-politician-is-either-a-hypocrite-or-he-is-doomed/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/taylor-caldwell-4748_doomed_an-honest-politician-is-either-a-hypocri_1019778.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/taylor-caldwell-4748_doomed_an-honest-politician-is-either-a-hypocri_1019778.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/taylor-caldwell-4748_doomed_an-honest-politician-is-either-a-hypocri_1019778.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“An honest politician is either a hypocrite - or he is doomed.” — Taylor Caldwell",
                "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": "Taylor Caldwell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "An honest politician is either a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/an-honest-politician-is-either-a-hypocrite-or-he-is-doomed/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/an-honest-politician-is-either-a-hypocrite-or-he-is-doomed/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
