--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Tactics and strategies ought to be based…" description: "\"Tactics and strategies ought to be based on what the real world is, and we do not have the political power to do this. We're not about to shut the gove..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/tom-coburn-9771_civility_tactics-and-strategies-ought-to-be-based_1760559.jpg" --- # Tactics and strategies ought to be based on what the real… ![“Tactics and strategies ought to be based on what the real world is, and we do not have the political power to do this. We're not about to shut the government down over the fact that we cannot, only controlling one house of Congress, tell the president that we're not going to fund any portion of…” quote by Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/tom-coburn-9771_civility_tactics-and-strategies-ought-to-be-based_1760559.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/tom-coburn-9771_civility_tactics-and-strategies-ought-to-be-based_1760559.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/tom-coburn-9771_civility_tactics-and-strategies-ought-to-be-based_1760559.jpg) > “Tactics and strategies ought to be based on what the real world is, and we do not have the political power to do this. We're not about to shut the government down over the fact that we cannot, only controlling one house of Congress, tell the president that we're not going to fund any portion of \[Obamacare\]. Because we can't do that.” [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Policy should reflect practical realities, not idealized power; limited influence restricts action. **In simple terms:** Policy must be realistic, not idealistic. Key Takeaway Advocate feasible solutions. Themes politics policy realism government limits Mood cautious analytical Type critical thought‑provoking When to use this quote - budget negotiations - policy drafting - public advocacy Key Concepts pragmatism legislative constraints Questions to Reflect On - What realistic steps can improve healthcare funding? - How can citizens influence limited legislative power? A Different Perspective Political compromise may still fall short of ideals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civility/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress/) [Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Ideology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideology/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Obamacare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obamacare/) [Partisanship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/partisanship/) [Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political parties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-parties/) [Political power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-power/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Real world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-world/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy/) [Tactics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tactics/) [Tactics and strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tactics-and-strategy/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [When you're elected to congress, they tell you that you're going to spend 4-hours a day talking to rich people to get more money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-dore/when-you-re-elected-to-congress-they-tell-you-that-you-re-going-to/) [Jimmy Dore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-dore/) > [I doubt that I am the first member of Congress to tell off a reporter, and I am sure I won’t be the last,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-grimm/i-doubt-that-i-am-the-first-member-of-congress-to-tell-off-a-reporter/) [Michael Grimm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-grimm/) > [I would like to trust and believe that the American spirit of resistance will win the day, but I keep having to be this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/i-would-like-to-trust-and-believe-that-the-american-spirit-of/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [Military technologies such as Drones, SWAT vehicles and machine-gun-equipped armored trucks once used exclusively in high-intensity war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/military-technologies-such-as-drones-swat-vehicles-and-machine-gun/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [Logistics comprises the means and arrangements which work out the plans of strategy and tactics. Strategy decides where to act; logistics brings the troops…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/logistics-comprises-the-means-and-arrangements-which-work-out-the/) [Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/) > [This 1965. We went to trial on our city. We were obviously borrowing tactics and strategy from the Black freedom movement, and we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/this-1965-we-went-to-trial-on-our-city-we-were-obviously-borrowing/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [“In negotiations, everyone goes home with a slice of tactful compromise but nobody gets to binge on the whole cake and leave selfish, greedy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-stafford/in-negotiations-everyone-goes-home-with-a-slice-of-tactful-compromise/) [Stewart Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-stafford/) > [Tactics involve calculations that can tax the human brain, but when you boil them down, they are actually the simplest part of chess and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/tactics-involve-calculations-that-can-tax-the-human-brain-but-when/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [The timing & characteristics of state intervention affect not only organizational tactics and strategies, but the content and definition of interest itself... Some scholars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theda-skocpol/the-timing-characteristics-of-state-intervention-affect-not-only/) Theda Skocpol > [Most organizations only focus on WHAT they do and HOW they do it - tactics and strategies - and they aren't even aware that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/most-organizations-only-focus-on-what-they-do-and-how-they-do-it/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [In a physical contest on the field of battle it is allowable to use tactics and strategy, to retreat as well as advance, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-macswiney/in-a-physical-contest-on-the-field-of-battle-it-is-allowable-to-use/) Terence MacSwiney > [My heart aches for less divisiveness, less polarization Less mindless partisanship, which at times sounds almost hateful to the ear of Americans. How we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/my-heart-aches-for-less-divisiveness-less-polarization-less-mindless/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [A super-legislator body is not what the court was intended to be, When I ponder our country and its greatness, its weakness, its potential,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/a-super-legislator-body-is-not-what-the-court-was-intended-to-be-when/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [What makes this mentality dangerous is that when the team is held together by careerism and mindless partisanship, individual members are punished for thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/what-makes-this-mentality-dangerous-is-that-when-the-team-is-held/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [Nobody wants to shut down the government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-hensarling/nobody-wants-to-shut-down-the-government/) [Jeb Hensarling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-hensarling/) ## More by Tom Coburn > [I believe keeping our promises should be our highest priority and that means saving Social Security and Medicare while preserving the American dream for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/i-believe-keeping-our-promises-should-be-our-highest-priority-and/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [The founding fathers never once rationalized getting in power and having control so they could stay in power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/the-founding-fathers-never-once-rationalized-getting-in-power-and/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [The real debate is we've had an activist court, and the American people don't want an activist court. And the real fear from those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/the-real-debate-is-we-ve-had-an-activist-court-and-the-american/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [It is inexcusable for the White House and Congress to not even make the effort to find at least some offsets to this new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/it-is-inexcusable-for-the-white-house-and-congress-to-not-even-make/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [I firmly believe that the court should take another direction on many of these moral issues that face us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/i-firmly-believe-that-the-court-should-take-another-direction-on-many/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [The voting records of virtually every member of Congress reveal that the oath of office is more a ceremonial gesture than a sacred commitment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/the-voting-records-of-virtually-every-member-of-congress-reveal-that/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [When we have heartbeat and brain waves, we refuse to accept it as the presence of life - this lack of logic of which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/when-we-have-heartbeat-and-brain-waves-we-refuse-to-accept-it-as-the/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [All change starts with a distant rumble at the grassroots level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/all-change-starts-with-a-distant-rumble-at-the-grassroots-level/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [I would like to believe I would not have behaved differently had I not made a term limits pledge, but my own frailties and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/i-would-like-to-believe-i-would-not-have-behaved-differently-had-i/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [Welfare reform happened with reconciliation; half the Democrats voted for it. The Bush tax cuts happened with reconciliation; twelve Democratic Senators voted for it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/welfare-reform-happened-with-reconciliation-half-the-democrats-voted/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [Careerism: the self-centered philosophy of governing to win the next election above all else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/careerism-the-self-centered-philosophy-of-governing-to-win-the-next/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [The question that arises as we use all these adjectives and adverbs to describe our physicians as we approach a Supreme Court nominee is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/the-question-that-arises-as-we-use-all-these-adjectives-and-adverbs/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [You're going to die sooner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/you-re-going-to-die-sooner/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [We can achieve much greater representation through term-limited members.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/we-can-achieve-much-greater-representation-through-term-limited/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [I believe all life has value, from conception to natural death. And I believe the intentional taking of human life, except to save lives,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/i-believe-all-life-has-value-from-conception-to-natural-death-and-i/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) [Explore all 70 Tom Coburn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) ## More Civility quotes > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Most adults would not dream of belittling, humiliating, or bullying (verbally or physically) another adult. But many of the same adults think nothing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-steinberg/most-adults-would-not-dream-of-belittling-humiliating-or-bullying/) [Laurence Steinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-steinberg/) > [Martha Stewart contributes more to our civility than the Baptist Church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-hickey/martha-stewart-contributes-more-to-our-civility-than-the-baptist/) [Dave Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-hickey/) > [The Second World War had a precipitating effect in that it discredited the empires, as well as bankrupting them. Not only could you no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/the-second-world-war-had-a-precipitating-effect-in-that-it/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [How much wit, good-nature, indulgences, how many good offices and civilities, are required among friends to accomplish in some years what a lovely face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/how-much-wit-good-nature-indulgences-how-many-good-offices-and/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [They parted at last with mutual civility, and possibly a mutual desire of never meeting again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/they-parted-at-last-with-mutual-civility-and-possibly-a-mutual-desire/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“When someone has wronged you, continue to treat them with civility. It’s the ultimate mark of a mensch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruna-martinuzzi/when-someone-has-wronged-you-continue-to-treat-them-with-civility-it/) [Bruna Martinuzzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruna-martinuzzi/) > [“Elizabeth received them with all the forbearance of civility”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/elizabeth-received-them-with-all-the-forbearance-of-civility/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“Never in England were there so many gentlemen and so little gentleness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-sansom/never-in-england-were-there-so-many-gentlemen-and-so-little-gentleness/) [C.J. Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-sansom/) > [The insolent civility of a proud man is, if possible, more shocking than his rudeness could be; because he shows you, by his manner,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/the-insolent-civility-of-a-proud-man-is-if-possible-more-shocking/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [A good word is an easy obligation; but not to speak ill requires only our silence, which costs us nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tillotson/a-good-word-is-an-easy-obligation-but-not-to-speak-ill-requires-only/) [John Tillotson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tillotson/) > ['Playboy' operated with a patina of civility that granted the average man a presumption of pleasure that went one way - his. And that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-morris/playboy-operated-with-a-patina-of-civility-that-granted-the-average/) [Wesley Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-morris/) > [ \[T\]he politically correct are above the rules of ordinary civility, once they have identified you as an unbeliever in their religion. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/t-he-politically-correct-are-above-the-rules-of-ordinary-civility/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Sanctions alone could not stop Iran's nuclear program. But they did help bring Iran to the negotiating table.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/sanctions-alone-could-not-stop-iran-s-nuclear-program-but-they-did/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Even here in America, we felt the cool, refreshing breeze of freedom when Nelson Mandela took the seat of Presidency in his country where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/even-here-in-america-we-felt-the-cool-refreshing-breeze-of-freedom/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) [Browse all 393 Civility quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civility/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Tactics and strategies ought to be based on what the real world is, and we do not have the political power to do this. We're not about to shut the government down over the fact that we cannot, only controlling one house of Congress, tell the president that we're not going to fund any portion of [Obamacare]. Because we can't do that.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tom Coburn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/tactics-and-strategies-ought-to-be-based-on-what-the-real-world-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Civility" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/tactics-and-strategies-ought-to-be-based-on-what-the-real-world-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/tom-coburn-9771_civility_tactics-and-strategies-ought-to-be-based_1760559.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/tom-coburn-9771_civility_tactics-and-strategies-ought-to-be-based_1760559.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/tom-coburn-9771_civility_tactics-and-strategies-ought-to-be-based_1760559.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Tactics and strategies ought to be based on what the real world is, and we do not have the political power…” — Tom Coburn", "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": "Tom Coburn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Tactics and strategies ought to be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/tactics-and-strategies-ought-to-be-based-on-what-the-real-world-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/tactics-and-strategies-ought-to-be-based-on-what-the-real-world-is/#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 } } ] } ```