--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The American public should simply accept…" description: "\"The American public should simply accept no distractions. In our democracy, it is our duty to hold our elected leaders accountable. We do it at the bal..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd6/wesley-clark-7521_accept_the-american-public-should-simply-accept_1023728.jpg" --- # The American public should simply accept no distractions… ![“The American public should simply accept no distractions. In our democracy, it is our duty to hold our elected leaders accountable. We do it at the ballot box.” quote by Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd6/wesley-clark-7521_accept_the-american-public-should-simply-accept_1023728.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd6/wesley-clark-7521_accept_the-american-public-should-simply-accept_1023728.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd6/wesley-clark-7521_accept_the-american-public-should-simply-accept_1023728.jpg) > “The American public should simply accept no distractions. In our democracy, it is our duty to hold our elected leaders accountable. We do it at the ballot box.” [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Citizens should avoid distractions and hold leaders accountable through voting. **In simple terms:** Stay focused and vote to hold leaders accountable. Key Takeaway Engage in informed voting and civic duty. Themes democracy civic engagement accountability media literacy political responsibility Mood determined hopeful Type political advice When to use this quote - elections - public forums - community meetings Key Concepts voting public discourse leadership scrutiny Questions to Reflect On - How can you stay informed without overload? - What actions beyond voting ensure accountability? A Different Perspective Distractions can be hard to avoid in a noisy media environment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American public](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-public/) [Ballot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballot/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Distractions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distractions/) [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaders/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) ## Related quotes > [Everyone living under the social contract we call democracy has a duty to act responsibly, to obey the laws, and to abandon certain types…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mainwaring/everyone-living-under-the-social-contract-we-call-democracy-has-a/) [Simon Mainwaring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mainwaring/) > [The attitude of the American public toward the external projection of American power has been much more ambivalent. The public supported America's engagement in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/the-attitude-of-the-american-public-toward-the-external-projection-of/) [Zbigniew Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zbigniew-brzezinski/) > [The American public's a lot more sophisticated than we all give them credit for. And on complicated issues, I'm going to give them straight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/the-american-public-s-a-lot-more-sophisticated-than-we-all-give-them/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [There’s nothing more embarrassing than a person who tries to guess what the great American public would like, makes a compromise for the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/there-s-nothing-more-embarrassing-than-a-person-who-tries-to-guess/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [I wanted the American public to know that not everyone in Iraq and Afghanistan were targets that needed to be neutralized, but rather people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/i-wanted-the-american-public-to-know-that-not-everyone-in-iraq-and/) [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) > [We of the soft-crooning radio type of singer are giving the people what they want. The American public as a whole does not care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-vallee/we-of-the-soft-crooning-radio-type-of-singer-are-giving-the-people/) [Rudy Vallee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-vallee/) > [Today enormous effort goes into convincing the American public that we're just consumers of media manipulation and sound-bites and spin doctors. That we care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernardine-dohrn/today-enormous-effort-goes-into-convincing-the-american-public-that/) [Bernardine Dohrn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernardine-dohrn/) > [58% of the American public are with us. We're preaching to the choir, but the choir's not singing, if all of the 58% started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/58-of-the-american-public-are-with-us-we-re-preaching-to-the-choir/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [The American Public is who I'm interested in. Ultimately, if they think I'm good and they think I'm entertaining that's all that matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-angel/the-american-public-is-who-i-m-interested-in-ultimately-if-they-think/) [Criss Angel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-angel/) > [You know for many elected officials they all started in the same place. 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And they need to play a more active…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/americans-need-to-educate-themselves-from-elementary-school-onward/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [Let's focus on how we can take someone who is being poorly educated in an American public school and how they are poorly trained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-steele/let-s-focus-on-how-we-can-take-someone-who-is-being-poorly-educated/) [Michael Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-steele/) > [It used to be that whenever I introduced myself to people and told them I was a psychologist, they would shrink away from me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-seligman/it-used-to-be-that-whenever-i-introduced-myself-to-people-and-told/) [Martin Seligman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-seligman/) ## More by Wesley Clark > [I like Hilary Clinton. I think she's - she's a fantastic leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/i-like-hilary-clinton-i-think-she-s-she-s-a-fantastic-leader/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [Maybe it's because I've never been in politics, but I don't believe that America is run by politicians in Washington. I believe it's run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/maybe-it-s-because-i-ve-never-been-in-politics-but-i-don-t-believe/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [When we started after Osama bin Laden, we really decided to go after the Taliban. And we seemed to be content to kick the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/when-we-started-after-osama-bin-laden-we-really-decided-to-go-after/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [There's no question that Saddam Hussein is a threat Yes, he has chemical and biological weapons. He's had those for a long time. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/there-s-no-question-that-saddam-hussein-is-a-threat-yes-he-has/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [I always said I would vote for a resolution that gave the president the leverage to go to the United Nations, and then come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/i-always-said-i-would-vote-for-a-resolution-that-gave-the-president/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [The campaign in Iraq illustrates the continuing progress of military technology and tactics, but if there is a single overriding lesson it must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/the-campaign-in-iraq-illustrates-the-continuing-progress-of-military/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [Turkey's a NATO member. If Turkey gets attacked, we have to help defend Turkey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/turkey-s-a-nato-member-if-turkey-gets-attacked-we-have-to-help-defend/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [What I did warn about when I testified in front of Congress in 2002, I said if you want to worry about a state,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/what-i-did-warn-about-when-i-testified-in-front-of-congress-in-2002-i/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [It's important. One of the principles in the United States is civilian control of the military.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/it-s-important-one-of-the-principles-in-the-united-states-is-civilian/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [President George Bush had the courage and the vision and we will always be grateful to President George Bush for that tremendous leadership and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/president-george-bush-had-the-courage-and-the-vision-and-we-will/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [Once I started first grade, I started going to Emmanuel Baptist Church regularly. I went to Sunday school. We had Bible readings and things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/once-i-started-first-grade-i-started-going-to-emmanuel-baptist-church/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [I think there are some mass destruction capabilities that are still inside Iraq. I think there's some weapons that have been shipped over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/i-think-there-are-some-mass-destruction-capabilities-that-are-still/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [Well we always need brave, capable young men and women who can run a tactical operation and take risks on the battlefield but you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/well-we-always-need-brave-capable-young-men-and-women-who-can-run-a/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [In my experience, in bringing coercive diplomacy to bear against Slobodan Milosevic, no bomb strike was more important than maintaining NATO's cohesion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/in-my-experience-in-bringing-coercive-diplomacy-to-bear-against/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [As president of the United States, my top priority will be to keep America safe. We're going to go after the terrorist networks. We're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/as-president-of-the-united-states-my-top-priority-will-be-to-keep/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) [Explore all 90 Wesley Clark quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) ## More Accept quotes > [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [The fans can accept a poor performance, but they won't take it when you choose not to put in the effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pep-guardiola/the-fans-can-accept-a-poor-performance-but-they-won-t-take-it-when/) [Pep Guardiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pep-guardiola/) > [“See, I know what they think about me. That I’m some project. And, yeah, I’ll accept their help. But I’m gonna pay my way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsty-eagar/see-i-know-what-they-think-about-me-that-i-m-some-project-and-yeah-i/) [Kirsty Eagar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsty-eagar/) > [If you're disabled or different from what general society deems normal, it's fine. There will always be people who won't accept you, but there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millicent-simmonds/if-you-re-disabled-or-different-from-what-general-society-deems/) [Millicent Simmonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millicent-simmonds/) > [Things don't go on forever, and the quicker you accept that change is inevitable, the happier you're gonna be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trey-anastasio/things-don-t-go-on-forever-and-the-quicker-you-accept-that-change-is/) [Trey Anastasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trey-anastasio/) > [It's very important to me that people accept me as a transgendered female. But it's ridiculous to a lot of people and I understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-arquette/it-s-very-important-to-me-that-people-accept-me-as-a-transgendered/) [Alexis Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-arquette/) > [I've always taken care of myself, and I'm a non-conformist, so I don't accept the negativity that comes with birthdays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-van-dam/i-ve-always-taken-care-of-myself-and-i-m-a-non-conformist-so-i-don-t/) [Rob Van Dam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-van-dam/) > [Not harder than it should be, no. We're about the business, we're about the work. It's all about the work, always. We have fun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-fuqua/not-harder-than-it-should-be-no-we-re-about-the-business-we-re-about/) [Antoine Fuqua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-fuqua/) > [I wish I could just accept that I'm not that good and not be shy about the fact that I'm not that professional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-gainsbourg/i-wish-i-could-just-accept-that-i-m-not-that-good-and-not-be-shy/) [Charlotte Gainsbourg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-gainsbourg/) > [I cannot accept being silent in the face of injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine-crockett/i-cannot-accept-being-silent-in-the-face-of-injustice/) [Jasmine Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine-crockett/) > [“I hope there is less stigma and judgment against working moms and childless career women. 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