--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We always want the best man to win an…" description: "\"We always want the best man to win an election. Unfortunately, he never runs.\" — Will Rogers" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/will-rogers-272_best-man_we-always-want-the-best-man-to-win-an-el_1126182.jpg" --- # We always want the best man to win an election… ![“We always want the best man to win an election. Unfortunately, he never runs.” quote by Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/will-rogers-272_best-man_we-always-want-the-best-man-to-win-an-el_1126182.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/will-rogers-272_best-man_we-always-want-the-best-man-to-win-an-el_1126182.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/will-rogers-272_best-man_we-always-want-the-best-man-to-win-an-el_1126182.jpg) > “We always want the best man to win an election. Unfortunately, he never runs.” [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often desire the most qualified leader, but those leaders rarely seek office. **In simple terms:** Best candidates don’t run. Key Takeaway Encourage good people to run. Themes politics leadership citizen responsibility Mood cynical hopeful Type political observational When to use this quote - voting - community organizing - candidate recruitment Key Concepts democracy public service motivation Questions to Reflect On - What can motivate qualified individuals to seek office? - How can systems reduce barriers for them? A Different Perspective Even good candidates may lack ambition or resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-man/) [Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election/) [Election Unfortunately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election-unfortunately-3071729/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Unfortunately Runs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfortunately-runs-3071730/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Win Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/win-election/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) ## Related quotes > [If you're going to try to win an election, you can't be 80 percent. You can't say, I'm for what my Democratic opponent is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-du-pont/if-you-re-going-to-try-to-win-an-election-you-can-t-be-80-percent-you/) [Pete du Pont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-du-pont/) > [Between trying to impeach Bill Clinton, Florida 2000, and the recall in California, I'm beginning to think that Republicans will do anything to win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/between-trying-to-impeach-bill-clinton-florida-2000-and-the-recall-in/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [I always lose the election in the polls, and I always win it on election day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-netanyahu/i-always-lose-the-election-in-the-polls-and-i-always-win-it-on/) [Benjamin Netanyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-netanyahu/) > [Trust is not something that's given because you win an election; it's something you have to earn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perez/trust-is-not-something-that-s-given-because-you-win-an-election-it-s/) [Tom Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perez/) > [Being a little older is not going to win election. Being a little younger might, especially if the older candidates, Hillary Clinton included, can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-matthews/being-a-little-older-is-not-going-to-win-election-being-a-little/) [Chris Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-matthews/) > [The power of data is being able to be much more efficient with who you target and who you talk to and what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-wylie/the-power-of-data-is-being-able-to-be-much-more-efficient-with-who/) [Christopher Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-wylie/) > [My goal is not to win a straw poll that doesn't mean something. It's to win the election that means everything for the future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/my-goal-is-not-to-win-a-straw-poll-that-doesn-t-mean-something-it-s/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [We need to do more than win an election or win the House or win the presidency, my friends: we need to make this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/we-need-to-do-more-than-win-an-election-or-win-the-house-or-win-the/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [I think win the election big, if she can win it, I'd like to see Hillary Clinton 54, 55 percent because I want her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-grim/i-think-win-the-election-big-if-she-can-win-it-i-d-like-to-see/) [Ryan Grim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-grim/) > [ The Electoral College said that \[Donald Trump\] is the president, he's the president.But as a president, you also have to build. And if I'm… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-chaffetz/the-electoral-college-said-that-donald-trump-is-the-president-he-s/) [Jason Chaffetz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-chaffetz/) > [I don't think we'll win every election.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-scott/i-don-t-think-we-ll-win-every-election/) [Lee Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-scott/) > [Democracy in some ways is a very illogical political system. When you win an election, you have to preserve the institutions that would make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/democracy-in-some-ways-is-a-very-illogical-political-system-when-you/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [We can't win a war, but we can win an election.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/we-can-t-win-a-war-but-we-can-win-an-election/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [In the American political system, you're only allowed to have real ideas if it's absolutely guaranteed that you can't win an election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/in-the-american-political-system-you-re-only-allowed-to-have-real/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [ Either we win this election or we're going to lose our country, because 4 more years of \[Barack\] Obama, you can't take it. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/either-we-win-this-election-or-we-re-going-to-lose-our-country/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) ## More by Will Rogers > [She was so ugly she could make a mule back away from an oat bin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/she-was-so-ugly-she-could-make-a-mule-back-away-from-an-oat-bin/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [We are always saying: Let the Law take its Course but what we really mean is: Let the Law take OUR Course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/we-are-always-saying-let-the-law-take-its-course-but-what-we-really/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [The Democrats and the Republicans are equally corrupt where money is concerned. It's only in the amount where the Republicans excel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-democrats-and-the-republicans-are-equally-corrupt-where-money-is/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Farmers, get out your sense of humor. Congress meets to relieve you again next week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/farmers-get-out-your-sense-of-humor-congress-meets-to-relieve-you/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Politicians, after all, are not over a year behind public opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/politicians-after-all-are-not-over-a-year-behind-public-opinion/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [American invents everything, but the trouble is we get tired of it the minute the new is wore off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/american-invents-everything-but-the-trouble-is-we-get-tired-of-it-the/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [I don't know what humor is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/i-don-t-know-what-humor-is/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [There are two things I don't care how smart you are, you will never understand. One is an alienist's testimony, and the other is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/there-are-two-things-i-don-t-care-how-smart-you-are-you-will-never/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [The more you observe politics, the more you've got to admit that each party is worse than the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-more-you-observe-politics-the-more-you-ve-got-to-admit-that-each/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [I don't think you can make a lawyer honest by an act of legislature. You've got to work on his conscience. And his lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/i-don-t-think-you-can-make-a-lawyer-honest-by-an-act-of-legislature/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [There are two theories to arguing with a woman. Neither works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/there-are-two-theories-to-arguing-with-a-woman-neither-works/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [America is a great country, but you can't live in it for nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/america-is-a-great-country-but-you-can-t-live-in-it-for-nothing/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [There ought to be one day - just one - when there is open season on senators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/there-ought-to-be-one-day-just-one-when-there-is-open-season-on/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Every Gag I tell must be based on truth. No matter how much I may exaggerate it, it must have a certain amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/every-gag-i-tell-must-be-based-on-truth-no-matter-how-much-i-may/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [So live that you would not mind selling your pet parrot to the town gossip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/so-live-that-you-would-not-mind-selling-your-pet-parrot-to-the-town/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) [Explore all 776 Will Rogers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) ## More Best man quotes > [“Instantly, I was overwhelmed with gratitude. I didn't know exactly what I was feeling, but my buddy JD - my best man, whom I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-bishop/instantly-i-was-overwhelmed-with-gratitude-i-didn-t-know-exactly-what/) [Bryan Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-bishop/) > [Social control is best managed through fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/social-control-is-best-managed-through-fear/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > ['Tempting the Best Man' centers around Madison Daniels, who's had a major crush on her brother's best friend since she was a girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-armentrout/tempting-the-best-man-centers-around-madison-daniels-who-s-had-a/) [Jennifer Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-armentrout/) > [In this coming year, I will seek knowledge from those wiser than me and try to teach those who wish to learn from me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-allman/in-this-coming-year-i-will-seek-knowledge-from-those-wiser-than-me/) [Duane Allman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-allman/) > [“The best man. You know? He hands you the ring and has to marry the bride if you ran away and so on. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-best-man-you-know-he-hands-you-the-ring-and-has-to-marry-the/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [For me it's really tough because you have to go to that place where you really, really don't want to go to or revisit.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-chestnut/for-me-it-s-really-tough-because-you-have-to-go-to-that-place-where/) [Morris Chestnut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-chestnut/) > [“Thank you. Thank you for raising my best friend. For raising the best man I have ever met.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-frank/thank-you-thank-you-for-raising-my-best-friend-for-raising-the-best/) [Ella Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-frank/) > [Well, that’s just a little hard, since I can’t even talk her into sparing your life, huh? You haven’t exactly endeared yourself to her.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/well-that-s-just-a-little-hard-since-i-can-t-even-talk-her-into/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [My mother is the best not because she cooks great or wash my clothes well… she is the BEST because she gave birth of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mharwhyn/my-mother-is-the-best-not-because-she-cooks-great-or-wash-my-clothes/) [MHARWHYN](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mharwhyn/) > [“But destiny will be accomplished, and the best man will hold his ground while the undeserving one will vanish into his back-alley for ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/but-destiny-will-be-accomplished-and-the-best-man-will-hold-his/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [Joss Whedon is the best man on the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cobie-smulders/joss-whedon-is-the-best-man-on-the-planet/) [Cobie Smulders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cobie-smulders/) > [“Gillette--The best a man can get." I stared at the screen. What happened to me? I was meant to be one of those guys,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/gillette-the-best-a-man-can-get-i-stared-at-the-screen-what-happened/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [As a boy I heard this story in church. A man was patching a pitched roof of a tall building when he began sliding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-paul-evans/as-a-boy-i-heard-this-story-in-church-a-man-was-patching-a-pitched/) [Richard Paul Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-paul-evans/) > [It's time for male leaders to not only ask for binders of qualified women, but to re-write the definition of 'qualified.' The best man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-m-kunin/it-s-time-for-male-leaders-to-not-only-ask-for-binders-of-qualified/) [Madeleine M. Kunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-m-kunin/) > [Sir Alex, one of the best managers of all time. After 26 years of success in the game, we all owe him a tribute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-kompany/sir-alex-one-of-the-best-managers-of-all-time-after-26-years-of/) [Vincent Kompany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-kompany/) [Browse all 304 Best man quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-man/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We always want the best man to win an election. Unfortunately, he never runs.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Will Rogers" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/we-always-want-the-best-man-to-win-an-election-unfortunately-he-never/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Best man" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/we-always-want-the-best-man-to-win-an-election-unfortunately-he-never/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/will-rogers-272_best-man_we-always-want-the-best-man-to-win-an-el_1126182.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/will-rogers-272_best-man_we-always-want-the-best-man-to-win-an-el_1126182.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/will-rogers-272_best-man_we-always-want-the-best-man-to-win-an-el_1126182.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We always want the best man to win an election. Unfortunately, he never runs.” — Will Rogers", "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": "Will Rogers", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We always want the best man...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/we-always-want-the-best-man-to-win-an-election-unfortunately-he-never/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/we-always-want-the-best-man-to-win-an-election-unfortunately-he-never/#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 } } ] } ```