---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Eleanor Roosevelt had both her admirers…"
description: "\"Eleanor Roosevelt had both her admirers and her detractors. And they admired her and detracted from her for many of the same reasons. People who liked ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d89/william-a-rusher-20922_activism_eleanor-roosevelt-had-both-her-admirers_723794.jpg"
---

#  Eleanor Roosevelt had both her admirers and her…

![“Eleanor Roosevelt had both her admirers and her detractors. And they admired her and detracted from her for many of the same reasons. People who liked her social activism, who thought that she was calling attention to problems that needed solving, were all for her.” quote by William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d89/william-a-rusher-20922_activism_eleanor-roosevelt-had-both-her-admirers_723794.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d89/william-a-rusher-20922_activism_eleanor-roosevelt-had-both-her-admirers_723794.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d89/william-a-rusher-20922_activism_eleanor-roosevelt-had-both-her-admirers_723794.jpg)

> “Eleanor Roosevelt had both her admirers and her detractors. And they admired her and detracted from her for many of the same reasons. People who liked her social activism, who thought that she was calling attention to problems that needed solving, were all for her.”

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

## About This Quote

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

Eleanor Roosevelt’s supporters and critics both liked and disliked her for similar reasons, reflecting complex public perception.

**In simple terms:** Mixed views on a public figure.

Key Takeaway

Recognize nuanced opinions.

Themes

politics leadership public perception

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

historical analytical

When to use this quote

- political campaigns
- historical analysis
- biographical studies

Key Concepts

social dynamics legacy media influence

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do people both admire and criticize the same traits?
- How does media shape such dual perceptions?

A Different Perspective

Simplifying her impact may ignore context.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Activism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activism/) [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social activism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-activism/)

## Related quotes

> [ I think the fact that she \[Eleanor Roosevelt\] was a woman probably in those days would have been an additional criticism, although first ladies… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/i-think-the-fact-that-she-eleanor-roosevelt-was-a-woman-probably-in/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [And if something came along that didn't sound so good, it perhaps didn't always get out there as it should have. But given the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/and-if-something-came-along-that-didn-t-sound-so-good-it-perhaps-didn/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [ I think she \[Eleanor Roosevelt\] was a shrewd politician, and very good in public relations, although she had the usual media help in this.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/i-think-she-eleanor-roosevelt-was-a-shrewd-politician-and-very-good/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [ I think she \[Eleanor Roosevelt\] never was called because she probably didn't know an awful lot. The whole burden of the criticism of her… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/i-think-she-eleanor-roosevelt-never-was-called-because-she-probably/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [People who thought that she was busy going around trying to stir up difficulty where there was none or less than she imagined, were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/people-who-thought-that-she-was-busy-going-around-trying-to-stir-up/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [ That was a general impression that one got, that she \[Eleanor Roosevelt\] was always flitting around the country and descending on some place in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/that-was-a-general-impression-that-one-got-that-she-eleanor-roosevelt/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [I think that it is true that Eleanor Roosevelt, by being so active on that front, contributed to that impression very substantially. And it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/i-think-that-it-is-true-that-eleanor-roosevelt-by-being-so-active-on/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [Well, I didn't read My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt very carefully. I was away during a lot of that, in the war and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/well-i-didn-t-read-my-day-by-eleanor-roosevelt-very-carefully-i-was/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [One of the great liabilities of history is that all too many people fail to remain awake through great periods of social change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/one-of-the-great-liabilities-of-history-is-that-all-too-many-people-2/)

[Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/)

> [It is my feeling that as we grow older we should become not less radical but more so. I do not, of course, mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-laurence/it-is-my-feeling-that-as-we-grow-older-we-should-become-not-less/)

[Margaret Laurence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-laurence/)

> [I think it needs to be with a heart-based wisdom and this heart-based wisdom needs to go hand in hand with science and with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainn-wilson/i-think-it-needs-to-be-with-a-heart-based-wisdom-and-this-heart-based/)

[Rainn Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainn-wilson/)

> [My ministry's always been one of social activism. I think a responsible minister must be at some levels involved in the social order.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-sharpton/my-ministry-s-always-been-one-of-social-activism-i-think-a/)

[Al Sharpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-sharpton/)

> [World conditions challenge us to look beyond the status quo for responses to the pain of our times. We look to powers within as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/world-conditions-challenge-us-to-look-beyond-the-status-quo-for/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [“I do what I can,' I said. 'When I can do more, I will. You know that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/i-do-what-i-can-i-said-when-i-can-do-more-i-will-you-know-that/)

[Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/)

> [For the progressive left, social activism grounded in faith and theology crested in the 1960s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mccurry/for-the-progressive-left-social-activism-grounded-in-faith-and/)

[Mike McCurry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mccurry/)

## More by William A. Rusher

> [Our Navy was very largely sunk. And we were at war in no time at all. I share, in retrospect, the distress we all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/our-navy-was-very-largely-sunk-and-we-were-at-war-in-no-time-at-all-i/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [One of the most influential women of the 20th century? Well, that may be overdoing it. When one thinks of really influential women, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/one-of-the-most-influential-women-of-the-20th-century-well-that-may/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [ I think the fact that she \[Eleanor Roosevelt\] was a woman probably in those days would have been an additional criticism, although first ladies… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/i-think-the-fact-that-she-eleanor-roosevelt-was-a-woman-probably-in/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [And at the UN she took the advice - she had to take the advice - of the State Department and the Assistant Secretary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/and-at-the-un-she-took-the-advice-she-had-to-take-the-advice-of-the/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [ One has to say that they \[Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt\] were pioneering to some extent. They didn't know that some of the housing projects… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/one-has-to-say-that-they-eleanor-and-franklin-roosevelt-were/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [She was obviously useful at the UN because she had a public persona before she ever got there. She was well known. She was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/she-was-obviously-useful-at-the-un-because-she-had-a-public-persona/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [These people looked Japanese, were originally Japanese, were numerous. We had no way of knowing to what extent they had been infiltrated. To their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/these-people-looked-japanese-were-originally-japanese-were-numerous/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [Well, you have to remember that until 1948, when Hubert Humphrey and others forced the Democratic Party to adopt a new policy on civil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/well-you-have-to-remember-that-until-1948-when-hubert-humphrey-and/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [I think that it is true that Eleanor Roosevelt, by being so active on that front, contributed to that impression very substantially. And it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/i-think-that-it-is-true-that-eleanor-roosevelt-by-being-so-active-on/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [ That was a general impression that one got, that she \[Eleanor Roosevelt\] was always flitting around the country and descending on some place in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/that-was-a-general-impression-that-one-got-that-she-eleanor-roosevelt/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [People who thought that she was busy going around trying to stir up difficulty where there was none or less than she imagined, were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/people-who-thought-that-she-was-busy-going-around-trying-to-stir-up/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [ I think she \[Eleanor Roosevelt\] never was called because she probably didn't know an awful lot. The whole burden of the criticism of her… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/i-think-she-eleanor-roosevelt-never-was-called-because-she-probably/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [ I don't think she ever had a single initiative at the United Nations that was not previously \[vetted\] by the people at the State… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/i-don-t-think-she-ever-had-a-single-initiative-at-the-united-nations/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [In terms of legacy, I'm not sure that I see some great historic deposit there, as a result of her passing our way. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/in-terms-of-legacy-i-m-not-sure-that-i-see-some-great-historic/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

> [These were in the days before anybody thought to criticize Congressmen, let alone first ladies, for making money on speeches. So Eleanor raked in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/these-were-in-the-days-before-anybody-thought-to-criticize/)

[William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

[Explore all 30 William A. Rusher quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/)

## More Activism quotes

> [“God has a way of picking a “nobody” and turning their world upside down, in order to create a “somebody” that will remove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-has-a-way-of-picking-a-nobody-and-turning-their-world-upside-down/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“All struggles against oppression in the modern woeld begin by redefining what had previously been consideered private, non-public and non-political issues as matters of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyla-benhabib/all-struggles-against-oppression-in-the-modern-woeld-begin-by/)

Seyla Benhabib

> [Joy doesn't betray but sustains activism. And when you face a politics that aspires to make you fearful, alienated and isolated, joy is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/joy-doesn-t-betray-but-sustains-activism-and-when-you-face-a-politics/)

[Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/)

> [“It takes a female to have a baby, It takes a woman to raise a child, It takes a mother to raise them correctly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/it-takes-a-female-to-have-a-baby-it-takes-a-woman-to-raise-a-child-it/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [Paul Revere earned his living as a silversmith. But what do we remember him for? His volunteer work. All activism is volunteering in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-j-ellis/paul-revere-earned-his-living-as-a-silversmith-but-what-do-we/)

Susan J. Ellis

> [Being in service and being involved in something that is greater than you is what makes a person complete and whole. The very first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-moreno/being-in-service-and-being-involved-in-something-that-is-greater-than/)

[Rita Moreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-moreno/)

> [“The times do not call for grassroots political activism, as if the next election might be enough to reverse a massive cultural earthquake. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-d-miller/the-times-do-not-call-for-grassroots-political-activism-as-if-the/)

Paul D. Miller

> [He went to Paris looking for answers to questions that bothered him so. He was impressive, young and aggressive, saving the world on his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-buffett/he-went-to-paris-looking-for-answers-to-questions-that-bothered-him/)

[Jimmy Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-buffett/)

> [Poetry is a lousy form of activism; it doesn't really change much. And maybe we can point to one or two historical times when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-gottlieb/poetry-is-a-lousy-form-of-activism-it-doesn-t-really-change-much-and/)

[Daphne Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-gottlieb/)

> [There's a lot of activism that doesn't deal with empowerment, and you have to empower yourself in order to be relevant to any type…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-kweli/there-s-a-lot-of-activism-that-doesn-t-deal-with-empowerment-and-you/)

[Talib Kweli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talib-kweli/)

> [“Until you find a cause you can die for, you are not worthy to live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ifeanyi-enoch-onuoha/until-you-find-a-cause-you-can-die-for-you-are-not-worthy-to-live/)

[Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ifeanyi-enoch-onuoha/)

> [Ya'll know what you need to do? Get together, make a We Are The World record.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-jackson/ya-ll-know-what-you-need-to-do-get-together-make-a-we-are-the-world/)

[Curtis Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-jackson/)

> [“There is no way to tell if we are the pioneers of a visionary new age, whisking humanity into the high vibrations of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-talat-phillips/there-is-no-way-to-tell-if-we-are-the-pioneers-of-a-visionary-new-age/)

[Jonathan Talat Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-talat-phillips/)

> [Terence McKenna says, "The culture is not your friend." I am not sure we can change this culture. But I think we can rise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-ensler/terence-mckenna-says-the-culture-is-not-your-friend-i-am-not-sure-we/)

[Eve Ensler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-ensler/)

> [“A spirituality that is only private and self-absorbed, one devoid of an authentic political and social consciousness, does little to halt the suicidal juggernaut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-harvey/a-spirituality-that-is-only-private-and-self-absorbed-one-devoid-of/)

[Andrew Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-harvey/)

[Browse all 820 Activism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activism/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Eleanor Roosevelt had both her admirers and her detractors. And they admired her and detracted from her for many of the same reasons. People who liked her social activism, who thought that she was calling attention to problems that needed solving, were all for her.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William A. Rusher"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/eleanor-roosevelt-had-both-her-admirers-and-her-detractors-and-they/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Activism"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/eleanor-roosevelt-had-both-her-admirers-and-her-detractors-and-they/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d89/william-a-rusher-20922_activism_eleanor-roosevelt-had-both-her-admirers_723794.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d89/william-a-rusher-20922_activism_eleanor-roosevelt-had-both-her-admirers_723794.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d89/william-a-rusher-20922_activism_eleanor-roosevelt-had-both-her-admirers_723794.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Eleanor Roosevelt had both her admirers and her detractors. And they admired her and detracted from her for…” — William A. Rusher",
                "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": "William A. Rusher",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Eleanor Roosevelt had both her admirers...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/eleanor-roosevelt-had-both-her-admirers-and-her-detractors-and-they/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/eleanor-roosevelt-had-both-her-admirers-and-her-detractors-and-they/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
