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"First rule of politics: you can't win unless you're on the ballot. Second rule: If you run, you may lose. And, if you tie, you do not win."
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"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary."

"Donald Trump is worse than any horror story I've written."

"The government itself, which is only the mode which the people have chosen to execute their will, is equally liable to be abused and perverted before the people can act through it."

"Government! Three fourths parasitic and the other fourth Stupid fumbling."
Explore more quotes by Donald Rumsfeld

"Reduce the number of lawyers. They are like beavers - they get in the middle of the stream and dam it up."

"Your performance depends on your people. Select the best, train them and back them. When errors occur, give sharper guidance. If errors persist or if the fit feels wrong, help them move on. The country cannot afford amateur hour in the White House."

"If a prospective Presidential approach can't be explained clearly enough to be understood well, it probably hasn't been thought through well enough. If not well understood by the American people, it probably won't "sail" anyway. Send it back for further thought."

"The Federal Government should be the last resort, not the first. Ask if a potential program is truly a federal responsibility or whether it can better be handled privately, by voluntary organizations, or by local or state governments."

"Know that the amount of criticism you receive may correlate somewhat to the amount of publicity you receive."

"Don't automatically obey Presidential directives if you disagree or if you suspect he hasn't considered key aspects of the issue."

"Presidential leadership needn't always cost money. Look for low- and no-cost options. They can be surprisingly effective."
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