
Top 32 Presidential Debate Quotes
#1. A presidential debate is a job interview. And voters look for certain traits in people applying to be president.
Ron Fournier
#2. When I listen to the complaints that follow just about every presidential debate, I'm reminded of the well-worn joke about the Jewish mother who buys her son two shirts. When he shows up at dinner wearing one, she says: 'What's the matter? You didn't like the other one?'
Jeff Greenfield
#3. We are creating a political demolition derby, not a presidential debate. Those strange impulses in the American soul that have produced mud wrestling and The Gong Show seem to have claimed the national campaign.
Hugh Sidey
#4. During the Democratic presidential debate Howard Dean started off by apologizing to the crowd for having a cold. Then John Kerry apologized for once having a cold while serving his country in Vietnam.
Conan O'Brien
#5. The first presidential debate was down in Florida. Residents spent all day putting plywood on their televisions.
David Letterman
#6. When Gingrich attacked CNN's John King for bringing up his alleged proposal of an open marriage to his second wife, Gingrich accused him of lowering the level of discourse in a presidential debate, suggesting that such a discussion is unworthy of consideration by voters.
Robert Dallek
#7. The very idea that there is no truth, but only the filter of narrative through which truth is invented is something I learned at the feet of the most leftist professors at Yale and am learning again from Sarah Palin during the Vice Presidential debate, and I find that very disorienting.
John Hodgman
#8. As someone who is in awe and grateful every day to be in a country where freedom of the press, free speech and free elections are a way of life, I am wowed, amazed and excited by the opportunity to moderate a 2012 presidential debate.
Candy Crowley
#9. John Kennedy won the first televised presidential debate among those watching it, while Richard Nixon won among those listening on the radio.
Susan Estrich
#10. Last night's vice presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin drew much higher ratings than the presidential debate. Did you know that? Yeah. Yeah, Biden attracted viewers who enjoyed his previous debate appearances, and Palin attracted viewers who enjoyed the movie 'Fargo.'
Conan O'Brien
#11. A little tough talk in the midst of a campaign or as part of a presidential debate cannot obscure a record of 30 years of being on the wrong side of defense issues.
Dick Cheney
#12. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz did their best Donald Trump impersonation. All three unleashing an unprecedented string of insults and attacks fit more for a barroom than a presidential debate stage.
Chris Hayes
#13. The job of the architect becomes more difficult in this secular age. Where once he had a god to extol, he now has humans like himself; where once he had "he," he now has "she" and "they.
Nikki Giovanni
#14. All those times I'd broken her heart, and she was still here.
She was still here.
J. Lynn
#15. More triumphant stories rainbowed around the
Maya Angelou
#16. STOP letting people get to you. They can only pull the trigger ... if you hand them the gun.
Timothy Pina
#18. Presidential campaign observer Teddy White on the second Kennedy-Nixon debate in which the candidates spoke from separate television studios: It was as if, separated by comments from his adversary, Richard Nixon was more at ease and could speak directly to the nation that lay between them.
David Pietrusza
#19. In a presidential campaign, you can't lie. You can't hide what you are and what you want. You can't hide what kind of President you'll be. You can't keep on talking about nothing indefinitely and committing to nothing, you can't keep running away from debate, masking the challenges.
Nicolas Sarkozy
#20. If you have issues with family, friends, and people at work, try and solve these issues head on so you can move on and concentrate on having the life you want.
Heidi Klum
#21. When Obama was first proposed as a presidential candidate in 2007, the nation failed to have a meaningful debate concerning the serious constitutional issue of electing someone whose father was not a U.S. citizen.
Aaron Klein
#22. On the issue of Iraq, it is my hope, and my challenge to my colleagues, that our debate will be based on what is best for the future of our nation and for Iraq, not what's best for a political party or presidential campaign.
Mitch McConnell
#23. When you have a 12-minute debate over whether lipstick on a pig refers to a demeaning comment about the vice presidential candidate, you know we're not talking about health reform, we're not talking about energy policy, we're not talking about balancing the budget. And you know, it's fairly stupid.
Newt Gingrich
#24. frogs are made of the same 'goup' as rocks, only in different arrangements. So
Richard Feynman
#25. One of the most surreal moments in this election was after the third debate, when I heard a talking head say, Al Gore won on substance, on the issues. But you have to give the victory to Bush because he seems presidential.
Bradley Whitford
#27. This was the second stage in my life, a step in my personal evolution
abandoning the idea of being different, and settling for normal ... Gradually I drew nearer to the world, and the world drew nearer to me.
Haruki Murakami
#28. Tonight the Republican presidential candidates had a big debate, 10 candidates. The last time that many rich white guys got together, I think Exxon merged with Mobil.
Jay Leno
#29. I do belong to Jersey. There's no doubt about that in my mind. They have been so loyal and so good to me; how could I possibly belong any place else?
Frankie Valli
#32. Once upon a long ago time I was a girl with hopeful halos in my eyes - not unlike you - not a typical beauty but beautiful nonetheless, as all young girls tend to be in their prime, even if they don't tend to know it.
Shannon Celebi
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