The largest website for English phrases and quotes

The largest website for English phrases and quotes

Category: Robert Dallek

John Kennedy had so many different medical problems that began when he was a boy. He started out with intestinal problems… spastic colitis.

Problems, Boy, Different

Concealing one’s true medical condition from the voting public is a time-honored tradition of the American presidency.

American, Voting, Tradition

Success in past U.S. conflicts has not been strictly the result of military leadership but rather the judgment of the president in choosing generals and setting broad strategy.

Success, Past, Military

As someone who has more than a passing acquaintance with most of the 20th century presidents, I have often thought that their accomplishments have little staying power in shaping popular views of their leadership.

Power, Thought, Little

Once the public loses confidence in a president’s leadership at a time of war, once they don’t trust him anymore, once his credibility is sharply diminished, how does he get it back?

Time, Trust, Confidence

John F. Kennedy went to bed at 3:30 in the morning on November 9, 1960, uncertain whether he had defeated Richard Nixon for the presidency. He thought he had won, but six states hung in the balance, and after months of exhaustive campaigning, he was too tired to stay awake any longer.

Balance, Thought, Tired

Public scandals are America’s favorite parlor sport. Learning about the flaws and misdeeds of the rich and famous seems to satisfy our egalitarian yearnings.

Learning, America, Rich

Like Lyndon Johnson, President Obama understands that timidity in a time of troubles is a prescription for failure.

Time, President, Like

The consequence of the Bay of Pigs failure wasn’t an acceptance of Castro and his control of Cuba but, rather, a renewed determination to bring him down by stealth.

Determination, Acceptance

Vietnam was a palpable failure. And of course, in retrospect, it was even more clearly a disaster and a failure than maybe people understood at the time.

Time, People, Disaster

Richard Nixon had a kind of Walter Mitty fantasy life. He was a man with a grandiose thoughts: dreams of not simply being president but maybe becoming one of the truly great presidents of American history.

Life, History, Great

The art of diplomacy is finding a reasonable route among imperfect alternatives.

leadership, maturation, pragmatism