"If Democrats run for cover, if we become pale carbon copies of the opposition and try to act like Republicans, we will lose -- and deserve to lose. As I have said on other occasions, Democrats must be more than warmed-over Republicans. The last thing this country needs is two Republican parties. If we fall for our opponents' tactics, if we listen to those who tell us to abandon health reform, or slash student loans and children's programs, or engage in a bidding war to see who can be the most anti-government or the most laissez-hire, we will have only ourselves to blame. As Democrats, we can win, but only if we stand for something."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Democratic Party (United States) politiciansAcademics from the United StatesMembers of the United States SenatePoliticians from BostonUnited States presidential candidates, 1980
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
"What Democrats should Stand for," (11 January 1995) as quoted in Vital Speeches of the Day, 0042742X, 2/1/95, Vol. 61, Issue 8
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ted_Kennedy
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Ted Kennedy
politician, lawyer, autobiographer
1932 – 2009 · United States
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy (22 February 1932 – 25 August 2009) was the senior Democratic U.S. senator from Massachusetts. In office from November 1962 to August 2009, Kennedy was, at the time, the second-longest serving member of the Senate, after Robert Byrd of West Virginia. He was the younger brother of John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy, and the uncle of Caroline Kennedy.
389 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Ted Kennedy →
Related Quotes
"His partnerships with his fellow Senators are well-known and oft-recited, testimony to his skill and to his convictio…"
"Since Biden circa 2022 is often compared to 1970s Jimmy Carter due to a combination of sluggish job approval ratings,…"
"Senator Kennedy began his career setting a high standard when it comes to birthdays. It was when he reached the minim…"
"Run down the list--the rights of the disabled a most personal cause for Ted--who for far too long were left in the sh…"
"Ted Kennedy is the most prolific legislator in American history, but he is something more. Robert Kennedy once said t…"
"Without Ted, 18-year-olds might not be able to vote. There might not be a Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Meals on Wh…"
"I think that John McCain and Ted Kennedy represent what the Senate has been at its best ... what it can be again, a p…"
"I think Senator Kennedy will go down as one of the giants in the Senate. While he has had a rather tumultuous life wi…"
"That sentence is not constructed lightly--it is the measure of a public servant who doesn't know the meaning of the w…"
"Ted Kennedy’s wit and stories, his passion for a cause and his country, and his love for the Senate just made you wan…"