Thread by @Lcars24

You know, I've been around the ruling class all my life, and I've been quite aware of their total contempt for the people of the country.
—Gore Vidal

Persuading the people to vote against their own best interests has been the awesome genius of the American political elite from the beginning.
—Gore Vidal

I'm sure we the American people are the butt of jokes by those in power.
—Alice Walker

If you wish to be a success in the world, promise everything, deliver nothing.
—Napoleon Bonaparte

It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment.
—Ansel Adams

Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires.
—John Steinbeck

Characteristics of a popular politician: a horrible voice, bad breeding, and a vulgar manner.
—Aristophanes (c. 446–c. 386 BC)

Under every stone lurks a politician.
—Aristophanes (c. 446–c. 386 BC)

The idea behind Reaganomics is this: A rising tide lifts all yachts.
—Walter F. Mondale

Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich, by promising to protect each from the other.
—Oscar Ameringer

Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge even where there is no river.
—Nikita Khrushchev