It's not just a matter of whether you support Obama or Romney. It's who they have coming with them. I always keep my powder dry, as they say in the military.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of leadership teams and their values over individual candidates.
Colin Powell's quote highlights that evaluating political candidates goes beyond their personal ideologies; it is critical to consider the people they surround themselves with and the principles they represent. He uses a military saying to convey the need for preparedness and caution in decision-making, suggesting that the effectiveness of a leader is often determined by their advisors and allies.
In practice
In a debate about the upcoming elections, I might say, 'It's not just a matter of whether you support Obama or Romney. It's who they have coming with them.'
Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier. I am talking about a gung-ho attitude that says 'we can change things here, we can achieve awesome goals, we can be the best. 'Spare me the grim litany of the 'realist;' give me the unrealistic aspirations of the optimist any day.
One of the fondest expressions around is that we can't be the world's policeman. But guess who gets called when suddenly someone needs a cop.
Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.
If you get the dirty end of the stick, sharpen it and turn it into a useful tool.
High-quality early-childhood programs and health coverage have expanded, and the number of mentoring relationships for at-risk youth has risen dramatically. That progress is encouraging, but it's not evenly distributed.
As I've thought about gay marriage, I don't see any reason not to say that [couples] should be able to get married.
My message to the people and rulers of Pakistan is, 'As neighbours, we want peace and friendship and cooperation with you so that together we can change the face of South Asia.'
A politician should have three hats. One for throwing into the ring, one for talking through, and one for pulling rabbits out of if elected.
Struggles do not end when countries attempt the transition to democracy.
Partisans fight on familiar territory with professed political objectives to conquer power. This is what distinguishes them from terrorists
The Russians are turning east to the Chinese - to the Europeans' surprise. It always seemed to me that the relationship between Russia and China would shift from being based in Marx and Lenin to being based in oil and gas.
Political institutions, no matter how well or badly designed, depend for continued existence upon acting men; their conservation is achieved by the same means that brought them into being. Independent existence marks the work of art as a product of making; utter dependence upon further acts to keep it in existence marks the state as a product of action.
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