David Horsey Quotes

Powerful David Horsey for Daily Growth

About David Horsey

David Horsey (born December 17, 1956) is an American editorial cartoonist, columnist, and illustrator, renowned for his insightful commentary on politics and society. Born in Seattle, Washington, he grew up surrounded by the rich artistic culture of the Pacific Northwest, which significantly influenced his creative development. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Western Washington University, Horsey honed his skills as a political cartoonist for various newspapers across the United States. His career took off in 1984 when he joined the staff at The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, where he worked for over three decades before its closure in 2016. Throughout his distinguished career, Horsey has won numerous awards for his editorial cartoons, including two Pulitzer Prizes – one in 1999 for his coverage of the impeachment of President Bill Clinton and another in 2018 for his incisive commentary on issues such as gun control, race relations, and the Trump presidency. Horsey's work is characterized by its wit, humor, and keen insight into the complexities of contemporary politics. His cartoons often provoke thoughtful discourse about the state of American democracy, challenging readers to question their assumptions and engage in meaningful dialogue about the issues that matter most. In addition to his editorial cartoons, Horsey is also a regular columnist for The Seattle Times, where he continues to offer his unique perspective on politics, culture, and society. Despite facing criticism and occasional backlash for his unapologetic commentary, Horsey remains committed to using his platform to shed light on important issues and spark meaningful conversations about the future of America.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Politics has the shelf life of milk."

The quote by David Horsey suggests that the nature of politics is such that it doesn't last long, just like the spoilage of milk over time. This could imply a few things. Firstly, it could mean that political ideas or agendas have a short-term relevance and are often replaced quickly, much like how new milk is consumed soon after purchase. Secondly, it might suggest that the impact or effectiveness of political actions can degrade rapidly, losing their potency over time, similar to the way milk loses its freshness. Ultimately, this quote encapsulates the transient and dynamic nature of politics.


"The greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing the world he didn't exist."

This quote by David Horsey implies that the most effective deception is when people believe that a powerful or harmful force isn't present, thereby allowing it to exert influence unchecked. In this context, the "devil" symbolizes any formidable challenge, threat, or negative influence that seeks to manipulate or control others subtly. By convincing the world that it doesn't exist, the devil (or the challenge) maintains its power and can continue to cause harm unabated. The quote serves as a reminder to stay vigilant against hidden dangers and not underestimate the potential impact of seemingly invisible adversaries.


"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us."

This quote suggests a humorous perspective on our current understanding of extraterrestrial intelligence. If intelligent life exists beyond Earth, the reasoning goes, they might not attempt to communicate with us due to our apparent inability to comprehend or respond appropriately to their advanced technology or knowledge. In essence, this statement implies that our lack of contact from extraterrestrial beings may be a testament to their intelligence rather than evidence for their non-existence.


"Democracy is not a spectator sport."

This quote by David Horsey emphasizes that democracy is not a passive activity where individuals merely observe events unfold. Instead, it's an active process requiring participation from citizens. It encourages active engagement in the political process, including voting, advocating for one's beliefs, and holding elected officials accountable to the will of the people. In essence, the quote underscores the importance of civic responsibility and involvement in shaping the future of a democratic society.


"There are no atheists in foxholes, and there are few partisan Democrats or Republicans in cemeteries."

This quote by David Horsey suggests that in moments of extreme crisis or life-threatening situations (represented by 'foxholes'), people often turn to something greater than themselves for comfort, support, or survival, thereby questioning the atheist perspective. Similarly, when confronted with the finality and universal nature of death (symbolized by 'cemeteries'), political affiliations and partisanship become less important as one grapples with existential questions beyond party lines. Essentially, Horsey's quote highlights the temporary nature of our political divisions in the face of larger, shared human experiences.


Global warming is the foreboding thunder in the distance. Ocean acidification is the lightning strike in our front yard, right here, right now.

- David Horsey

Lightning, Here, Yard, Global

As long as anger, paranoia and misinformation drive our political debate, there are unhinged souls among us who will feel justified in turning to violent remedies for imagined threats.

- David Horsey

Misinformation, Violent, Justified

If political cartoonists continue to rely on newspapers, we may be in serious trouble. It's a very transferable form of journalism, though - it works great on Web sites.

- David Horsey

May, Very, Works, Sites

Like gods, we have created a new universe called cyberspace that contains great good and ominous evil. We do not know yet if this new dimension will produce more monsters than marvels, but it is too late to go back.

- David Horsey

Too Late, Back, Gods, Ominous

From China and India to Turkey and Brazil, when women have gotten access to education, to family planning and to a vital place in the economy, greater prosperity has followed. And when women are free to speak and learn, they temper the extremes of ideology and fanaticism and raise sons who are less likely to become human bombs.

- David Horsey

Brazil, China And India, Family Planning

It is really no surprise that, in a media world that has been so compromised by an invasion of political partisans and inarticulate airheads with communications degrees, a fake journalist can seem more trustworthy than the real thing.

- David Horsey

Surprise, More, Been, Fake

What seems strange is that Obama elicits such extreme dislike when, in fact, he is an exemplary family man, and his policy positions would have made him a conventional liberal Republican not that long ago.

- David Horsey

Republican, Fact, Dislike, Exemplary

If a gigantic asteroid were barreling toward impact with our planet, you can bet there would be at least a few members of Congress who would insist on leaving it alone, either because they would see it as a warning shot from the Almighty or because a mining company with a savvy team of lobbyists had laid claim to the big rock.

- David Horsey

Big, Congress, Almighty, Claim

Yes, the disruption of the Internet can be blamed for the destruction of the business model that once made journalism a thriving, well-paying enterprise, but it has also created an array of new tools for reporting. Somebody will eventually figure out how to make online newspapers profitable - I hope.

- David Horsey

Hope, Enterprise, Thriving, Blamed

The rap on Obama has been that he is a little too cool and aloof. The rap on Romney may be that he is just plain callous.

- David Horsey

Been, May, Rap, Aloof

Americans rightly, but sometimes excessively, celebrate every person in uniform as a hero, but seldom honor the difficult and often dangerous work being done day after day by members of our diplomatic corps. Warriors capture the popular imagination more easily than peacemakers.

- David Horsey

Honor, Sometimes, Dangerous, Corps

Ah, to be a conservative climate change denier. While real scientists must do all the research and engage in heated debates about just how bad things are going to be, the deniers can rest easy in the bliss of willful ignorance.

- David Horsey

Conservative, Bad, About, Debates

One of the least appealing aspects of modern presidential candidates is that, to avoid saying anything that might prove to be an embarrassing, costly blunder, they cling to a rigid set of talking points that reveal as little as possible about what they really think and who they really are.

- David Horsey

Prove, Reveal, Least, Presidential

Maybe it's stress or anger or adrenaline or disillusionment or a bullying nature or simple fear of getting killed themselves, but there is a problem if a cop cannot tell the difference between a menacing gangster and the far more common person they encounter whose life is a little frayed and messy.

- David Horsey

Tell, Cop, Maybe, Menacing

I'm skeptical of the 'go local' approach to cartooning to preserve your job.

- David Horsey

Go, Preserve, Cartooning, Skeptical

The appalling reality in American politics today is that, when ideology and money mix, truth is a mere inconvenience.

- David Horsey

Politics, American, Ideology, Mix

A couple of websites I've come across credit the 'New York Times' for reporting that 12,000 women a year are arrested for breastfeeding in public. I could not confirm that number with a quick search, but even 1,200 would be too many - or even 12.

- David Horsey

Quick, Couple, Arrested, Reporting

Our vision of war is probably too influenced by the biggest one of all, World War II, where the forces of evil were so unambiguous and so relentless that there was no choice but to commit to total war and to demand unconditional surrender. Seldom, though, is it quite that clear cut.

- David Horsey

Influenced, Cut, Commit, Unconditional

In a world of cell phones and satellite feeds - a world in which the president can sit in the White House situation room and watch a military action unfold on the other side of the world - it is not realistic to expect TV news to be anything but what it has become: a ceaseless flow of words and images that may or may not be accurate.

- David Horsey

Other, TV, Accurate, Flow

I am no technophobe. I like being able to calibrate communication, depending on the situation - texting for the simple and immediate; email for business or when I want to put some lag time into the exchange; Twitter to promote something; Facebook to draw a crowd.

- David Horsey

Simple, Crowd, Some, Lag

Twitter was a mere prototype in 2006; now, many of us have become adept at saying all we have to say in 140 characters.

- David Horsey

Say, Adept, Many, Prototype

I've been a fascinated observer of grand public funerals since I was a kid, starting with the life-altering black-and-white images of President John F. Kennedy's funeral.

- David Horsey

Kid, Been, Images, Black-And-White

I almost literally wake up in the morning starting to think of my next idea. It's almost always driven by what's in the news. The hard part, really, is getting from knowing what I want to say to figuring out how to say it in an image. I'm still not entirely sure how to explain how that happens... Suddenly, something just works.

- David Horsey

Next, Explain, Works, Figuring

The Tea Party folks may be sincere, loyal citizens, but their notions about how the economy works are exactly that: mere notions. Their core notion is that government needs to do nothing more than get out of the way of business in order for the economy to boom and bloom.

- David Horsey

Boom, About, Works, Notions

When, in his first inaugural address, Ronald Reagan famously said government is the problem, not the solution, he established the Republican mantra that has not changed in all the years since. It was a clever bit of rhetoric, but it has turned too many Republicans into economic simpletons.

- David Horsey

Mantra, Reagan, Turned, Rhetoric

I always figured that I was one new editor away from unemployment.

- David Horsey

New, Always, Editor, Unemployment

Elevating the status of women is our best path to peace, justice, and prosperity on a global scale.

- David Horsey

Peace, Path, Justice, Status

Experience shows us that most people's votes are based on their biases, not on objective reality. Elections are a collective gut reaction. That any good comes of it at all is the miracle of democracy.

- David Horsey

Reaction, Gut, Based, Biases

Even if you're drawing a cartoon and exaggerating, you want to capture something true about the person.

- David Horsey

Person, Cartoon, Even, Capture

I've always called myself a journalist who happens to draw. If I wasn't drawing cartoons, I'd be writing stories.

- David Horsey

Myself, Always, Stories, Cartoons

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