Hamilton Jordan Quotes

Powerful Hamilton Jordan for Daily Growth

About Hamilton Jordan

Hamilton Jordan (December 3, 1945 – December 8, 2018) was an American political strategist, attorney, lobbyist, and columnist. He served as the Chief of Staff to President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981, playing a crucial role in Carter's administration during his time in office. Born in Thomasville, Georgia, Jordan attended Wake Forest University, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1967. He then went on to Harvard Law School and earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1970. After law school, Jordan returned to his hometown of Thomasville, where he practiced law with his father. Jordan's political career began in earnest when he met Jimmy Carter in 1972 during Carter's gubernatorial campaign. Impressed by Jordan's intellect and energy, Carter asked him to serve as Special Counsel in the Governor's Office. In this role, Jordan played a key part in drafting many of Carter's legislative proposals, including the Georgia Coastal Zone Management Act and the Georgia Environmental Quality Control Act. When Carter announced his presidential bid in 1975, he chose Jordan to be his campaign manager. Jordan's strategic prowess was instrumental in Carter's upset victory over incumbent President Gerald Ford. After Carter won the election, Jordan became Chief of Staff, a position he held until 1981. Post-White House, Jordan moved into private practice and lobbying. He also served as a columnist for USA Today and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Throughout his life, Jordan remained deeply committed to public service and the ideals of his mentor, Jimmy Carter. His book, "The Journey Begins: A Presidential Memoir," published in 1982, offers an insider's account of Carter's presidency. Jordan passed away on December 8, 2018, due to complications from pneumonia. His contributions to American politics and his dedication to public service continue to be remembered and celebrated.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The future is not some place we are going, but one we are creating."

This quote suggests that our future isn't a fixed destination waiting to be reached, but rather it's an ongoing construction shaped by our actions, decisions, and the collective efforts of society. It emphasizes personal responsibility and the power each individual has in shaping their own destiny as well as the future of the world at large. The future is something we actively create through our daily choices, making every moment an opportunity to influence the direction of time.


"The secret in life might just be to fall seven times and to get up eight."

This quote suggests that resilience, the ability to rise after falling, is crucial in navigating life's challenges. It implies that setbacks are inevitable, but it's our response to these setbacks that truly defines us. The number seven represents difficulties or failures, while eight symbolizes perseverance and overcoming those obstacles. In essence, the quote encourages us to embrace adversity, learn from our mistakes, and never give up in our pursuit of success.


"Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and giving them faith that you can do the job they want done."

This quote by Hamilton Jordan underscores the importance of trust in leadership. A leader is not simply someone who possesses technical skills, but also someone who inspires confidence and belief among their followers. Leadership is about demonstrating competence in the tasks at hand and instilling faith that the desired outcomes will be achieved. Essentially, it's a relationship built on trust where people feel secure in following the leader's guidance towards a shared goal.


"A leader must have the courage to act against an expert's advice."

This quote emphasizes the importance of leadership over expertise, suggesting that a true leader may sometimes need to disregard expert advice in order to make bold decisions for the greater good. While experts bring valuable knowledge and understanding, leaders must also possess the vision, courage, and intuition required to chart their own course when necessary. In doing so, they can inspire others to follow them towards uncharted territories or challenging situations where conventional wisdom may not apply.


"If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there."

This quote by Hamilton Jordan emphasizes the importance of having a clear goal or destination in life. Without a defined purpose, any path or decision one takes might lead to an arbitrary result, potentially wasting valuable time and resources. It encourages us to set our sights on specific goals and work towards them with intentionality, rather than aimlessly wandering through life.


You mentioned Ross Perot. Mr. Perot jumped into the race at the last minute, had one issue that he ran on, the budget deficit, was in and out of the race a couple of times, and still got 20 million votes, didn't have the Internet.

- Hamilton Jordan

Couple, Had, Budget Deficit, Budget

When you have a diagnosis of cancer, or any serious illness, your choices are basically to be passive and kind of accept whatever is offered you, or to be active and to learn about your disease, and understand your options, and be an active partner with your doctor. That's the course I took with all three of my cancers.

- Hamilton Jordan

Three, About, Your, Passive

I like Kahlua and ice cream as a dessert.

- Hamilton Jordan

Dessert, Ice, Like, Ice Cream

It's hard to look inside a person to answer a question about why anybody wants to be president. I suppose a combination of ambition, ego, and a real feeling that he could make a difference and could accomplish some things. All you ever had to do for Jimmy Carter was to tell him something was impossible, and he would usually do it.

- Hamilton Jordan

Tell, Some, Anybody, Make A Difference

And when you start talking about the practicality of winning a race like that - you've got to remember we're not talking about winning 51 percent of the vote. We're talking about winning 36, 37, 38 percent of the vote.

- Hamilton Jordan

Winning, Race, Not Talking, Practicality

We're trying to build a platform utilizing the Internet that allows the good American people to speak out about their frustration about the polarized country that we live in politically.

- Hamilton Jordan

Country, About, Utilizing, Polarized

Sometimes at night, when I leave and ride by the front of the White House and the lights are on, it is so beautiful, I have some sense of, 'Hey, that's where I work, and Jimmy is President now.' But day in and day out, it's a job.

- Hamilton Jordan

Ride, Sometimes, Some, Hey

I've never been a Clinton fan. He's had some accomplishments, and he's very skilled at politics, but, you know, he's had some successes and a very good economy. And the question is how much or how little of that does he deserve credit for.

- Hamilton Jordan

Politics, Some, Very, Accomplishments

My role in the White House was grossly exaggerated by the press. Fortunately for the American people, when the president had to make a critical economic decision or a decision on a weapons system, he did not turn to me and say, 'Hamilton, what in the hell do I do?'

- Hamilton Jordan

American, Role, Critical, Weapons

I went to my son's graduation this weekend, and I heard a great quote I've never heard before from Albert Einstein. It was that the greatest danger to the world is not the bad people but it's the good people who don't speak out.

- Hamilton Jordan

Bad, Before, Greatest Danger, Bad People

I was in Vietnam, and I was exposed to Agent Orange. And there's a high relationship between people that were exposed to Agent Orange and the kind of lymphoma that I had. The prostate cancer was genetic in my family. My father had prostate cancer, my - three of my four uncles had prostate cancer.

- Hamilton Jordan

Kind, Genetic, Agent, Exposed

To say that Jimmy Carter does not understand politics or is not a good politician denies the phenomenon by which he got to the White House. He is without question the best politician, when he's working at it, of anybody I have ever seen.

- Hamilton Jordan

Best, Politics, Anybody, White House

I didn't work for Jimmy Carter all those years to go to cocktail parties. I was there as a political adviser, a short-order cook, to work on topical matters.

- Hamilton Jordan

Work, Cook, Topical, Jimmy

If you had found the right candidate in 2000 or 2004, and you could have put that man or woman, given them ballot access in September of the election year, they could have won the election.

- Hamilton Jordan

Woman, Ballot, Given, September

If you think the system - not you - but if your viewers think that the current political system is working well and serving the interest of our country, then what we're doing will not be attractive.

- Hamilton Jordan

Doing, Think, Country, Serving

And a tiny number of people in a few states make these decisions, and we're left with these options that are increasingly not attractive to the American people.

- Hamilton Jordan

Attractive, Increasingly, Options

The difference today is that, in both parties, the very extreme elements control the nomination process.

- Hamilton Jordan

Today, Process, Very, Extreme

I used to worry about what would happen five or 10 years from now, but I don't anymore. I thought about going to medical school because that has always interested me, but decided against it.

- Hamilton Jordan

Worry, Happen, Always, Five

I know a lot of people that had one cancer that are not alive today. I've had three. So my glass is much more than half full.

- Hamilton Jordan

Glass, Half Full, Half, Cancer

If your doctor tells you you have a rare disease that he or she has never seen, if you've got an incurable cancer, boy, don't accept that. You know, go and get a second opinion.

- Hamilton Jordan

Go, Disease, Incurable, Cancer

The battle in American politics used to be for the middle. Now, it's all about the building and the intensity of support on the far left and far right wings of both parties. And we have forgotten about the people here in the middle.

- Hamilton Jordan

Politics, Middle, Here, Forgotten

We have the American people properly concerned about the future of our country and the world.

- Hamilton Jordan

World, Country, Properly, American People

I think the system is broken; most people think that it's broken. And we think that what we're going to do is invigorate the political system and allow for this country to be turned around.

- Hamilton Jordan

Think, Country, Allow, Broken

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