John Sununu Quotes

Powerful John Sununu for Daily Growth

About John Sununu

John Sununu, born on November 30, 1948, in Nashua, New Hampshire, is an American author, engineer, educator, and former politician. He is a son of former Governor and U.S. Senator John H. Sununu and the brother of Chris Sununu, the current governor of New Hampshire. Sununu graduated with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1970. He later earned his Master's degree in electrical engineering from the University of New Hampshire in 1972 and his Ph.D. in materials science from MIT in 1975. His political career began in 1983 when he was elected as the Mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire, serving until 1989. In 1989, he was appointed as the White House Chief of Staff under President George H. W. Bush, a position he held until 1991. Sununu is best known for his works in engineering and education. He served as the Dean of the School of Engineering at the University of New Hampshire from 1987 to 1989 before becoming the President of the University of New Hampshire from 1996 to 2013. During his tenure, he focused on enhancing research capabilities and academic programs. As an author, Sununu has written several books including "Sununu on Leadership: Lessons From a Life in Politics" (2004) and "The Tipping Point of America: A Citizen's Guide to Turning the Country Around" (2013). These works reflect his insights from his political career and experiences. Sununu's life and work have been significantly influenced by his education, family background, and political experiences. He is recognized for his contributions to engineering, education, and politics in New Hampshire and beyond.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The problem with the Democratic Party is they're full of ideas, and short on facts."

This quote suggests that the Democratic Party often proposes numerous ideas, but may lack concrete evidence or facts to support them, implying a potential inconsistency between their vision and the reality they aim to address. It's important to note that this observation does not necessarily mean all proposals are without factual basis, but rather, it implies that some may be insufficiently grounded in verifiable data. This can make it challenging for the party to effectively implement policies based on these ideas, and for others to assess their feasibility or potential impact.


"We have a president who doesn't believe in anything except himself."

This quote by John Sununu implies that the president being referred to lacks deeply-held principles, values, or beliefs beyond self-interest. Instead, the focus of his actions is primarily on himself, suggesting a potential absence of empathy, integrity, and commitment to higher ideals or causes. It hints at a leader who may be driven more by personal ambition than by a sense of duty or service to others.


"This administration has an enormous capacity for taking whatever subject matter you're talking about and turning it into a negative for them."

This quote suggests that the administration in question has a strong ability to reframe or spin any given topic so that it reflects negatively upon them, regardless of its original intent or context. It implies a skill at political maneuvering where potentially positive discussions are turned into criticisms against themselves, which could be due to defensive strategies, manipulation of public perception, or poor management of public relations.


"The Clinton White House is under siege, and the enemy is within."

This quote by John Sununu suggests that during Bill Clinton's presidency, there were internal conflicts or problems, with adversaries presumably working from within the administration itself, rather than external threats. It implies a sense of turmoil, instability, or betrayal in the White House, as Sununu compared the situation to being "under siege."


"I think what the American people want to know is that their president can handle a crisis when one occurs."

This quote emphasizes the importance the American public places on a President's ability to manage crises effectively. In times of uncertainty, stability and competent leadership are valued, as the President's performance in a crisis can significantly impact the nation's wellbeing and confidence. It suggests that a President should be prepared to address unexpected situations with calmness, wisdom, and resilience.


The precise point at which a tax deduction becomes a 'loophole' or a tax incentive becomes a 'subsidy for special interests' is one of the great mysteries of politics.

- John Sununu

Politics, Mysteries, Which, Subsidy

The constant need for special waivers is symptomatic of poorly written public policy. It's a signal that the cost of compliance is unreasonably high; the benefits are hard to measure; and either legislators or regulators have failed to do their homework.

- John Sununu

Benefits, Constant, Poorly, Public Policy

The Internet creates as well as destroys. Social networks, search advertising, and cloud computing are multibillion dollar industries that didn't exist 10 years ago. They are products of the same force that has rendered the Postal Service's core business obsolete.

- John Sununu

Networks, Social Networks, Obsolete

We will have to continue to improve our human intelligence system-something that was, unfortunately, lacking in the years which led up to September 11. This is going to be a continuing process of change.

- John Sununu

Process, Will, Which, Lacking

Barack Obama's life was so much simpler in 2009. Back then, he had refined the cold act of blaming others for the bad economy into an art form. Deficits? Blame Bush's tax cuts. Spending? Blame the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. No business investment? Blame Wall Street.

- John Sununu

Bad, Bush, Obama, Simpler

The campaigns of Steve Forbes, Pat Buchanan, Ross Perot, and John McCain all outperformed expectations on their support from independent voters. They made no effort to shy away from ideology, but conveyed to voters that their policies were driven by principle, not party talking points.

- John Sununu

Independent, Away, Principle, Conveyed

Defining marriage is a power that should be left to the states. Moreover, no state should be forced to recognize a marriage that is not within its own laws, Constitution, and legal precedents.

- John Sununu

Constitution, Laws, Within, Defining

Households and businesses cut expenses every day. Passing a financial down payment alongside the debt limit sends the right message to the public, and gives members of Congress greater comfort, or cover, depending on your perspective.

- John Sununu

Financial, Congress, Cut, Households

After everyone has had a chance to bluster, posture, and pontificate, we are left with one basic question: under any foreseeable circumstance, would it be in our national interest to default on our debt? The answer is unequivocally no.

- John Sununu

National Interest, Had, Our, Unequivocally

Not since the steam engine has any invention disrupted business models like the Internet. Whole industries including music distribution, yellow-pages directories, landline telephones, and fax machines have been radically reordered by the digital revolution.

- John Sununu

Been, Disrupted, Whole, Telephones

The media love coarse debate because coarse debate drives ratings and ratings generate profits. Unless the TV producer happens to be William Shakespeare, an argument is more interesting than a soliloquy - and there will never be a shortage of people willing to argue on TV.

- John Sununu

Love, Argument, TV, Generate

Political pandering comes in all shapes and sizes, but every four years the presidential primary bring us in contact with its purest form - praising ethanol subsidies amid the corn fields of Iowa.

- John Sununu

Corn, Bring, Iowa, Purest Form

The Internet will win because it is relentless. Like a cannibal, it even turns on it own. Though early portals like Prodigy and AOL once benefited from their first-mover status, competitors surpassed them as technology and consumer preferences changed.

- John Sununu

Own, Competitors, Turns, Prodigy

President Obama has outsourced a major portion of the U.S. space program to the Russians. That's national policy. Taxpayer money. So let's stop playing games with this outsourcing distortion and talk about the fact that when we need is a president that knows how to manage big enterprise and create jobs.

- John Sununu

Fact, Big, Russians, Space Program

If you wait until those weapons pose a direct, clear, present danger to the United States, you've probably waited too long.

- John Sununu

Wait, Pose, United States, Waited

This is technology that will not go away. And to risk it moving into the hands of a terrorist group like al Qaeda or to other focused enemies of the United States, would have tragic consequences.

- John Sununu

Other, Away, United States, Qaeda

When we're talking about technology that involves weapons of mass destruction, nuclear, chemical or biological weapons, there has to be an element of preemption.

- John Sununu

Involves, Mass, About, Biological Weapons

Energy and environmental regulation, transportation, and broadband policy all benefit when legislators have a basic grounding in the technical concepts behind business models, products, and innovation.

- John Sununu

Innovation, Behind, Models, Legislators

For most Americans, Friday afternoons are filled with positive anticipation of the weekend. In Washington, it's where government officials dump stories they want to bury. Good news gets dropped on Monday so bureaucrats can talk about it all week.

- John Sununu

Week, Weekend, Good News, Friday

A candidate who tries to steer a path down the middle in an effort to 'win independents' runs the risk of convincing everyone that they have no core values. As much as - or more than - any other voters, independents want to see conviction and authenticity.

- John Sununu

Other, Voters, Tries, Runs

Candidates and their consultants keep making the same mistake. They assume that all independents are bundled neatly together ideologically between Republicans and Democrats.

- John Sununu

Mistake, Making, Neatly, Independents

It worries me about our unwillingness to really address reforms and modernization in Medicare. This thing was designed 37 years ago. It has not evolved to keep pace with current medical technology.

- John Sununu

Medical, Modernization, Medicare

When Obama gutted Medicare by taking $717 billion out of it, the Romney plan does not do that. The Ryan plan mimicked part of the Obama package there, the Romney plan does not. That's a big difference.

- John Sununu

Big, Package, Ryan, Medicare

The nominee is Mitt Romney. Paul Ryan joins Mitt Romney. The budget plan, the approach on Medicare and all of that is going to be the Romney plan. What he has is a man as his number two who understands the details of budgets, who has demonstrated a willingness to take on tough issues.

- John Sununu

Ryan, Mitt Romney, Romney, Medicare

Perspective gives us the ability to accurately contrast the large with the small, and the important with the less important. Without it we are lost in a world where all ideas, news, and information look the same. We cannot differentiate, we cannot prioritize, and we cannot make good choices.

- John Sununu

Good, Small, We Cannot, Prioritize

For my children, it makes sense to talk about modernizing Social Security, letting them create stronger personal accounts, letting them get a higher rate of return over the long run.

- John Sununu

Over, Social, Makes, Accounts

It doesn't take Warren Buffett to realize that when companies don't know what new rules will look like, it affects their ability to commit capital and create new jobs.

- John Sununu

New, Will, Capital, Warren

Growing up, I was encouraged to get a good education, get a real job doing something I enjoyed, and, should the opportunity present itself, consider public service as just that: a chance to serve, not an end in itself.

- John Sununu

Education, Doing, Serve, Good Education

Politicians also have a love affair with the 'small business exemption.' Too much paperwork? Too heavy a burden? Not enough time? Just exempt small businesses from the rule. It sounds so pro-growth. Instead it's an admission that the costs of a regulation just can't be justified.

- John Sununu

Love, Small, Small Business, Exemption

I believe our foreign assistance should be scrutinized, should be debated, and that we should strike the right balance, but in all cases the foreign assistance that we provide around the world should be used to further our national security interests.

- John Sununu

Strike, Cases, Debated, Scrutinized

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