Jon Meacham Quotes

A collection of quotes by Jon Meacham.

Jon Meacham is an American historian, writer, and journalist. Born on May 20, 1969, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, he has become widely recognized for his contributions to American political and historical discourse.

Meacham earned his bachelor's degree in English literature from The University of the South in 1991. He later received a Master of Arts in American History from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Following his studies, Meacham began his career as a journalist, working as a reporter for various publications, including Newsweek.

In the early 2000s, Meacham gained prominence as the editor of Newsweek magazine, a position he held from 2006 to 2010. He was known for his insightful analysis of American politics and history during this time. As an author, Meacham has penned several notable books, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography "American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House" (2008).

Meacham is renowned for his ability to bring history to life and make it accessible to a wide audience. He has contributed to numerous television programs, providing historical commentary and analysis. Meacham's expertise and engaging style have made him a frequent guest on political talk shows and a sought-after public speaker.

Throughout his career, Jon Meacham has received numerous awards and accolades for his contributions to the field of history. His ability to juxtapose the past with contemporary events has helped shape the understanding and interpretation of American history for many.

It would be great if politics were fact-based, but it is not

It would be great if politics were fact-based, but it is not, and it is surely not nuance-based. What works in a classroom or a think tank does not work on Capitol Hill or in the White House. Obama sometimes seems to be running the Brookings Institution, not the country.

Without education, we are weaker economically. Without econo

Without education, we are weaker economically. Without economic power, we are weaker in terms of national security. No great military power has ever remained so without great economic power.

While we remain a nation decisively shaped by religious fait

While we remain a nation decisively shaped by religious faith, our politics and our culture are, in the main, less influenced by movements and arguments of an explicitly Christian character than they were even five years ago. I think this is a good thing - good for our political culture.

Too many activists have convinced themselves that they have

Too many activists have convinced themselves that they have a monopoly on truth. A little humility and a sense of history could move us all forward.

Truth Religion History Humility

The government invented the Internet.

The government invented the Internet.

Government

The traditional religious right's failure to restore public-

The traditional religious right's failure to restore public-school prayer or pass an antiabortion constitutional amendment has likely helped fuel the spread of the more extreme dominionist school.

Failure

The middle class, one of the great achievements in history,

The middle class, one of the great achievements in history, is becoming more of a relic than a reality.

History

The bringing-about of order is the first and fundamental tas

The bringing-about of order is the first and fundamental task of government. We accept limits on our rights for the sake of a larger social compact all the time.

Government

The power of the American system of republicanism lies in it

The power of the American system of republicanism lies in its capacity to allow religious belief to be a competing, not a controlling, factor in American life.

Power

I believe history will come to view 9/11 as an event on par

I believe history will come to view 9/11 as an event on par with November 22, 1963, the date on which John F. Kennedy was murdered, cutting short a presidency that was growing ever more promising. Dreams died that day in Dallas it is easy to imagine the 1960s turning out rather differently had President Kennedy lived.

Dreams

The past always seems somehow more golden, more serious, tha

The past always seems somehow more golden, more serious, than the present. We tend to forget the partisanship of yesteryear, preferring to re-imagine our history as a sure and steady march toward greatness.

History

Given that religious faith is an intrinsic element of human

Given that religious faith is an intrinsic element of human experience, it is best to approach and engage the subject with a sense of history and a critical sensibility.

Experience

A lot of people, including business leaders, think the futur

A lot of people, including business leaders, think the future belongs to China. Globalization is not a zero-sum game, but we need to hone our skills to stay in play.

Business

I am an Episcopalian who takes the faith of my fathers serio

I am an Episcopalian who takes the faith of my fathers seriously, and I would, I think, be disheartened if my own young children were to turn away from the church when they grow up. I am also a critic of Christianity, if by critic one means an observer who brings historical and literary judgment to bear on the texts and traditions of the church.

Faith

The perennial conviction that those who work hard and play b

The perennial conviction that those who work hard and play by the rules will be rewarded with a more comfortable present and a stronger future for their children faces assault from just about every direction. That great enemy of democratic capitalism, economic inequality, is real and growing.

Future

Attacks on a politician's identity - questioning Romney's re

Attacks on a politician's identity - questioning Romney's religion, say, or Obama's birthplace - tend to come when an opponent is desperate and can't sell himself.

Religion

In America, now, let us - Christian, Jew, Muslim, agnostic,

In America, now, let us - Christian, Jew, Muslim, agnostic, atheist, wiccan, whatever - fight nativism with the same strength and conviction that we fight terrorism. My faith calls on its followers to love one's enemies. A tall order, that - perhaps the tallest of all.

Faith

Part of what I loved - and love - about being around older p

Part of what I loved - and love - about being around older people is the tangible sense of history they embody. I'm interested in military history, for instance, because both my grandfathers fought in World War II. I'm interested in writing because one of those grandfathers wrote books.

History

Only the most unapologetic biblical fundamentalists, for ins

Only the most unapologetic biblical fundamentalists, for instance, take every biblical injunction literally. If we all took all scripture at the same level of authority, then we would be more open to slavery, to the subjugation of women, to wider use of stoning. Jesus himself spoke out frequently against divorce in the strongest of terms.

Women

Here is a pretty good rule of thumb for Democratic President

Here is a pretty good rule of thumb for Democratic Presidents: if it didn't work for Franklin D. Roosevelt, who won four terms and a World War, it probably won't work for you either.

War