Will Rogers summed up his mind on things in a way that made people chuckle. Serious issues brought to light through humor. There was nothing funny about the war, or corruption, or poverty, or poor education. These were serious issues, and Rogers understood that serious issues had many sides to them, and that seeing those sides kept everyone more honest, and made room for common sense to lead them to more sensible decisions.
Will Rogers and the American people had a relationship that was unlike any before or since. What does his legacy have for us today?
His presence had people asking themselves two questions: “Is my life going in the right direction?” and “Are we as a nation going in the right direction?” True to his birthright, people mattered: All people. Fairness, caring, respect were the cornerstones of the common good. His life was dedicated to this end.
"Politicians do not have an easy life. Somebody is always interrupting it with an election."
"Ohio claims they are due a president as they haven't had one since Taft. Look at the United States, they have not had one since Lincoln."
"Elections are a good deal like marriages, there's no accounting for anyone's taste. Every time we see a bridegroom we wonder why she ever picked him, and it's the same with Public Officials."
"Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects."
"It is awful hard to get people interested in corruption unless they can get some of it."
"Politics isn't worrying this country one tenth as much as parking space."
"Alexander Hamilton kinder got our system going. He was the man that originated the "put and take" system into our National Treasury. The Taxpayers put it in and the Politicians take it out."
"On account of us being a democracy and run by the people, we are the only people in the world that has to keep a government four years no matter what it does."
"A politician is just like a pickpocket; it's almost impossible to get him to reform."
"I guess truth can hurt you worse in an election than about anything that can happen to you."
"The more education a man gets the less apt he is to be a Democrat and if he is very highly educated he will see the applesauce in both parties."
"It takes a great country to stand a thing like an election hitting it every four years."
"It sure did kick up some excitement in the Senate when one Senator called the other Senators "sons of Wild jackasses." Well, if you thought it made the Senators hot, you wait till you see what happens when the jackasses hear how they have been slandered."
"I never met a man I didn't like."
"My ancestors did not come over on the Mayflower, but they met the boat."
