Stories are "how we organize the chaos of experience into the order we require just a carry-on." Joan Gideon

— Rick Perlstein

Teddy White lamented that TV might spell the death of serious politics: to give a thoughtful response to serious questions, politician needed a good thirty seconds to ponder, but television allowed only five seconds of silence at best. DDB (ad men) found nothing to lament and the fact. They were convinced you could learn everything you needed to KNOW about a product, which in this case happens to be a human being, in half a minute – the speed not of thought but of emotion.

— Rick Perlstein

Television was suppressing their freedom not to know.

— Rick Perlstein

The head of Goldwater's California operation "what was so uncomfortable around people that he worked up a routine to deal with employees with whom he was forced to share an elevator: "Taken your vacation yet?" he would ask when they entered; answer took just long enough to deliver him to his fourth-floor office.

— Rick Perlstein

There's no question that Kennedy was an utter failure as a passer of laws during his proverbial thousand days.

— Rick Perlstein

The task of defending capitalism was still important to leave to the capitalists.

— Rick Perlstein

To claim the mantle of purity is always a risky business. It just gives an excuse to be disillusioned once your ordinary humidity is exposed.

— Rick Perlstein

Violent crimes had increased from 120 per 100,000 in 1962 180 per 100,000 by 1964.

— Rick Perlstein

What does sincerity mean if it is chosen as deliberate strategy?

— Rick Perlstein

Whatever you think about his intelligence, what's unquestionable is that Reagan had extraordinary emotional intelligence. He could sense the temperature of a room, and tell them a story and make them feel good. And that's more fun, right? It's more fun to feel good than feel bad. That's part of our human state.

— Rick Perlstein