bob woodward

Getting up in the morning and having work you love is what makes life different for people. If you get into a position where you don’t love what you’re doing, get off it.

Nixon’s grand mistake was his failure to understand that Americans are forgiving, and if he had admitted error early and apologized to the country, he would have escaped.

— bob woodward failure

Using these unnamed sources, if done properly, carefully and fairly, provides more accountability in government.

— bob woodward men

I believe there’s too little patience and context to many of the investigations I read or see on television.

— bob woodward man

There are people who take rumors and embellish them in a way that can be devastating. And this pollution has to be eradicated by people in our business as best we can.

— bob woodward people

Many people have their reputations as reporters and analysts because they are on television, batting around conventional wisdom. A lot of these people have never reported a story.

— bob woodward wisdom

The failure of the system to deal quickly was attributable to Nixon’s lying, stonewalling and refusal to come clean. So it took 26 months for the final truth to be known.

— bob woodward truth

The number of illegal activities were so large that one was bound to come out and lead to the uncovering of the others. Nixon was too willing to use the power of government to settle scores and get even with enemies.

— bob woodward power

I think people are smart enough to sort it out. They know when they’re watching one of these food fight shows where journalists sit around and yell and scream at each other, versus serious issue reporting.

— bob woodward art

We need to police ourselves in the media.

— Bob Woodward media

Were not going to have another Watergate in our lifetime. Im sure.

— Bob Woodward life

When you hear in the tape recordings Nixons own voice saying, We have to stonewall, We have to lie to the Grand Jury, We have to pay burglars a million dollars, its all too clear the horror of what went on.

— Bob Woodward horror

When you practice reporting for as long as I have, you keep yourself at a distance from True Believers. Either conservatives or liberals or Democrats or Republicans.

— Bob Woodward self

When you see how the President makes political or policy decisions, you see who he is. The essence of the Presidency is decision-making.

— Bob Woodward decisions

Newspapers that are truly independent, like The Washington Post, can still aggressively investigate anyone or anything with no holds barred.

— Bob Woodward wit

Nixon had some large achievements in foreign affairs. They will be remembered. But a president probably gets remembered for one thing, and Watergate will head the Nixon list, I suspect.

— Bob Woodward men

Nixons attempts to order subversion of various departments was bound to come out in some form.

— Bob Woodward art

Nixons grand mistake was his failure to understand that Americans are forgiving, and if he had admitted error early and apologized to the country, he would have escaped.

— Bob Woodward failure

Not a season passes without new disclosures showing Nixons numerous attempts at criminal use of his presidential powers and in fact the scorn he held for the rule of law.

— Bob Woodward power

People like to pigeonhole and say, Well, Im a Washington insider, and you know, thats quite silly. What does that even mean?

— Bob Woodward people

Some newspapers have a hands-off policy on favored politicians. But its generally very small newspapers or local TV stations.

— Bob Woodward politicians

Suppose Watergate had not been uncovered? Id still be on the City Desk.

— Bob Woodward water

The biggest rap on me is that I dont find a Watergate every couple of years. Well, Watergate was unique. Its not something Carl Bernstein, I, or the Washington Post caused.

— Bob Woodward water

The central dilemma in journalism is that you dont know what you dont know.

— Bob Woodward you

The cloud of doubt that surrounds political figures tends to remain and never dissipate or be clarified.

— Bob Woodward doubt

The fact of the Watergate cover-up is not nearly as interesting as the step into making the cover-up. And when you understand the step, you understand that Richard Nixon lied. That he was a criminal.

— Bob Woodward you

The failure of the system to deal quickly was attributable to Nixons lying, stonewalling and refusal to come clean. So it took 26 months for the final truth to be known.

— Bob Woodward truth

The legislator learns that when you talk a lot, you get in trouble. You have to listen a lot to make deals.

— Bob Woodward you

The source known as Deep Throat provided a kind of road map through the scandal. His one consistent message was that the Watergate burglary was just the tip of the iceberg.

— Bob Woodward age

The Washington Times wrote a story questioning the authenticity of some of the suggestions made about me in Silent Coup. But as a believer in the First Amendment, I believe they have more than a right to air their views.

— Bob Woodward time

There is a garbage culture out there, where we pour garbage on people. Then the pollsters run around and take a poll and say, do you smell anything?

— Bob Woodward people

There may yet be another Watergate book. I have thought a book about the aftermath of Watergate and its impact could be done, perhaps by me or someone else.

— Bob Woodward book

Theres hostility to lying, and there should be.

— Bob Woodward lying

Watergate is an immensely complicated scandal with a cast of characters as varied as a Tolstoy novel.

— Bob Woodward men

Watergate provides a model case study of the interaction and powers of each of the branches of government. It also is a morality play with a sad and dramatic ending.

— Bob Woodward power

Way before Watergate, senior administration officials hid behind anonymity.

— Bob Woodward water

Even now there is no evidence that anyone involved in the Nixon operation was going to threaten us.

— Bob Woodward

I believe theres too little patience and context to many of the investigations I read or see on television.

— Bob Woodward man

I believe Watergate shows that the system did work. Particularly the Judiciary and the Congress, and ultimately an independent prosecutor working in the Executive Branch.

— Bob Woodward art

I deal with first-hand sources. And give the people, even John Sununu, the opportunity to respond to what Ive been told by first-hand sources.

— Bob Woodward people

I dont think its useful for somebody to argue with reviews.

— Bob Woodward body

I dont think there will ever be a permanent truce, but I believe the media needs to be more careful and be willing to count to 10 before rushing on the air or into print.

— Bob Woodward man

I dont think voters give a hoot about the character of their political advisors, except to the extent that character reflects on the candidates.

— Bob Woodward character

I gave my word that this source would not be identified unless he changed his mind. He has not.

— Bob Woodward change

I give lectures for money, but all the money goes to charity. So, I make no money from it.

— Bob Woodward money

I have found people dont want to be told. That they can figure it out.

— Bob Woodward people

I have gone on the air and announced my telephone number at the Washington Post. I go into the night, talking to people, looking for things. The great dreaded thing every reporter lives with is what you dont know. The source you didnt go to. The phone call you didnt return.

— Bob Woodward people

I have written things that Republicans and Democrats and all kinds of figures have either hated or felt very uncomfortable about. Because in doing these long projects and books, you get close to the bone. And theyre not calling me up and asking me for dinner.

— Bob Woodward books

I recently did the David Letterman Show about my book. He was very serious and made no jokes and it caught me off guard a little bit. He was much more serious than some of the joke shows that journalists get on.

— Bob Woodward man

I recently read some of the transcripts of Nixons Watergate tapes, and they spent hours trying to figure out who was leaking and providing information to Carl and myself.

— Bob Woodward self

I suspect there have been a number of conspiracies that never were described or leaked out. But I suspect none of the magnitude and sweep of Watergate.

— Bob Woodward water

I think journalism gets measured by the quality of information it presents, not the drama or the pyrotechnics associated with us.

— Bob Woodward present

I think people are smart enough to sort it out. They know when theyre watching one of these food fight shows where journalists sit around and yell and scream at each other, versus serious issue reporting.

— Bob Woodward art

I think that everyone is kind of confused about the information they get from the media and rightly so. Im confused about the information I get from the media.

— Bob Woodward think

Im not going to name some of my colleagues who are very well-known for their television presentation, but they wouldnt know new information or how to report a story if it came up and bit them.

— Bob Woodward story

If information is true, if it can be verified, and if its really important, the newspaper needs to be willing to take the risk associated with using unidentified sources.

— Bob Woodward sin

Share your thoughts on bob woodward quotes with the community: