Mark Hanna on Political Money
on Wednesday, September 25, 2013Mark Hanna Money Quotation saying as Senator in 1895 that there is only one thing to remember about politics as long as you pretend that other things matter. Mark Hanna said:
“There are two things that are important in politics. The first is money and I can’t remember what the second one is” — Mark Hanna
In this quote, Mark Hanna is cynically suggesting that money is overwhelmingly the most crucial factor for success in politics. By saying he can’t remember the “second” most important thing, after naming money first, Hanna implies that financial resources so far surpass all other considerations that nothing else really matters.
The quote conveys Hanna’s perspective that elections and political power are primarily determined by who can spend the most. It reflects his view that campaign contributions and the ability to self-fund campaigns outweigh other priorities like policies, qualifications or public service.
Hanna appears to believe money is so dominant in the world of politics that it renders all other influences negligible by comparison.
Birthday: September 24, 1837 – Death: February 15, 1904