It taught me that Clinton's instinct to make this about your life as a citizen, rather than his as a human being, was the right answer to these things.
Paul Begala

Most politicians, when they meet with a guy like me, or a guy like Carville, tell you about how they can win.
Paul Begala

My view was that the campaign had been a sacred thing, that it had been a real compact, because I was there and I saw the connection that Clinton made with people, and the connection that they made with him.
Paul Begala

Never interrupt your opponent when he's destroying himself.
Paul Begala

One of the problems we saw in the last presidential election in our party is that our nominee, while winning the election, which we ought never to forget, often lost sight of the difference between strategy and tactics.
Paul Begala

Politics is show business for ugly people.
Paul Begala

See, I think if it just became who's sleeping with whom, then there's no reason to prefer one party over the other, 'cause the truth is we're all sinners.
Paul Begala

So one important lesson of Vietnam is, the first casualty of an unwise and unjust war are the American troops called on to fight it. Their service should be honored.
Paul Begala

There's the great line: the definition of a liberal is someone who's afraid to take their own side in a fight. And that's my problem with my fellow liberals.
Paul Begala

This gets back to the fundamental lesson of political survival that Bill Clinton taught me, which is if you make it about the American people's lives instead of your life, you're going to be okay.
Paul Begala