January 15, 2025

Politics is largely a matter of heart.

R. A. Butler (1902-1982), British Conservative politician, quoted by Peter Hennessy Independent, 8 May 1987, Jay p.70

You remember, of course, that hearts come in a number of models, from hard to soft. When are you soft-hearted? Hard-hearted?

Butler is right, nevertheless. So much of good political judgement rests on gauging the heart-felt sentiments, not the mental logic, of the average voter. But, curiously, Butler was viewed by many as overly rational, short on the emotional.