July 30, 2025

People come to Washington believing it’s the center of power. I know I did. It was only much later that I learned that Washington is a steering wheel that’s not connected to the engine.

Richard Goodwin (1931–2018), American writer and presidential advisor, Peter McWilliams, Ain’t Nobody’s Business If You Do (1993), Jay p.158

What was the big surprise you had when you got elected for the very first time?

Connecting the steering wheel to the engine is a challenge for every government. The root cause is that translating an appealing vision into successful practice that will be of general benefit and raise the odds on getting re-elected is sometimes difficult beyond belief. It’s the same problem as rendering the subtleties of poetry into the realities of prose. [recall Mario Cuomo, June 2]