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1 " Social conservatism and neoconservatism have revived authoritarian conservatism, and not for the better of conservatism or American democracy. True conservatism is cautious and prudent. Authoritarianism is rash and radical. American democracy has benefited from true conservatism, but authoritarianism offers potentially serious trouble for any democracy. "
― John W. Dean , Conservatives Without Conscience
2 " I'm not sure I've ever profited on the legacy of Watergate. "
― John W. Dean , Blind Ambition: The White House Years
3 " Nixon didn't mellow with his success, he became embittered by it. "
― John W. Dean
4 " Probably about 20 to 25 percent of the adult American population is so right-wing authoritarian, so scared, so self-righteous, so ill-informed, and so dogmatic that nothing you can say or do will change their minds, "
5 " The evidence is overwhelming that George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney have engaged in deceit and deception over going to war in Iraq. This is an impeachable offense. "
6 " Conservatives without conscience do not have horns and tails; if they did they would be easier to identify. Many of them can be quite pleasant, but at heart they are tough, cold-blooded, ruthless authoritarians. They are limited in their ability to see the world from any point of view other than their own, and they are narrow in their outlook. "
7 " And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you (Matthew 6:5–7; emphasis added). "
8 " Cohn’s five favorite tactics were rather simple: (1) Lie without hesitation whenever necessary, over and over, (2) threaten your opponent by counterattacking much harder than you were attacked, (3) be ruthless and get even with anyone who crosses you. (4) If you are undeniably in the wrong and guilty as sin, accuse your opponent of being ten times worse than you and put them on the defensive. Finally, (5) if after all this you still lose, claim you won, and move on. "
― John W. Dean , Authoritarian Nightmare: Trump and His Followers
9 " If you think [the United States] could never elect an Adolf Hitler to power, note that David Duke would have become governor of Louisiana if it had just been up to the white voters in that state. —PROFESSOR BOB ALTEMEYER "
10 " But on a more pedestrian level, he found it difficult for most right-wingers to talk about any subject about which they felt strongly without attacking others. This heightened level of aggressiveness has a number of psychological roots. "
11 " Now, on the investigation, you know, the Democratic break-in thing,” Haldeman began, “we’re back to the problem area, because the FBI is not under control, "
― John W. Dean , The Nixon Defense: What He Knew and When He Knew It
12 " how have conservatives succeeded in coalescing as a political force? The simple answer is through the power of negative thinking, and specifically, the ability to find common enemies. "
13 " Political scientist Clinton Rossiter, considered one of the first neoconservatives, answered this question head-on, and unlike his peers, honestly, in his early study Conservatism in America, stating correctly that America’s political roots were “progressive” and the United States was conceived out of “a Liberal tradition. "
14 " the “queen of mean,” Ann Coulter, "
15 " a person who used the death of three associates in a helicopter crash to create the impression that he was a man of destiny, "
16 " Chris Matthews of MSNBC’s Hardball has made similar observations, and describes today’s Republicans as the “Daddy” party and Democrats as the “Mommy. "
17 " The New York Times published an account of Trump’s finances from the years 1985 to 1994, based on copies of his 1040 tax forms it had obtained.32 Over that decade, Trump lost $1.17 billion dollars, probably more than any other person in the country. "
18 " American-style despotism is possible only if it has a large and influential base, and that potential exists in the religious right’s active role in the political arena. "
19 " Research finds that authoritarian aggression is fueled by fear and encouraged by remarkable self-righteousness, which frees aggressive impulses. "
20 " • They travel in tight circles of likeminded people. • Their thinking is more likely based on what authorities have told them rather than on their own critical judgment, which results in their beliefs being filled with inconsistencies. • They harbor numerous double standards and hypocrisies. • They are hostile toward so many minorities they seem to be equal-opportunity bigots, yet they are generally unaware of their prejudices. • They see the world as a dangerous place, with society teetering on the brink of self-destruction from evil and violence, and when their fear conflates with their self-righteousness, they appoint themselves guardians of public morality, or God’s Designated Hitters. • They think of themselves as far more moral and upstanding than others—a self-deception aided by their religiosity (many are “born again”) and their ability to “evaporate guilt” (such as by going to confession). "
