245 Quotes by Dan Rather

Recently we have seen a level of public protest unlike anything we have witnessed in decades. Dissent is about marching, and making one’s voice heard in the streets and at the ballot box. But at the same time, there are strong voices calling this dissent unpatriotic and dangerous. We cannot let the forces of suppression win. America works best when new thoughts can emerge to compete, and thrive, in a marketplace of ideas.

I’ve never believed in measuring one’s worth by the size of his or her bank account. I prefer to look at distance traveled.

I’d much rather wear out than rust out.

Orwell understood that a government that is beyond the reach of accountability has little incentive to tell the truth. Indeed, its power may arise from the obliteration of objective facts. In the world of 1984, contradictory statements lose all sense of context and we are left with preposterous slogans: “War Is Peace. Freedom Is Slavery. Ignorance Is Strength.” And yet Orwell asks us, if there is no one with the power to call out a lie as a lie, does it end up ceasing to be a lie?

Journalism is not a precise science, it’s a crude art.

Always marry a woman from Texas. No matter how tough things get, she’s seen tougher.

If I didn’t have a front-row seat on history, it was at least a seat on the aisle.

I’m proud to say I’ve never been anybody’s lapdog.

We are a nation not only of dreamers, but also of fixers. We have looked at our land and people, and said, time and time again, “This is not good enough; we can be better.