Politics & Power Quote by George Pataki

Pataki’s line is the kind of civility that doubles as a quiet gatekeeping device: praise everyone who runs for office, then tighten the compliment with a condition that only “counts” if their aim is “what they believe is right” for New Yorkers. It sounds generous, but it subtly draws a boundary between public service and self-service, and it lets the speaker position himself as the arbiter of sincerity without naming any villains.

The phrasing does two strategic things. First, it elevates motivation over outcomes. “What they believe is right” immunizes politicians against the messy scoreboard of governance: unpopular decisions, unintended consequences, and ideological disagreement get reframed as good-faith effort. That’s not naïveté; it’s a public script for lowering the temperature in a state where political identities are often treated like sports teams. Second, it centers “the people of New York” as a moral north star, a phrase broad enough to include everyone and specific enough to imply a mandate. Nobody runs against “the people,” so the line invites listeners to assume shared values even when policy is polarized.

Context matters: Pataki, a Republican who governed a largely Democratic-leaning state, often benefited from projecting competence and moderation. This quote reads like a bridge-builder’s credential and a preemptive defense of institutional legitimacy. The subtext is an appeal to trust the arena itself: campaigns can be rough, but the system deserves respect when participants claim service, not ego. It’s a politician’s version of “assume good faith,” crafted to sound like principle while keeping the speaker safely above the fray.