"We usually use that mostly on the weekends because we have access to the range during the week. But I can tell you a number of times they have had a training holiday at Fort Benning, so nobody trains, and to drag him in is like pulling teeth"
About this Quote
The line lands like a shrug that accidentally reveals a whole bureaucracy. Nancy Johnson isn’t delivering a grand argument; she’s doing something more politically useful: normalizing a system while quietly complaining about its friction. “We usually use that mostly on the weekends” is the language of logistical reasonableness, the kind that makes extraordinary arrangements sound routine. Whatever “that” is, it’s framed as a practical choice, not a privilege.
Then comes the institutional tell: “access to the range during the week.” The sentence assumes proximity to military infrastructure as an everyday perk, folding the Army’s training space into the rhythms of private life. That’s the subtextual hinge. It’s not just about scheduling; it’s about adjacency to power and the casual blurring between public resources and personal convenience.
The Fort Benning detail sharpens the context: training holidays, empty days, “so nobody trains.” She points to downtime to justify why an exception should be easy, implying that the institution’s own pauses create room for her request. “To drag him in is like pulling teeth” flips the usual script. Instead of a politician being scrutinized for asking favors, the frustration is redirected at the reluctant subordinate or gatekeeper. The metaphor paints resistance as petty and irrational, casting her desire as common sense and any pushback as needless obstruction.
It’s a small quote with a big political vibe: entitlement expressed as practicality, influence disguised as inconvenience, and a complaint that quietly confirms access.
Then comes the institutional tell: “access to the range during the week.” The sentence assumes proximity to military infrastructure as an everyday perk, folding the Army’s training space into the rhythms of private life. That’s the subtextual hinge. It’s not just about scheduling; it’s about adjacency to power and the casual blurring between public resources and personal convenience.
The Fort Benning detail sharpens the context: training holidays, empty days, “so nobody trains.” She points to downtime to justify why an exception should be easy, implying that the institution’s own pauses create room for her request. “To drag him in is like pulling teeth” flips the usual script. Instead of a politician being scrutinized for asking favors, the frustration is redirected at the reluctant subordinate or gatekeeper. The metaphor paints resistance as petty and irrational, casting her desire as common sense and any pushback as needless obstruction.
It’s a small quote with a big political vibe: entitlement expressed as practicality, influence disguised as inconvenience, and a complaint that quietly confirms access.
Quote Details
| Topic | Training & Practice |
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