"What this country needs is a really good five cent cigar"

When Thomas R. Marshall remarked, “What this country needs is a really good five cent cigar,” he expressed more than a simple longing for affordable tobacco. The statement is a subtle critique of political grandstanding and an ironic comment on the complicated nature of government solutions. Spoken during his tenure as Vice President under Woodrow Wilson, Marshall’s words became emblematic of a common-sense, no-nonsense approach to public life.

At its core, the phrase appeals to a nostalgia for simpler times when everyday pleasures were accessible and affordable for the average person. A five cent cigar represented luxury within the reach of the ordinary citizen, not something exclusive or inflated by speculation or excess. Marshall’s quip lightly mocks the high-minded debates and lofty proposals often heard in Congress. Politicians love to propose sweeping reforms, ambitious policies, or far-reaching changes. Marshall, instead, suggests the real needs of the country are small, tangible, and grounded in ordinary life, like the pleasure of a good, cheap cigar.

His humor also underscores a distrust in over-complicating what people want or need. Rather than more rhetoric, more government intervention, or more strenuous debate, he promotes an appreciation for the straightforward and practical, solutions that matter in daily life, not just in the halls of power. The cigar becomes a symbol of basic joys and concrete benefits, as opposed to abstract promises or political platitudes.

There is also a wistfulness in the sentiment, hinting at the drift between lawmakers and the people they serve. By focusing on the five cent cigar, Marshall draws attention to the everyday concerns and modest desires that bureaucrats and representatives might overlook. The statement balances gentle satire with an earnest yearning for a government and economy that remembers, delivers, and preserves the small, good things that truly improve people’s lives.