"You can't be in politics unless you can walk in a room and know in a minute who's for you and who's against you"

This quote by Samuel Johnson recommends that in order to succeed in politics, one must have the ability to rapidly evaluate a scenario and identify who is in assistance of them and who is not. This needs a particular level of instinct and the capability to check out individuals and their intents. It also suggests that a person need to have the ability to quickly develop relationships and trust with those who remain in support of them, while also understanding those who are not. This is an essential ability to have in politics, as it enables one to make decisions quickly and efficiently, and to know who to trust and who to be careful of. Eventually, this quote suggests that in order to be successful in politics, one should have the ability to quickly assess a scenario and identify who remains in support of them and who is not.