"You don't change minds in Washington with sweet reason. You do it to the white light of public opinion"

This quote by Steve Forbes recommends that in order to make a modification in Washington, one need to appeal to the public viewpoint. He implies that it is insufficient to just utilize reasoning and reason to convince individuals in Washington to make a change. Rather, one should utilize the power of public opinion to influence the choice makers in Washington. This means that a person should be able to effectively communicate their message to the public in order to produce a strong popular opinion that will push the choice makers in Washington to make the wanted modification. This quote stresses the value of popular opinion in affecting the choices of those in power.