Politics & Power Quote by Whoopi Goldberg

Compulsory optimism is not Goldberg's style; this line is resignation with a pulse. "You've got to vote for someone" lands like a blunt rule from a friend who knows you are tempted to sit it out. The follow-up - "It's a shame, but it's got to be done" - flips the usual civic-religion script. Voting isn't framed as empowerment or romance; it's framed as damage control, like taking bitter medicine because the alternative is worse.

The intent is tactical, not inspirational: pick a side, even if the menu is depressing. Goldberg smuggles in a moral accusation without preaching. If you refuse to choose, you're not staying pure - you're opting out of responsibility while still letting the consequences hit everyone, especially the people who can't afford politics-as-aesthetic. The "shame" does double duty: shame at the candidates, yes, but also shame at the voter who wants immaculate options in a system built on compromise and power.

Coming from an actress and daytime talk force, it carries a pop-cultural credibility that politicians can't manufacture. Goldberg speaks like someone who's been in rooms where image is everything, so she recognizes performance in public life and doesn't pretend it's not there. The line meets audience cynicism on its home turf, then redirects it into action. It's a minimal pitch for democracy in an era of maximal disappointment: you don't vote because it's beautiful; you vote because abstention is a luxury and outcomes are not abstract.