“Democrats fall in love; Republicans fall in line”
“Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line” has been a political saying since 2003. In 1999-2000, many people commented that Al Gore (the vice president and Democrat presidential candidate) was a person they liked, but not a person they loved. Tipper Gore (his wife) said in October 2000: “It’s not the Dating Game. You don’t have to fall in love with Al Gore—I did that. What you need to do is figure out who you’re going to vote for for president, and I know that you are going to weigh experience. That’s important.’’
Former President Bill Clinton stumped for Democrat candidates in September 2003, saying: “Go ahead, fall in love, be for somebody. But when the primary’s over, let’s fall in line and bring the White House back to our party.” Clinton quoted an unnamed woman friend with: “In every presidential election, Democrats want to fall in love; Republicans just fall in line.”
“Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line” became popular in the 2008 presidential election. Many conservative Republicans were unhappy with the selection of John McCain, but they “fell in line,” even if not in love.
Wikipedia: Bill Clinton
William Jefferson “Bill” Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He was the third-youngest president; only Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy were younger when entering office. He became president at the end of the Cold War, and as he was born in the period after World War II, he is known as the first Baby Boomer president. His wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, is currently the United States Secretary of State. She was previously a United States Senator from New York, and also candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. Both are graduates of Yale Law School.
Google News Archive
16 July 1999, Lawrence (KS) Journal-World, “Labor uneasy with Democrats” by David Shribman, pg. 6B, col. 2:
They desperately want to fall in love with a Democrat, but right now they are only in like. They like Vice President Al Gore well enough…
New York (NY) Times
THE 2000 CAMPAIGN: THE VICE PRESIDENT; GORE TEAM RENEWS CRITICISM OF BUSH AS INEXPERIENCED
By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE and RICHARD PEREZ-PENA
Published: October 30, 2000
(...)
Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, Mr. Gore’s running mate, made the round of Sunday talk programs to voice this emerging campaign theme, and Tipper Gore declared it to a few thousand people at a rally in Warren, Mich.
’‘It’s not ‘The Dating Game,’ ‘’ Mrs. Gore said, perhaps tacitly ceding the edge in likability to Mr. Bush.
’‘You don’t have to fall in love with Al Gore—I did that,’’ Mrs. Gore said. ‘‘What you need to do is figure out who you’re going to vote for for president, and I know that you are going to weigh experience. That’s important.’’
Google Books
U.S. Weekly
v. 135, nos. 1-10 - 2003
Pg. 24:
One thing hasn’t changed about Clinton, however. He can still charm a crowd. Quoting a unnamed woman friend of his, he said, “In every presidential election, Democrats want to fall in love; Republicans just fall in line.”
14 September 2003, Washington (DC) Post, ” A Fresh Appetite for an Ex-President; Clinton’s Aid Would Be Welcome, Candidates Say” by Dan Balz and Tania Branigan, pg. A6:
Clinton joked that, in every campaign, Democrats want to fall in love with a candidate, while Republicans “just fall in line.”
CNN.com
Clinton praises Democratic candidates in Iowa
Seven seeking party’s nomination laud former president
Monday, September 15, 2003 Posted: 2:16 AM EDT (0616 GMT)
INDIANOLA, Iowa (CNN)—Bill Clinton spoke to an energetic crowd of Democrats in a wet field in Iowa on Saturday, praising the nine Democrats running for president as the best field of candidates the party has put forward in years.
The former president repeatedly derided Republicans for their budget and environmental plans, and urged voters to elect a Democrat in 2004.
“Go ahead, fall in love, be for somebody,” Clinton said. “But when the primary’s over, let’s fall in line and bring the White House back to our party.”
22 September 2003, Boston (MA) Herald, “Wanted by Dem: Star” by David R. Guarino, pg. 2:
“As they say, Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line,” said Pat Webb, host of a Dean yard party in Londonderry this week.
The American Prospect
Fan Friction
Hell hath no fury like a Draft Clark enthusiast spurned.
Garance Franke-Ruta | September 25, 2003
(...)
When former President Bill Clinton chided Democrats in Iowa earlier this month to “fall in love,” then “fall in line,” many thought he was contrasting the affection among the Democratic base for Dean with the grit-your-teeth discipline needed to support one of the putatively electable candidates.
Salon.com
Hollywood searches for a Democratic star
Howard Dean took an early lead in entertainment-industry fundraising, but Wes Clark is making a run among the moguls and stars who backed Bill Clinton.
By Tim Grieve
December 2, 2003
(...)
Spahn, the Dreamworks advisor, said he talked with Bill Clinton about this very point recently. “He said, ‘Andy, do you know what the difference is between Democrats and Republicans?’ He said: ‘Democrats always want to fall in love with a candidate, and Republicans just want to fall in line. We’ve got to fall in line with whoever our nominee is.’”
Google Groups: hawaii.politics
Newsgroups: hawaii.politics, dfw.politics, alt.politics, seattle.general, or.politics
From: “alohacyberian”
Date: Sun, 02 May 2004 10:26:46 GMT
Local: Sun, May 2 2004 4:26 am
Subject: Fall in Line Like a Good Little Lemming
“You don’t have to fall in love. You just have to fall in line.”
~ Hillary Rodham Clinton on John Kerry, to a dispirited Democrat donor
Salon.com
Partying with Tina and Hillary
David Talbot
July 28, 2004
(...)
Another luncheon guest suggested that African-American voters were not as passionate about Kerry as they were about Clinton’s husband, the man Toni Morrison called “the first black president.” But Clinton insisted every Democrat would do whatever is necessary to remove Bush from the White House this fall. “Someone said Democrats like to fall in love—Republicans just fall in line. But I’ve never seen such a disciplined and cohesive party as this one.”
New York (NY) Daily News
LESS KERRY-ED AWAY
BY LLOYD GROVE WITH HUDSON MORGAN
Thursday, July 29th 2004, 6:55AM
(...)
Yesterday, Hillary claimed that the minority activists she has met at the Democratic Convention are “fired up” about the Kerry-John Edwards ticket.
“The difference between Democrats and Republicans,” Clinton mused, quoting an anonymous friend, “is that Democrats like to fall in love and Republicans just fall in line.”
Hot Flashes from the Campaign Trail
Friday, October 01, 2004
(...)
Last night on a conference call before the debate James Carvel told the students: “Democrats want to fall in love. Republicans just fall in line. If Republicans can do it around Bush, Good God, we sure should do it around Kerry.”
Jewish World Review
March 5, 2007 / 15 Adar, 5767
Tripping Over the Inevitable: The Coming Backlash Against the Clintons
By George Will
(...)
Bill Clinton has said, regarding presidential candidates, that Republicans like to fall in line and Democrats like to fall in love. Which explains the Clinton campaign’s palpable panic: Democrats have fallen in love, but not with her.
Halley’s Comment
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
“Republicans Fall In Line, Democrats Fall In Love”
Mark Shields on PBS’ News Hour just said “Republicans Fall In Line, Democrats Fall In Love” and there’s something to it. Here it is New Hampshire Primary Night, and it looks like the Obama love affair goes on.
Askville by Amazon
“Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line…”
by curiouskitty on Feb 15 2008
Bill Clinton has said, regarding presidential candidates, that Republicans like to fall in line and Democrats like to fall in love.
Republicans tend to nominate the next person in line: Vice President Richard Nixon, not Gov. Nelson Rockefeller, to follow President Dwight Eisenhower in 1960; Vice President George H.W. Bush, not Sen. Robert Dole, to follow President Ronald Reagan in 1988; Dole rather than Lamar Alexander or any other contender in 1996; Gov. George W. Bush, whose dynastic lineage propelled him past Sen. John McCain in 2000.