Help with Reagan quotation

self | 11/15/2012 | LS

[LS]

I recall a general quotation by Ronald Reagan that went something like this:

"Contrary to popular opinion, I was not around when the Constitution was created," or, "Contrary to popular opinion I never met George Washington." Can anyone help?

[Cheerio]

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Ronald_Reagan

[Mr. K]

I don’t know about that, but once one of his opponents mentioned Thomas Jefferson and Reagan did a joke that was a play on the Lloyd Bentson hit job on Dan Quayle- When Quayle mentioned JFK Bentson said “I knew Jack Kennedy, He was a friend of mine and you are no Jack Kennedy”

Reagan made a similar comment when his opponent mentioned Jefferson- he said “I knew Thomas Jefferson, He was a friend of mine, ....”

And the place went nuts! It was a self-effacing joke about his age- joking that he was old enough to have known Thomas Jefferson.

[Cheerio]

Quote from Ronald Reagan "Ours was the first revolution in the history of mankind that truly reversed the course of government, and with three little words: 'We the people.' 'We the people' tell the government what to do, it doesn't tell us. 'We the people' are the driver, the government is the car. And we decide where it should go, and by what route, and how fast. Almost all the world's constitutions are documents in which governments tell the people what their privileges are. Our Constitution is a document in which 'We the people' tell the government what it is allowed to do. 'We the people' are free. This belief has been the underlying basis for everything I've tried to do these past eight years."

http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote/ronald_reagan_quote_71d4

[madison10]

Try YouTube. My husband was playing Reagan speeches there yesterday. Heard the quote, but cannot remember the context.

[Nea Wood]

I always liked this one: “Thomas Jefferson once said, ‘We should never judge a president by his age, only by his works.’ And ever since he told me that, I stopped worrying.”

[Elpasser]

Try Reagan Library website?

[loveliberty2]

A similar thought is expressed in his letter of wedding congratulations to the son of a friend:

"I wish you a lifetime of happiness and can assure you marriage is the best way to achieve that. Thomas Jefferson said, 'Happiness in the married state is a blessing to be desired above all others.' Now I didn't hear Jefferson say that but I know he's right." - Ronald Reagan - REAGAN: A Life in Letters, p. 684

[Alex Murphy]

Quote from Ronald Reagan

"Ours was the first revolution in the history of mankind that truly reversed the course of government, and with three little words: 'We the people.' 'We the people' tell the government what to do, it doesn't tell us. 'We the people' are the driver, the government is the car. And we decide where it should go, and by what route, and how fast. Almost all the world's constitutions are documents in which governments tell the people what their privileges are. Our Constitution is a document in which 'We the people' tell the government what it is allowed to do. 'We the people' are free. This belief has been the underlying basis for everything I've tried to do these past eight years."

Ping for a great quote.

[mo]

Nice quote . Hopefully we’re still men enough to live up to the words.

[FerociousRabbit]

“We the people’ are the driver, the government is the car. And we decide where it should go, and by what route, and how fast.”

Unfortunately, 51% of ‘We the People’ just decided to drive the car off a fishing pier as fast as it can go.

[skinkinthegrass]

look-up the Al (iirc) Smith (fundraiser) dinner just prior to his election in 1980...

[peter the great]

I think the quote that you are looking for came out of one of the debates with Walter Mondale

[ansel12]

“Thomas Jefferson once said, “We should never judge a president by his age, only by his works.’ And ever since he told me that, I stopped worrying.”