You're More Powerful than You Think

One of Frank’s go-to phrases as a politician (with a nod to the comedian Henny Youngman) was, “Compared to what?” Whenever asked how he felt about a legislative proposal or a perhaps unsatisfying compromise, he would reply, “Compared to what?” His snarky but serious point was that politics is a choice among actionable alternatives. And the job of the powerful citizen is to put actionable alternatives on the table.