Caroline Kennedy Quotes

I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president - not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans.

John and I were lucky because our mother was a strong woman with high expectations and a strong sense of values. She encouraged us to pursue things we were interested in and not think about what other people wanted us to do.

We need a President who is not afraid of complexity, who believes in an open and tolerant society, and who knows that the world can be made new again - and that President is Al Gore.

Well I've been writing books. So that, by its nature, is kind of a solitary occupation. And from time to time I have research help, but mostly I've done those completely on my own.

I know my mother so well, so it's hard for me to remember that people have a certain image of her, but they don't really know her personality.

I grew up in a household where reading was encouraged. My mother believed in the power of words, and my father obviously did too.

I know how important it is to, you know, to be my own person.

I don't remember my father reading to me, but I remember him telling me bedtime stories. I got to pick what was in them, and then he'd make them up.

I think my mother... made it clear that you have to live life by your own terms and you have to not worry about what other people think and you have to have the courage to do the unexpected.

I may, and I think I represent a tradition that means a lot to me, which has really always been about fighting for others, for middle-class families, for working class - for working people, you know, and that's a tradition and a commitment that I take very seriously.

As much as we need a prosperous economy, we also need a prosperity of kindness and decency.

Sharing the holiday with other people, and feeling that you're giving of yourself, gets you past all the commercialism.

I think that the presidency really brings out the best in a lot of people.

Growing up in politics I know that women decide all elections because we do all the work.

Education was the most important value in our home when I was growing up.

I enjoy writing. I enjoy that kind of process.

I feel like my grandparents and parents gave me a tremendous amount. And if I can pass some of that on, then I'll be very happy.

I think one of my father's great legacies is the people that he inspired and the generation that he inspired transformed America through civil rights, women's rights, equal justice, and they've passed that on to their children and grandchildren.

Sometimes it takes a while to recognize that someone has a special ability to get us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals and imagine that together we can do great things. In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible.

People don't always realize that my parents shared a sense of intellectual curiosity and a love of reading and of history.

I feel that my father's greatest legacy was the people he inspired to get involved in public service and their communities, to join the Peace Corps, to go into space. And really that generation transformed this country in civil rights, social justice, the economy and everything.

It is not easy to stand up against your constituents or your friends or colleagues or your community and take a tough stand for something you believe is right. Because you always want to keep working and live to fight another battle and it might cost you your career.

Change isn't easy, it takes time.

The most beautiful people are all in the library.

To the extent that we are all educated and informed, we will be more equipped to deal with the gut issues that tend to divide us.

I have a lifelong devotion to public service.

In a funny way, poems are suited to modern life. They're short, they're intense. Nobody has time to read a 700-page book. People read magazines, and a poem takes less time than an article.

I've raised three kids. I'm a lawyer. I've written books on the Constitution.

I'm not as shy as everybody makes me out to be.

Well, the role of money in politics is pretty corrupting right now.

Now is the time to move this country forward.

When you're going through something, whether it's a wonderful thing like having a child or a sad thing like losing somebody, you often feel like 'Oh my God, I'm so overwhelmed; I'm dealing with this huge thing on my own.' In fact, poetry's a nice reminder that, no, everybody goes through it. These are universal experiences.

There's so much to think about when you're becoming an adult, and there's so many great poems about that apprehension and excitement.

Well there's nobody who has a more supportive husband than I do, and he has a business that he runs, and it's his own business, so he has work to do, my kids have school to do, I mean, people have - there are other things in life besides politics.

Well, I think, you know, the arts are really what - one of the things that make this country strong. We always think it's our economy or our military power, but in fact, I think it's our culture, our civilization, our ideas, our creativity.

The bedrock of our democracy is the rule of law and that means we have to have an independent judiciary, judges who can make decisions independent of the political winds that are blowing.

The amazing thing about the winners is that none of them really felt that they were doing anything special. They just felt like it was the right thing to do.

I have come to believe, more strongly than ever, that after people die they really do live on through those who love them.

It's true, Christmas can feel like a lot of work, particularly for mothers. But when you look back on all the Christmases in your life, you'll find you've created family traditions and lasting memories. Those memories, good and bad, are really what help to keep a family together over the long haul.

I grew up in New York, I love New York.

I've been a Democrat all my life.

My mother ... had a very deep inner spirituality that allowed her to rebuild her life. It's extraordinary that she had such a strong sense of self and such a commitment to the future and such a strong creative sense that she could build new worlds for herself and for us out of the total devastation in her life.

In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible.

In my family in particular, I think, there was a sense we have to work twice as hard.

After my mom died, there was so much written about her fashion and her style and all that, and I felt that one of the most important parts of her was missing, her real intellectual curiosity.

Poetry is really a way of sharing feelings and ideas.

Most of the books that I've written have been focused on, sort of, the individual, and sort of, either a voice, a personal voice, or a kind of transforming event where they step forward to fight for something they value.

Going into politics is something people have asked me about forever.