In a democracy everybody has a right to be represented, including the jerks.

It'd make a wonderful change to have the leader of a pluralist democracy who acted on that, who told people just how tough things are going to be, just what's going to have to be done - and, maybe, ran all the risks on the side of honesty, rather than spinning stories and trying to win the headlines every day.

Multilateralism is not an easy option. We're going to find that the world is very difficult. And relationships between America and the rest of the world are very difficult.

Hong Kong's people will get what they want, despite China's objections. Freedom invariably wins in the end.

So, what I say to people is that politics has got to be about principle and values above all. Of course, there are times when you have to make accommodations.

I think that if politics is just about getting your backside on important seats, then it's a pretty worthless endeavor.

But the ability to articulate what you are doing, to be clear about it, and to stick to it is, I think, the essence of political leadership.