You campaign in poetry. You govern in prose.

A nice tribute to the oratory of Mario Cuomo who passed away this week, Mario Cuomo’s Finest Moment by Jeff Shesol.

Shesol does not highlight the quote of Cuomo's which I have always found most resonant. From an interview with The New Republic, 4 April 1985

You campaign in poetry. You govern in prose.

To me that nicely captures the need for utopias and emotion and inspiration as a catalyst to action in contrast with the need to make trade-offs, compromises, operate within boundaries and acknowledge unchangeable realities which characterize actually governing. The Dionysian and Apollonian attributes of politics.

Robert Reich, Mario Cuomo, Daniel Patrick Moynihan - principled politicians who were also gifted communicators. Wish we had more of their ilk these days.