MOUTHING OFF  

MOLLY’S MUSINGS

Texas-born journalist and essayist Molly Ivins (1944–2007) wrote about politics…but at least she was funny about it.

“BEING SLIGHTLY PARANOID IS LIKE BEING SLIGHTLY PREGNANT—IT TENDS TO GET WORSE.”

“The thing about democracy is that it is not neat, orderly, or quiet. It requires a certain relish for confusion.”

“I’ve always found it easier to be funny than to be serious.”

“We should all laugh more at our elected officials—it’s good for us and good for them.”

“You can’t ignore politics, no matter how much you’d like to.”

“Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce.”

“I believe that ignorance is the root of all evil. And that no one knows the truth.”

“You could probably prove, by judicious use of logarithms and congruent triangles, that real life is a lot more like soap opera than most people will admit.”

“Some days, I’d feel better with Punxsutawney Phil in the Oval Office. At least he doesn’t lie about the weather.”