As quoted in "McCain Wraps It Up" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mccain-wraps-it-up/ (5 March 2008), by Andante Higgins, CBS News <br class="br">2000s
“[I]n the words of Chairman Mao, 'It's darkest before it's totally black.”
John McCain (1936–2018) politician from the United States
In response to a reporter's question, "Which is more likely: making progress in Iraq or you winning the nomination?" (July 2007) <br class="br">2000s, 2007 <br class="br">Source: Liasson, Mara. McCain Nearly Broke But Stays Course http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12000037. National Public Radio. July 7, 2007.
“It's always darkest before it's totally black.”
Mao Zedong (1893–1976) Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China
This is a humorous misattribution that US Senator John McCain has sometimes used since at least January 2000, but there is no indication that Mao actually ever made such a comment, which is a joke referencing the common English proverb "It's always darkest before the dawn." It has also been humorously misattributed to Franklin D. Roosevelt. The quote may be derived from the US television show The A-Team, in which it was uttered in a 1983 episode ("The Rabbit Who Ate Las Vegas") by protagonist John "Hannibal" Smith. A similar quotation is attributed to actor Paul Newman in 2003.
Misattributed
“Chairman Mao was the first in the world to use Twitter. All his quotations are within 140 words.”
Ai Weiwei (1957) Chinese concept artist
2000-09, The Bold and the Beautiful, 2009
Jiang Qing (1914–1991) Chinese political figure and wife of Mao Zedong
Source: Speech at the Reception for the Representatives of the Beijing Workers Propaganda Team and the People's Liberation Army Propaganda Team (14 September 1968)
Ken Livingstone (1945) Mayor of London between 2000 and 2008
As quoted in "Now Livingstone is standing up for Mao's mass murder" by Jane Merrick in Daily Mail (19 May 2006), p. 48.
“I am reminded again that the greatest phrase ever written is words, words, words.”
Wallace Thurman (1902–1934) American novelist active during the Harlem Renaissance
Sidney Morgenbesser (1921–2004) American philosopher
The Independent, The Independent, Professor Sidney Morgenbesser: Philosopher celebrated for his withering New York Jewish humour http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/professor-sidney-morgenbesser-550224.html, 6 August 2004. Obituaries – Sidney Morgenbesser, 82, Kibitzing Philosopher, Dies http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/04/obituaries/04morgenbesser.html. The New York Times (September 8, 2004).
John Howard Lawson (1894–1977) American politician
(Directed at Committee Chairman, J. Parnell Thomas), testimony before the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) of the US House of Representatives (October 27, 1947).
Jon Stewart (1962) American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian
Stewart on The O'Reilly Factor ( Partial transcript http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/what-bill-oreilly-edited-out-his-int) <br class="br">The Bill O'Reilly Factor Appearance (2010)
