“I
thought I’d said no about as many ways as I could. I really do mean no. We have
all these artful ways of doing it. I’ve tried Shermanesque responses, which
everybody goes and finds out what Sherman said was pretty unequivocally no. I’ve
done several different ways. I’ve tried quoting the country song, ‘What Part of
No Don’t You Understand?’ I mean, I really do mean that. I feel very privileged
to be able to serve our country. I’m honored to continue to do that as long as I
can contribute, but I will not, ever, run for political office, I can assure
you. And again, we have said that repeatedly and I’m hoping that people realize
at a certain point you say it so many times that you could never flip, and start
your career by flip-flopping into it,” – David Petraeus, declining to run for president for the nth
time.