Molly Ivins

Molly Ivins – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Molly Ivins (1944–2007) was an American journalist, political commentator, and author known for her sharp wit and prophetic insight. Explore her life, career, beliefs, and memorable quotes in this definitive biography.

Introduction

Molly Ivins remains one of the most beloved and incisive voices in American journalism. Her columns blended satire, biting truth, and folksy Texas charm to expose political folly and defend ordinary citizens. Born in 1944 and passing in 2007, Ivins left behind a legacy of fearless commentary, witty repartee, and a belief that journalism must both entertain and hold power accountable. Today, her work continues to inspire journalists, activists, and readers who value candor, moral clarity, and the courage to laugh while resisting injustice.

Early Life and Family

Mary Tyler “Molly” Ivins was born on August 30, 1944, in Monterey, California.

In her youth, Molly showed early interest in writing. She contributed to her high school’s student newspaper and co-edited the arts and culture section.

Youth and Education

After high school, Molly initially enrolled at Scripps College in 1962, but found it did not suit her. She transferred to Smith College in 1963, where she studied history and became more politically engaged.

Ivins continued to sharpen her skills by attending the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, graduating in 1967. Houston Chronicle, working in different sections including a so-called “sewer editor,” covering municipal and infrastructural issues.

Career and Achievements

Beginning as a Reporter

Ivins launched her professional journalism career at the Minneapolis Tribune, where she became the first female police reporter at the paper.

In 1970, she moved back to Texas, joining The Texas Observer in Austin, where she covered the Texas Legislature and developed relationships with local leaders including Ann Richards.

Move to National Platforms

By the mid-1970s, Ivins began writing for The New York Times, ultimately serving as Rocky Mountain bureau chief and covering nine western states. Her style—combining wit and political insight—did not always mesh with the Times’ conventionally serious tone. Dallas Times Herald to write a free-form column.

Over time, her columns appeared in hundreds of newspapers via syndication through Creators Syndicate. Dallas Times Herald was shuttered in 1991, she joined the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, continuing both daily columns and increasing her national presence.

Books, Recognition, and Later Years

Molly authored and coauthored numerous books, such as Molly Ivins Can’t Say That, Can She?, You Got to Dance With Them What Brung You: Politics in the Clinton Years, Shrub: The Short But Happy Political Life of George W. Bush, Bushwhacked, Bill of Wrongs, and others.

She won multiple awards: the William Allen White Award, the Smith Medal (from her alma mater), the Ivan Allen Jr. Prize, the Pringle Prize for Washington Journalism, the Eugene V. Debs Award, David Nyhan Prize, and more.

In 2001, Ivins became an independent journalist, no longer tied exclusively to a single newspaper.

Her papers are preserved at the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History; her personal library was donated to the Witliff Collections at Texas State University.

Historical Milestones & Context

Ivins’s career spanned pivotal decades in American politics: Vietnam War protests, the civil rights movement, the Reagan era, the rise of partisan media, the 2000 Bush v. Gore controversy, and the post-9/11 “War on Terror.” She used her columns to interrogate power, corruption, the Supreme Court, and American foreign policy.

She was an early and vocal critic of George W. Bush, coining the nickname “Shrub” and later writing Bushwhacked to critique his presidency.

At a time when journalism was becoming more constrained, she embodied an older tradition: columnist as truth-teller, entertaining but unflinching. Her contrarian voice resonated in a media landscape often dominated by caution and centrism.

Legacy and Influence

Molly Ivins’s influence continues in journalism, political commentary, and activism. The MOLLY National Journalism Prize was established in her honor to recognize excellence in reporting and commentary.

She is also the subject of the documentary Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins, released in 2019, and a one-woman play Red Hot Patriot: The Kick Ass Wit of Molly Ivins.

Her style—combining humor with structural critique—has inspired subsequent generations of columnists and political satirists. Her belief that “the people”—not elites—must run democracy left a lasting imprint on populist progressive discourse.

Personality and Talents

Molly Ivins was larger than life. She described herself as a populist, sometimes a left-libertarian, and always an outsider willing to skewer powerful figures.

Ivins struggled privately with alcoholism for many years, calling it an “occupational hazard” of journalism.

Beginning in 1999, she battled inflammatory breast cancer. The disease recurred multiple times, and she underwent repeated rounds of treatment.

Her grit, forthrightness, and ability to laugh at absurdity defined both her public persona and her private resilience.

Famous Quotes of Molly Ivins

Here are some of her most powerful and widely shared sayings—reflections of her humor, political acumen, and belief in democratic participation:

• “Politics is not a picture on a wall or a television sitcom … this country is run by us, it is our deal, we run this country, we are the board of directors, we own it, they are just the people we’ve hired to drive the bus for a while.”

• “Satire is traditionally the weapon of the powerless against the powerful.”

• “Having breast cancer is massive amounts of no fun. First they mutilate you; then they poison you; then they burn you.”

• “We are the people who run this country. … Every single day … needs to step outside and take some action to help stop this war.”

• “The first rule of holes: When you’re in one, stop digging.”

• “I dearly love the state of Texas, but I consider that a harmless perversion on my part, and discuss it only with consenting adults.”

• “I believe in practicing prudence at least once every two or three years.”

• “It really is possible to disagree with someone’s policies without hating them. Grown-ups can do that.”

• “As long as you don’t think about what that peculiar body [the Texas Legislature] should be doing … then it’s all marvelous fun.”

• “Raise hell – big time. I want y’all to get out there and raise hell about damned near everything.”

This sampling hints at both her moral urgency and her playful voice—her ambition was never merely to scold, but to galvanize.

Lessons from Molly Ivins

1. Use Humor as a Tool of Resistance

Ivins showed that satire can pierce self-importance and challenge authority more effectively than rancor. Her wry wit made complex political critiques more accessible and engaging.

2. Speak for the People, Not the Elites

Her populism was not a rhetorical posture—it emerged from her conviction that journalism should serve democracy. She believed ordinary citizens are the rightful owners of governance.

3. Be Persistent in Crisis

Even amid personal illness and addiction, Ivins continued to write, fight, and provoke. Her courage in vulnerability offers a model for public figures confronting private struggles.

4. Embrace Paradox and Complexity

She never shied away from contradictions—humor and outrage, affection and critique. She understood that truth often lies in tension, not in simple certainty.

5. Demand Participation

Ivins repeatedly urged her readers to act: to protest, to vote, to write letters, to speak out. She refused apathy as acceptable. Her famous admonition—to treat democracy as our business—remains relevant.

Conclusion

Molly Ivins was more than a columnist; she was a moral provocateur, a laughter-raiser, and a champion of the powerless. In her words, in her struggles, and in her devotion to public life, she left a legacy that transcends decades. Her life reminds us: to love democracy, one must be willing to mock its failures, fight its deficits, and rejoice in its possibilities.

Explore her many columns, books, and recorded interviews—and let her voice still spark resistance, curiosity, and laughter in your own view of public life.

“So keep fightin’ for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don’t you forget to have fun doin’ it.” — Molly Ivins