Moses’s earliest political education came from a calm, practical woman who outranked him

Evidence

“There was a real divergence of opinion there,” staffers recall. “Moses was very theoretical, always wanting to do exactly what was right, trying to make things perfect, unwilling to compromise. She was more practical; she wanted to do the same things as Moses, but she wanted to concentrate on what was possible and not jeopardize the attaining of those things by stirring up trouble in other areas.” And her decisions were always final. While Moses paced and argued, trying to change her mind, Mrs. Moskowitz would sit quietly and, when Moses had finished, would quietly repeat her earlier decision. “There was never any question,” recalls another staffer, “that she was the boss.” — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker, 425

Categorization

• XREF: Sharp counterpoint to Moses’s later total dominance — images of him silently obeying foreshadow the trajectory Caro traces across the whole book. — connects to: Moses began his career in public service with passionate idealism — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the…, 248; Belle Moskowitz’s tutelage converted Moses from idealist into a practical politician — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the…, 595; Belle Moskowitz taught Moses the political tact and compromise he lacked — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the…, 478

Broader Connections

• Belle Moskowitz’s tutelage converted Moses from idealist into a practical politician #expands (0.85) — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker, 595