The Public Record
David Gergen was an American political commentator and advisor who served in the administrations of four U.S. presidents, providing insights and guidance on various political matters. Born on May 9, 1942, in Massachusetts, Gergen held significant roles in both Republican and Democratic administrations, showcasing his ability to navigate the political landscape across party lines. He was also a professor of public service at Harvard University, where he influenced a new generation of leaders. In addition to his academic work, Gergen was a senior political analyst for CNN, contributing to public discourse on current events until his passing on July 10, 2025.
If President Obama says, 'I am serious about Social Security reform, and I'm even willing to look at Medicare reform', then I think, in taking on his base on those issues, it would -- you cannot cut this deficit sufficiently unless you --
I think the Republican establishment thinks there are a lot of people in Washington who think they're on the brink of taking -- they're going to take the House tomorrow and they're going to -- got a good chance of taking the Senate two…
They're really serious about cutting spending. They're really serious about trying to tackle some of the substantive issues.
He will only survive if -- he will only survive if he's got to pivot towards the center. He's got to do what Bill Clinton did back in '94 and '95. After that election he rebuilt a more centrist coalition and it worked pretty well.
It is such a bellwether for presidential politics and for power in this country. And it's a Republican sweep, not only the Senate race but the governorship and pick up three or four of the House seats, I think that has real implications…
I think the first big test of the leadership, the establishment leadership is to make sure that they're fully represented on the key committees and make sure the committees, especially in the House, are not just taken over by people who…
I think we don't understand just how conservative Nevada is and how unpopular Harry Reid is.
I think the reason why she's now -- she's burst into the spotlight as the woman who's probably cost the Republicans their chance at winning the Senate.
This election with her, you know, is probably going to drive or draw a lot of the Republican candidates for president -- you know this -- draw them to the right.
There is no way we're going to get from here to some sort of solution to that without the two parties joining forces.
Politicians like David Gergen
