Political Quotes

David Gergen

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.

Quotes by year · 200420233,072 total · peak 2008 (674)
2004: 17 quotes2005: 10 quotes2006: 236 quotes2007: 167 quotes2008: 674 quotes2009: 600 quotes2010: 220 quotes2011: 170 quotes2012: 171 quotes2013: 61 quotes2014: 43 quotes2015: 55 quotes2016: 89 quotes2017: 193 quotes2018: 165 quotes2019: 116 quotes2020: 59 quotes2021: 12 quotes2022: 9 quotes2023: 5 quotes
Nov 7, 2012

Some Republicans have been living in denial before the election and they're still there. They do have a serious demographic problem.

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Nov 7, 2012

And I think when you're president, it's incumbent upon you... to set the tone for negotiations.

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Nov 7, 2012

I think we have no choice. I think Gloria's right. The president ought to set the tone. But I also think Speaker Boehner, speaker of the House, he's got to come forward.

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Nov 7, 2012

The reason they didn't have the big -- didn't have the turnout they're looking for because they didn't have enough people out there who wanted to vote for them.

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Nov 7, 2012

I think Gloria is right. The president ought to set the tone. But I also think Speaker Boehner, speaker of the House, he's got to come forward.

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Nov 7, 2012

The president has got to unlock that now. That's what being elected to the second term.

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Nov 6, 2012

I do, Anderson. I'm increasingly optimistic that we will not go over the fiscal cliff.

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Nov 6, 2012

If the Republicans are willing to come to the table on some form of -- you know, of tax increases that don't come out of the middle class, and also the Democrats are willing to go along with entitlement reform, you could get the structure…

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Nov 6, 2012

I do, Anderson. I'm increasingly optimistic we won't go over the fiscal cliff.

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Nov 4, 2012

Can we stipulate upfront that there will be no mandate? Whoever wins? Whoever wins?

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Nov 4, 2012

I think there is intensity on both sides. But there is, as John King keeps talking about, there's a noticeable difference from 2008.

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Nov 4, 2012

Well, my gut tells me that, Anderson, contrary to what we normally see -- normally in a final weekend, the electorate starts to break slightly towards the challenger. This weekend, it seems to be breaking for President Obama.

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Politicians like David Gergen