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David Gergen

David Gergen Quotes

White House Staff Assistant

David Gergen is an accomplished American political scientist, author, and television commentator, born on May 9, 1942. He served as a staff assistant in the White House, handling domestic and foreign policy matters. Gergen has extensive experience in politics, working for several U.S. presidents and holding key positions in various government agencies.

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All Thinking People Ifs Clinton Leader Persons Way Country Helping Leadership

Famous David Gergen Quotes

“There's a normal tendency in the campaign, during a crisis, for the country to rally around the White House. vThat may help Al Gore in this campaign, but on the other hand, George W. Bush handled himself so well the other night on foreign policy that I think it fortified him just before this crisis broke.”

Thinking Wells May Country Helping Hands Night House White Policy Normal Crisis Campaigns Tendencies Broke White House Als Foreign Policy Gore

Author:David Gergen

“I think there's some generational difference between some of the older members of the press and this younger president [Bill Clinton]. I think the older members are not quite on the same wave length, and in general. I think it's been very devastating to the president.”

Thinking President Differences Members Bills Presses Clinton Wave Length President Bill Clinton

Author:David Gergen

“Politics is like watching football. Yes, you can see it directly on your screen, but I think a lot of people want to have some understanding of what's happening, why the play is unfolding the way it is, and I think that's where it can help them, not to render judgments but to help people make their own judgments in a more informed way.”

People Thinking Way Want Play Helping Understanding Football Judgment Happenings Screens Unfolding Yes You Can Watching Football

Author:David Gergen

“Ronald Reagan rebuilt the American presidency; it was in trouble when he came into office as an institution, and he did through his communications and through his own inspiration, and his principles. I think he did lift our spirits about, and convince us that once again that the future of the best, our best days were always ahead of us.”

Thinking Inspiration Spirit Principles Trouble Communication Office Institutions Lifts Convince Presidency Convince Us

Author:David Gergen

“Morality in government begins with officials using words as honestly as possible to describe the truth.”

Government Morality Honestly Officials Using Words

Author:David Gergen

“At the heart of leadership is the leader's relationship with followers. People will entrust their hopes and dreams to another person only if they think the other is a reliable vessel.”

People Ifs Thinking Heart Persons Dream Leadership Leader Followers Vessel Hopes And Dreams

Book:Eyewitness To Power: The Essence of Leadership Nixon to Clinton

Source: Eyewitness To Power: The Essence of Leadership Nixon to Clinton

“We are making politics a spectator sport in which our only duty is to vote somebody into office and then retire to the grandstands.”

Sports Duty Office Vote Retiring Spectators

Author:David Gergen

“There is a cannibalism that's loose in our society in which public figures such as the Clintons could try to come into this town and do something good for this country and then they get hammered away even though they're trying to do the right thing.”

Trying Country Politics Figures Towns Clinton Right Thing Our Society Cannibalism Public Figures Hammered

Author:David Gergen

“I think it's particularly raw coming the day after the Electoral College, and Bill Clinton, he's taking this hard. It's been very hard to him. He thought his wife was gonna win. He believed she should have won. I think he believes, basically, it was an unfair result.”

Thinking Believe Winning Wife College Clinton Unfair

Author:David Gergen

“We know from past history that when young people vote for one party a couple of times, they tend to vote for that party during their adult lifetimes in disproportionate numbers.”

People Past Party Couple Vote Lifetime

Author:David Gergen

“If you look at history, every major realignment in our politics is a joining together of a new generation and emerging technologies. Obama has been a pioneer in joining the powers of the Internet with the principles of community organizing. Howard Dean used the Internet for meetups - Obama used it to create a movement.”

Together Community Technology Internet Emerging

Author:David Gergen

“A leader's role is to raise people's aspirations for what they can become and to release their energies so they will try to get there.”

“It's very, very hard to speak truth to power when the truth is unpleasant. I think it's one of the toughest things especially a young person has to do and the only way you can do it is if you're willing to walk out the door if he doesn't take your advice. Or if you're willing to walk out the door if he goes over the line.”

Ifs Thinking Way Persons Hard Young Speak Can Do Lines Walks Doors Advice Willing Truth Is You Can Do It Speak The Truth

Author:David Gergen

“It’s easy to confuse motion with progress.”

Author:David Gergen

“Leadership is about calling people to do things beyond themselves.”

Author:David Gergen

“The proudest moment for [a teacher of leaders] is seeing not what students learn but what they do.”

Moments Leader Teacher Seeing Students Proudest Moments

Author:David Gergen

“Leadership is a journey. Each one of us has to take our own path, and get there our own way.”

Way Path Journey

Author:David Gergen

“Ronald Reagan is clearly to television what Franklin Roosevelt was to radio.”

Style Television Radio Franklin

Author:David Gergen

“One cannot underestimate how widely admired Tom Daschle is in Washington for his integrity.”

Integrity Toms Underestimate

Author:David Gergen

“If you've got some news that you don't want to get noticed, put it out Friday afternoon 4:00 pm.”

Ifs Want News Afternoon Friday Pms Friday Afternoon

Author:David Gergen

“I don't have any problem with a reporter or a news person who says the President is uninformed on this issue or that issue. I don't think any of us would challenge that. I do have a problem with the singular focus on this, as if that's the only standard by which we ought to judge a president. What we learned in the last administration was how little having an encyclopedic grasp of all the facts has to do with governing.”

Ifs Thinking Littles Persons Facts Problem Lasts President Challenges Issues Focus Judging Ought News Standards Administration Reporters Governing Uninformed

Author:David Gergen

About the Author

Born: May 9, 1942
Known for: White House Staff Assistant
Quotes: 21

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Thinking People Ifs Clinton Leader Persons Way Country Helping Leadership

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People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Eyewitness To Power: The Essence of Leadership Nixon to ClintonRelated source material

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