Latest news with #DavidGergen
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Beloved CNN Commentator's Tragic Cause of Death Revealed
For years, David Gergen was a familiar face on CNN panels, giving commentary about the news of the day. Before that, he served in the administrations of four presidents. A CNN spokesperson said in an article for that network that Gergen was 'always happy to share his wisdom and his spotlight with others.' Gergen's family confirmed on July 11 that he has died at the age of 83. What was the cause of death? He died of Lewy body dementia on July 10 at a retirement home, his son Christopher told the New York Times. Gergen developed the famous line used by Ronald Reagan in a television commercial, according to the Times: 'Are you better off than you were four years ago?' However, he served in the administrations of presidents from both parties. 'Rhetorical questions have great power,' Gergen explained, according to the Times. He served many roles for presidents, including as a speech writer and communications director, the Associated Press reported. He served in the administrations of Bill Clinton, Richard Nixon, and Gerald Ford, as well as Reagan, according to the AP. The AP reported that the cause of death was a "long illness." According to the Mayo Clinic, Lewy body dementia, also known as LBD, "is the second most common type of dementia after Alzheimer's disease. Protein deposits called Lewy bodies develop in nerve cells in the brain. The protein deposits affect brain regions involved in thinking, memory and movement. There are two forms of LBD that cause cognitive symptoms — dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson's disease dementia." Lewy body dementia "causes a decline in mental abilities that gradually gets worse over time. People with LBD might see things that aren't there, known as visual hallucinations. They also may have changes in alertness and attention," the Mayo Clinic wrote. 'A political scholar who served four presidents of both parties, an adoring father and dedicated husband, a senior statesman in every sense of the word, and a tireless educator. But above all else, David was a relentlessly kind and warm person,' the CNN spokesperson said, adding that 'our staff, contributors, and audiences are better informed because of his towering influence.'Beloved CNN Commentator's Tragic Cause of Death Revealed first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 12, 2025
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
David Gergen, ex-adviser to Republican and Democratic presidents, dies aged 83
David Gergen, a veteran of Washington politics and an adviser to four presidents, Republican and Democrat, in a career spanning decades in government, academia and media, has died. He was 83. Gergen was perhaps best known for a line he summoned for then presidential candidate Ronald Reagan for a TV debate with Jimmy Carter: 'Are you better off than you were four years ago?' The question hit a nerve in a nation wracked by inflation and a hostage crisis in Iran. The answer came back no, and Reagan won the White House. Gergen later reflected: 'Rhetorical questions have great power. It's one of those things that you sometimes strike gold. When you're out there panhandling in the river, occasionally you get a gold nugget.' Gergen served in the administrations of Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Reagan and Bill Clinton, racking up stints as speechwriter, communications director and counselor to the president, among other roles. He entered politics after serving in the US navy in the 1960s, taking a job as a speechwriting assistant for Nixon in 1971 and rising rapidly to become director of speechwriting two years later. He later served as director of communications for both Ford and Reagan, and as a senior adviser to Clinton and secretary of state Warren Christopher. Between stints in government, he managed a successful media career, working variously as an editor at US News & World Report, on the PBS show the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, and with CNN and CBS. In 2000, he published Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership: Nixon to Clinton, a memoir of his time in government. Reflecting on his time in the White House, he wrote of several essential elements a leader should possess. They included inner mastery; a central, compelling purpose rooted in moral values; a capacity to persuade; an ability to work within the system; a sure, quick start; strong, prudent advisers; and a passion that inspires others to carry on the mission. In a second book, Hearts Touched With Fire: How Great Leaders are Made, published two years later, he wrote: 'Our greatest leaders have emerged from both good times and, more often, challenging ones … The very finest among them make the difficult calls, that can ultimately alter the course of history.' Gergen, a North Carolina native, was a graduate of Yale and Harvard Law School, and returned there after his political career to establish the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School. He received 27 honorary degrees over the course of his career. After his passing was announced late on Friday, former colleagues remarked on his capacity for bipartisanship and collaboration. Al Gore, who served as Clinton's vice-president, posted on X: 'Of the countless ways that David Gergen contributed to our great country, what I will remember him for most was his kindness to everyone he worked with, his sound judgment, and his devotion to doing good in the world.' Dean Jeremy Weinstein of the Harvard Kennedy School said Gergen 'devoted decades of his life to serving those who sought to serve'. Gergen reportedly told his daughter Katherine Gergen Barnett after the November 2024 election that 'we are going through a period of fear. We have been tested, we are being tested now, but we must recognize that politics in our country is like a pendulum,' CNN said. A month later, when Gergen's dementia diagnosis was disclosed, she penned his thoughts in a column for the Boston Globe. ''As awful as life is currently in the public sphere, there is still reason to believe in our country and its leadership and to go into service,'' she quoted Gergen as saying. ''Americans can endure any crisis, but they need to continue to take a sense of responsibility for their country.''
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
David Gergen, ex-adviser to Republican and Democratic presidents, dies aged 83
David Gergen, a veteran of Washington politics and an adviser to four presidents, Republican and Democrat, in a career spanning decades in government, academia and media, has died. He was 83. Gergen was perhaps best known for a line he summoned for then presidential candidate Ronald Reagan for a TV debate with Jimmy Carter: 'Are you better off than you were four years ago?' The question hit a nerve in a nation wracked by inflation and a hostage crisis in Iran. The answer came back no, and Reagan won the White House. Gergen later reflected that 'rhetorical questions have great power. It's one of those things that you sometimes strike gold. When you're out there panhandling in the river, occasionally you get a gold nugget.' Gergen served in the administrations of Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Reagan and Bill Clinton, racking up stints as speechwriter, communications director and counselor to the president, among other roles. He entered politics after serving in the US navy in the 1960s, taking a job as a speechwriting assistant for Nixon in 1971 and rising rapidly to become director of speechwriting two years later. He later served as director of communications for both Ford and Reagan, and as a senior adviser to Clinton and secretary of state Warren Christopher. Between stints in government, he managed a successful media career, working variously as an editor at US News & World Report, on the PBS show the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, and with CNN and CBS. In 2000, he published Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership: Nixon to Clinton, a memoir of his time in government. Reflecting on his time in the White House, he wrote of several essential elements a leader should possess. They included inner mastery; a central, compelling purpose rooted in moral values; a capacity to persuade; an ability to work within the system; a sure, quick start; strong, prudent advisers; and a passion that inspires others to carry on the mission. In a second book, Hearts Touched With Fire: How Great Leaders are Made, published two years later, he wrote: 'Our greatest leaders have emerged from both good times and, more often, challenging ones. … The very finest among them make the difficult calls, that can ultimately alter the course of history.' Gergen, a North Carolina native, was a graduate of Yale and Harvard Law School, and returned there after his political career to establish the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School. He received 27 honorary degrees over the course of his career. After his passing was announced late Friday, former colleagues remarked on his capacity for bipartisanship and collaboration. Al Gore, who served as Clinton's vice-president, posted on X: 'Of the countless ways that David Gergen contributed to our great country, what I will remember him for most was his kindness to everyone he worked with, his sound judgment, and his devotion to doing good in the world.' Dean Jeremy Weinstein of the Harvard Kennedy School, said Gergen 'devoted decades of his life to serving those who sought to serve'. Gergen reportedly told his daughter Katherine Gergen Barnett after the November 2024 election that 'we are going through a period of fear. We have been tested, we are being tested now, but we must recognize that politics in our country is like a pendulum,' CNN said. A month later, when Gergen's dementia diagnosis was disclosed, she penned his thoughts in a column for the Boston Globe. ''As awful as life is currently in the public sphere, there is still reason to believe in our country and its leadership and to go into service,'' she quoted Gergen as saying. ''Americans can endure any crisis, but they need to continue to take a sense of responsibility for their country.''
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
David Gergen, ex-adviser to Republican and Democratic presidents, dies aged 83
David Gergen, a veteran of Washington politics and an adviser to four presidents, Republican and Democrat, in a career spanning decades in government, academia and media, has died. He was 83. Gergen was perhaps best known for a line he summoned for then presidential candidate Ronald Reagan for a TV debate with Jimmy Carter: 'Are you better off than you were four years ago?' The question hit a nerve in a nation wracked by inflation and a hostage crisis in Iran. The answer came back no, and Reagan won the White House. Gergen later reflected that 'rhetorical questions have great power. It's one of those things that you sometimes strike gold. When you're out there panhandling in the river, occasionally you get a gold nugget.' Gergen served in the administrations of Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Reagan and Bill Clinton, racking up stints as speechwriter, communications director and counselor to the president, among other roles. He entered politics after serving in the US navy in the 1960s, taking a job as a speechwriting assistant for Nixon in 1971 and rising rapidly to become director of speechwriting two years later. He later served as director of communications for both Ford and Reagan, and as a senior adviser to Clinton and secretary of state Warren Christopher. Between stints in government, he managed a successful media career, working variously as an editor at US News & World Report, on the PBS show the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, and with CNN and CBS. In 2000, he published Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership: Nixon to Clinton, a memoir of his time in government. Reflecting on his time in the White House, he wrote of several essential elements a leader should possess. They included inner mastery; a central, compelling purpose rooted in moral values; a capacity to persuade; an ability to work within the system; a sure, quick start; strong, prudent advisers; and a passion that inspires others to carry on the mission. In a second book, Hearts Touched With Fire: How Great Leaders are Made, published two years later, he wrote: 'Our greatest leaders have emerged from both good times and, more often, challenging ones. … The very finest among them make the difficult calls, that can ultimately alter the course of history.' Gergen, a North Carolina native, was a graduate of Yale and Harvard Law School, and returned there after his political career to establish the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School. He received 27 honorary degrees over the course of his career. After his passing was announced late Friday, former colleagues remarked on his capacity for bipartisanship and collaboration. Al Gore, who served as Clinton's vice-president, posted on X: 'Of the countless ways that David Gergen contributed to our great country, what I will remember him for most was his kindness to everyone he worked with, his sound judgment, and his devotion to doing good in the world.' Dean Jeremy Weinstein of the Harvard Kennedy School, said Gergen 'devoted decades of his life to serving those who sought to serve'. Gergen reportedly told his daughter Katherine Gergen Barnett after the November 2024 election that 'we are going through a period of fear. We have been tested, we are being tested now, but we must recognize that politics in our country is like a pendulum,' CNN said. A month later, when Gergen's dementia diagnosis was disclosed, she penned his thoughts in a column for the Boston Globe. ''As awful as life is currently in the public sphere, there is still reason to believe in our country and its leadership and to go into service,'' she quoted Gergen as saying. ''Americans can endure any crisis, but they need to continue to take a sense of responsibility for their country.''
UPI
5 days ago
- Health
- UPI
4-time presidential adviser, commentator David Gergen dead at 83
Former four-time presidential adviser and longtime political commentator David Gergen died on Thursday from complications caused by Lew body dementia. Image courtesy of UPI July 12 (UPI) -- Former presidential adviser and political commentator David Gergen died at age 83 from complications caused by Lewy body dementia on Thursday. His son, Christopher Gergen, confirmed his father died Thursday at his residence in a retirement home in Lexington, Mass., The New York Times reported. Gergen was a speechwriter and communications strategist for Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. While working with Reagan during his 1980 presidential campaign versus former President Jimmy Carter, Gergen suggested Reagan ask voters the rhetorical question: "Are you better off than you were four years ago?" "Rhetorical questions have great power," Gergen said years later, as reported by The New York Times. "It's one of those things that you sometimes strike gold," Gergen continued. "When you're out there panhandling in the river, occasionally, you get a gold nugget." He also was a political analyst for CNN and the founding director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School. Gergen was a "political scholar who served four presidents of both parties, an adoring father and dedicated husband, a senior statesman in every sense of the word, and a tireless educator," a CNN spokesperson said. "But above all else, David was a relentlessly kind and warm person," the unnamed spokesperson said. "Our staff, contributors and audiences are better informed because of his towering influence." Gergen's cause of death, Lewy body dementia, is the second most common type of Alzheimer's disease and is caused when protein deposits called Lewy bodies form within nerve cells in the brain, according to the Mayo Clinic. The protein deposits interfere with thinking, memory and movement and can cause dementia or Parkinson's disease dementia.
