David Gergen, a former political analyst and consultant to four American presidents, has died. He was 83.
His son, Christopher, confirmed to the New York Times that Gergen died of Lewy body dementia in his retirement community.
The North Carolina native was a well-respected journalistic force for his political experience and bipartisan understanding, having advised the GOP’s Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan as well as Democrat Bill Clinton. He was director of speechwriting for Nixon, director of communications for Reagan and Ford and a counselor for Clinton.
Gergen got his start in broadcast journalism appearing on PBS‘ “McNeil-Lehrer News Hour” in 1984. There, he worked with Mark Shields. He went on to become the chief editor of “U.S. News & World Report.”
It came as a surprise when Gergen joined Clinton in 1993, given his track record with the Republican Party. Talking to PBS at the time, Gergen broke down some of the problems he was brought in to fix with the Democratic administration.
“But [the voters] also felt that they didn’t understand Washington very well,” he said. “They didn’t understand the press corps. They didn’t understand the dynamics of the press corps. They were having a hard time figuring out Capitol Hill.”
“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,” said a CNN spokesperson Friday. “Our staff, contributors, and audiences are better informed because of his towering influence.”
Gergen is survived by his wife Anne, his daugter, his son and his five grandchildren.