David Gergen

“You can't solve a problem on the same level that it was created. You have to rise above it to the next level.”

“Washington is a city of conversations. The more you're in the conversation, the more you're in the game.”

“Public service is a noble calling, and we need more people to answer that call.”

“We need to have a civil debate in this country. We're not going to agree on everything, but we can agree to be agreeable.”

“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.”

“Leadership is not just about what you do but what you inspire others to do.”

“Trust is the coin of the realm in politics.”

“In the new economy, we have to be a nation of leaders, not a nation of followers.”

“Character is the most important quality for a leader to have. It's the foundation upon which everything else is built.”

“The press has a responsibility to be fair and accurate, and I believe that responsibility is becoming more and more important.”

“In America, we have a long tradition of leaving our children a better country than we found.”

“The best leaders are the best learners.”

“The country is hungry for a leader who will tell the truth, who will stand for something, and who will unite us, not divide us.”

“I think the American people are looking for a president who will be a unifier, not a divider.”