David Gergen delivers annual state of the union
in NewsIssue date: 4/10/08
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Saltzman, who has funded the State of the Union lecture since its inception, introduced Gergen. "I think he is fantastic," Saltzman said. "I can think of no one more worthy of gauging the State of the Union."
American politicians should "move away from reactive politics and toward future politics," Gergen said, something he said he borrowed from Saltzman who is also a former presidential adviser.
Viewing the current Democratic and Republican frontrunners as all "highly impressive," Gergen said he is less concerned with who wins the election than with the winner's ability to govern.
"The next president will inherit the most difficult agenda since the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt," he warned.
Gergen stressed that a continuation of current policies would likely result in the decline of America while Japan, China and India may become superpowers within the next few decades. Whether the U.S. will remain one is questionable, he said, especially if our policies remain static.
According to Gergen, America not only needs to change its policies, but revolutionize them. In addition, problems including two extensive wars, the education system and job growth require solving, not "sugar-coating."
"He correctly highlighted the magnitude of the problems we face as a nation," said Anthony Lucci, a freshman political science major.
Gergen said history has shown that American politics moves like a pendulum: the U.S. begins to move in a more conservative direction for a couple decades with the adoption of laissez-faire and less government regulation of private enterprise. Then, complaints are raided about economic inequality and access to health care, Gergen said, and the political pendulum swings back in a more liberal direction. Then, some years later, complaints about regarding financial restrictions and too much government involvement reach a fever pitch, and the pendulum swings back once more.
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