Opinion Archive: Michael Gerson

About Michael Gerson

Michael Gerson

The writing of Michael Gerson resounds with fundamental values, a firm belief in liberty for all, and a heartfelt conscience. As a traveler to the desperate places of the world, Gerson is mindful of the reality of evil and oppression as well as the dignity and hope of those who suffer. He is a conservative who often challenges conservative orthodoxy, defying political typecasting.

Twice weekly in his column written for The Washington Post and distributed by the Writers Group, Gerson marches a path of true conviction -- conviction nurtured during his two years at U.S. News & World Report, where he covered topics such as philanthropy and civil society. Then as head speechwriter and a policy adviser for George W. Bush from 1999 until 2006, Gerson became the voice of "compassionate conservatism" within the White House, taking stands on the need to combat poverty, prevent the spread of AIDS in Africa and elsewhere, and confront racial inequality.

Gerson echoed his convictions in some of the most memorable phrases in Bush's speeches. "The soft bigotry of low expectations" was his depiction of discrimination against minority children in failing schools and "a republic founded on equality for all became a prison for millions" was his vivid description of American slavery. Gerson's writing, filled with literary and biblical references, appeals to readers in a subtle but profound way. It's not, however, a strategy. "It comes from my own background and my own reading of the history of American rhetoric." For instance, Gerson explains, "many images of the civil rights movement were drawn from the Exodus. In political discourse, these images are given a lesser meaning, but they have an added literary resonance precisely because they have a deeper meaning. And I think that American public discourse would be impoverished without them."

Gerson was born in New Jersey in 1964 and grew up in St. Louis, where he met his wife at the church they attended. He studied theology at Wheaton College in Illinois and after graduation went to work for the Prison Fellowship Ministries, founded by Watergate figure Charles Colson. Gerson later became policy director for then-Sen. Daniel Coats of Indiana and also acted as an adviser to Jack Kemp and wrote speeches for Bob Dole's presidential campaign. His book, Heroic Conservatism: Why Republicans Need to Embrace America's Ideals (And Why They Deserve to Fail If They Don't), was published in 2007 by HarperOne.

Gerson left the White House in 2006 and is currently a senior research fellow in the Center on Faith & International Affairs at the Institute for Global Engagement (IGE). He lives in Virginia with his wife and two sons.

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