Mark Gerson, author of the 1996 book The Neoconservative Vision, an oft-cited sycophantic
book about the roots and trajectory of the political faction, is CEO of Gerson Lehrman Group, a consulting
firm that provides firms with "access to the world's leading experts," including "physicians,
scientists, engineers, attorneys, market researchers, and other professionals from around the world" (see "About
Gerson Lehrman Group"). A prominent rightist networker, Gerson has served as a director of the
influential but now defunct neoconservative advocacy outfit Project
for the New American Century, serves on the board of trustees of the Manhattan
Institute, and has written for several important neoconservative outlets, including Commentary magazine
and the Wall Street Journal.
A familiar theme in Gerson's work is the alleged transformation of American conservatism due to the
influence of early neoconservative thinkers like Irving
Kristol and Norman Podhoretz. In The
Neoconservative Vision, Gerson argues (erroneously, it turns out): "Neoconservatism is now
coming to an end, as it becomes clear that only one generation of thinkers identifies itself as such.
This is perhaps the truest testament to the success of neoconservatism in the following sense: what
was once considered exclusively neoconservatism is now conservatism" (pp. 26-28).
Similarly, in a review of another Gerson book, John McManus, writing in the so-called paleocon magazine New
American, argued: "Neoconservatives even proudly admit their takeover of the word 'conservative.'
In his 1996 book entitled The Essential Neoconservative Reader, editor Mark Gerson jubilantly
observed: 'The neoconservatives have so changed conservatism that what we now identify as conservatism
is largely what was once neoconservatism. And in so doing, they have defined the way that vast numbers
of Americans view their economy, their polity, and their society.' Give neocon Gerson credit for
saying very forthrightly what indeed has happened. By designating themselves 'conservative,' the
neocons have led many otherwise conservative Americans to accept what had always been unacceptable.
What was once called neoconservatism and viewed suspiciously is now labeled conservatism and is no
longer rejected" (New American, August 13, 2001).
Gerson is well-connected in elite neoconservative and business circles. According to the New York
Observer, "It's Mr. Gerson's place in Manhattan's burgeoning neoconservative social, political,
and intellectual scene that has gotten him where he is today. He is the Friendster of the neoconservative
establishment. ... His congenial brilliance, amiable nature, and unsolicited offers of help to others
have placed him at the center of the intellectual-political-financial complex that spans from Wall
Street to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue" (New York Observer, December 14, 2003). Although
he is a player in conservative circles, Gerson's influence is not so narrow; he was a major fundraiser
for Democrat Cory Booker's campaign for mayor of Newark. Booker is a cofounder of the Yale Chai Society,
of which Gerson is a board member.
Gerson teamed up with Thomas Lehrman in 1998 to carry his talent for networking into the private sector,
forming the Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG). The Observer quotes Gerson: "When we started the
business, we made a rule to make a new friend every day. The more people we could meet, the more we
would learn. It would help the business, and it would help us."
GLG soon developed into a massive network of experts available for the inquiries of investors. According
to the New York Times, "Gerson is the industry leader in connecting investors with specialists
in fields ranging from Turkish cement to underwire brassieres. Gerson's 150,000 specialists include
60,000 physicians." But Gerson's business of setting up physicians with investors has raised legal
questions regarding insider trading: "The Securities and Exchange Commission has now begun looking
at whether doctors, participating in clinical trials, are accepting money to talk to analysts and investors
about the confidential results. Such a breach, under some circumstances, could be construed as a violation
of insider trading law" (New York Times, August 16, 2005).
In addition, GLG is one of several plaintiffs in the case of the Canadian pharmaceutical company Biovail
against the hedge fund SAC Capital Investors. According to the Financial Times, "The suit ... alleges
that Gerson Lehrman, a research firm that matches hedge funds with officials with expertise in particular
industries, paid doctors to provide quotes to the financial press, including some false statements,
that were damaging to Biovail. Gerson Lehrman facilitated 'the dissemination of false and misleading
information for illegal market manipulation purposes,' the suit alleges" (Financial Times,
February 23, 2006).
Gerson often voices his political opinions in a variety of conservative media, including the Wall
Street Journal, New Republic, and USA Today. In a 2007 piece for the Wall
Street Journal, Gerson and Michael Oren compared President George W. Bush favorably with the
prophet Jonah. According to Gerson and Oren, Jonah's "paradox of prophecy," can be described
thusly: "They [prophets and political leaders] will be reproved for the actions they take to
forestall catastrophe, but may receive no credit for averting cataclysms that never occur." Similarly,
Oren and Gerson suspect that Bush's foresight has been his curse: "After 9/11, [Bush] cautioned
that the United States would again be attacked unless it acted pre-emptively in Iraq. But while there
is no way of knowing whether terrorists would have struck America if President Bush had refrained
from invading Iraq, many Americans now denounce the president for initiating an avoidable, unwinnable
war. This is the tragedy of leadership. Policy makers must decide between costly actions and inaction,
the price of which, though potentially higher, will ultimately remain unknown—a truly Jonah-like
dilemma." The authors conclude noting that Bush must face this same dilemma with regard to Iran's
nuclear program (Wall Street Journal, September 21, 2007).
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Affiliations
Manhattan Institute: Member, Board of Trustees
Project for the New American Century: Project Director
Private Sector
Gerson Lehrman Group: Executive Chairman
Chockstone, Inc.: Member, Board of Directors
LuxResearch: Board Member/Adviser
IMentor: Board Member
Education
Williams College
Yale Law School
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