Quotes By Jim Lehrer

I'm not in the judgment part of journalism.

People can get their news any way they want. What I love about what's happened is that there are so many different avenues, there are so many different outlets, so many different ways to debate and discuss and to inquire about any given news story.

A debate has one purpose, one purpose only, and that is to facilitate the exchange of ideas directly between two candidates, and that's it.

The best moderators are the moderators who are essentially invisible. A moderator who is there to be seen and heard and to be talked about either, 'oh, God, what a great question,' or, 'oh, God, what a lousy question,' that to me is a failed moderator.

I'm in the civil discourse business. I think it takes all kinds. And more power to everybody.

I believe an invitation from the Commission on Presidential Debates is similar to a draft notice - a civic responsibility.

The death rate among Marines in Iraq has been more than double that of the other services.

I'm in the reporting part of journalism.

I'm a gatekeeper, and the gatekeepers all used to be mostly old, white men.

My conscience is clear.

I've traveled around the country and I read local newspapers and all of that, and it's a sad, sad thing to go from city to city and see the small newspapers and they're tiny. They're tiny not only in size but also in scope.

If you go to the ball game, you don't need to read the game story.

Most of the gaffes I've made have not been funny - they've been stupid.

People can say anything they want to. If they don't want to get the news from me, get it from somebody else. It's not something I'm going to worry about, I'm sorry.

In order to reduce the deficit, there has to be revenue in addition to cuts.

If we don't have an informed electorate we don't have a democracy. So I don't care how people get the information, as long as they get it. I'm just doing it my particular way and I feel lucky I can do it the way I want to do it.

Everyone should get their news however they want to and in whatever form they want. I'm not going to sit back in judgment of other people and the way they do it.

No two people see things the same way.

There's only one interview technique that matters... Do your homework so you can listen to the answers and react to them and ask follow-ups. Do your homework, prepare.

A skill required to be president is to explain to the American people any given thing they do.

My Marine experience helped shape who I am now personally and professionally, and I am grateful for that on an almost daily basis.

I always wear blue shirts and I like wine or purple ties.

My own view, there is a need for and a demonstrated need for more journalism now than there ever has been.

I'm a journalist and that's what I do.

There's always a germ of truth in just about everything.

The shouting and opinion and jokes don't exist if there isn't first a story.

I have great faith in the intelligence of the American viewer and reader to put two and two together and come up with four.

My writing is extremely important, so I write every day. I just enjoy it. I get a kick out of it.

Preparation is based on one driving force for me and that is to be relaxed enough to be able to listen to what the candidates are saying and react appropriately.

You want to see an angry person? Let me hear a cell phone go off.