Gergen On Healthcare Summit: GOP Had Its Best Day In Years

Stop the presses: David Gergen actually said something nice about the GOP Thursday.

"I don't think [the Democrats] got the breakthrough they were looking for in terms of the public, reaching the public and trying to change opinions," Gergen told Wolf Blitzer's "Situation Room" panel shortly after President Obama's healthcare summit ended.

"That is because intellectually, the Republicans had the best day they have had in years."

Gergen even reiterated, "The best day they have had in years."

Less amazing was the silence from the panel -- which consisted of Candy Crowley, John King, Gloria Borger, and Joe Johns -- when Gergen made this statement (video embedded below the fold with transcript, h/t Hot Air):

WOLF BLITZER, HOST: And the Republicans had less speaking time, but they took full advantage of the minutes they had.

DAVID GERGEN: Yes, they do. Wolf, before you get to that, the president deserves enormous credit for putting this on. He was I thought extremely graceful and occasionally with an edge, but he was graceful and dominated much of the proceedings, and the Democrats got stronger in afternoon than in the morning. Even so, I don't think they got the breakthrough they were looking for in terms of the public, reaching the public and trying to change opinions. That is because intellectually, the Republicans had the best day they have had in years. The best day they have had in years. They, you know, there has been a perception that the Republicans are brain dead and ideologically resistant to anything, and they have no ideas and the rest of it. I thought it was not just the, you know, people like Lamar Alexander and Tom Coburn, but the new people, of Ryan and Cantor were fresh, and I think that they really evened the score and kept it even.

Did you hear that pin drop on the set when Gergen said this?