Somebody Must Be Up And

A Concrete Agenda And Landslide Victory Might Not Even Guarantee A President His Mandate In A Capital As Polarized As Washington.

President Obama Is Casting His Lot In The Middle Of A Debate As Old As America Itself: Are We Rugged Individualists Pulling Ourselves Up By The Bootstraps? Or Are We A Nation Of Community, All Connected And Counting On One Another?

Anything Can Go Wrong In A Debate, And Obama Is Not A Perfect Debater.

One Of Obama's Most Impressive Attributes Is His Quiet Confidence: Voters Sense That He Is Comfortable In His Own Skin, A Dedicated Father And Friend Who Won't Waste Time With The Phony Rituals Of Washington.

Washington's Answer To A Self-inflicted Financial Crisis Reminded Americans Why They So Deeply Distrust The Political Class. The 'fiscal Cliff' Process Was Secretive And Sloppy, And The Nation's So-called Leadership Lacked The Political Courage To Address Our Root Problems: Joblessness And Debt.