Once a popular Alaska governor with a modest record of accomplishment, Palin could conceivably revive her reputation in this era of short memories. But it’s hard to imagine her name atop the GOP ballot in 2016, when a cast of heavyweights who sat out 2012 will be vying for the nomination. – Ron Fournier
At the start of his second term, one wonders less about Obama’s fitness than his willingness: Why doesn’t he do more to build and maintain the relationships required to govern in era of polarization? – Ron Fournier
It’s a bit unfair to accuse Obama of dividing the nation when the facts show that it already is. – Ron Fournier
Obama won the presidency on the strength of his message and the skills of the messenger. Now the talk of hope and change feels out of tune when so many Americans are out of work, over-mortgaged, and worried that life will be even tougher for their children. – Ron Fournier
Sitting in the Oval Office, beneath a painting of George Washington, with a bust of Martin Luther King Jr. over his right shoulder and a bust of Abraham Lincoln over his left shoulder, Obama told ‘National Journal’ that the country’s economic woes are deep and endemic. – Ron Fournier
A concrete agenda and landslide victory might not even guarantee a president his mandate in a capital as polarized as Washington. – Ron Fournier
‘Argo,’ ‘Lincoln,’ and ‘Zero Dark Thirty,’ three films honored with Best Picture Oscar nominations, lionize their Washington-anchored protagonists as crafty, competent, and virtually incorruptible. – Ron Fournier
The 2016 presidential election is ripe for the emergence of a game-changing political leader who either dramatically reforms one of the existing parties or mounts an independent bid. – Ron Fournier
Political consultants are pugilists, masters in the dark art of negativity. Which is why it’s surprising to hear Democrats such as Steve McMahon and Republicans like Rich Galen urging their presidential candidates to be more, well, positive. – Ron Fournier
Somebody must be up and somebody must be down. Trouble is, campaigns are messy, subtle creatures that don’t follow convenient narratives. – Ron Fournier
In the time it takes to heat a TV dinner, Clinton had convinced me that he was the smartest person in the room and that I was the center of his attention. In the next 25 years, I would see countless others fall just as quickly to the Clinton Touch. – Ron Fournier
Close elections tend to break toward the challenger because undecided voters – having held out so long against the incumbent – are by nature looking for change. – Ron Fournier
The problem, gentlemen, is that Obama is right: The promise of upward mobility is dying in America, and no amount of political demagoguery will fix it. – Ron Fournier
A presidential debate is a job interview. And voters look for certain traits in people applying to be president. – Ron Fournier
Don’t kid yourself. President Obama’s decision to withdraw 33,000 troops from Afghanistan before he stands for reelection is not driven by the United States’ ‘position of strength’ in the war zone as much as it is by grim economic and political realities at home. – Ron Fournier
We, the people. Manifest Destiny. Conceived in liberty. Fear itself. Ask not. Morning in America. United we stand. Yes, we can. In times of great change and tumult, presidents seek to inspire beleaguered Americans by reminding them of their national identity. – Ron Fournier
If acknowledging that racial misgivings and misunderstandings are still a part of politics and life in America, I plead guilty. – Ron Fournier
Blending hard-bitten realism with long-view optimism, Obama said that every 20 or 30 years brings a new cycle of pessimism in America. – Ron Fournier
Since declaring that she would not serve in a second Obama administration, Clinton has dismissed suggestions that she will run in 2016. – Ron Fournier
By nominating Chuck Hagel to be his Defense secretary, President Obama is putting forward an aloof contrarian who doesn’t suffer fools – a striving politician who considers himself above politics. – Ron Fournier
Romney and Democratic rival President Obama have led their partisan backers down a trail of lies, negativity and vacuous policies that seem certain to guarantee an angry electorate four more years of gridlock. – Ron Fournier
Obama still has work to do with the vision thing. Convincing voters that he has a credible, practical plan to turn the nation around is a process, not a speech. – Ron Fournier
It’s a deft trick to turn American exceptionalism into an exceptional political tactic. – Ron Fournier
Got good news and bad news for you, Mr. President. The good news is that Chief Justice John Roberts just saved your legacy and, perhaps, your presidency by writing for the Supreme Court majority to rule health care reform constitutional. – Ron Fournier