The fact that Obama is getting criticism from the left and the right might reflect his understanding of the underlying political dynamics. – Ron Fournier
Historians will likely give Obama credit for steering the country away from the brink of economic collapse in 2009. – Ron Fournier
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? – Ron Fournier
Hollywood has a history of raising expectations beyond Washington’s reach, of appealing to the very American desire to mythologize political leaders, particularly the president. – Ron Fournier
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. – Ron Fournier
This is Romney’s biggest political weakness. His policy flip-flops and the general sense that he’s not comfortable in his own skin leads voters, including many supporters, wondering about his core values. – Ron Fournier
You can almost see voters nodding their heads at home: The public’s faith in politicians and political institutions has been on a steep and dangerous decline for decades, because elected leaders fail to deliver. – Ron Fournier
Part of the problem is voters know relatively little about Romney. And some of what they know about him complicates his task: Romney has a history of flip-flopping on issues, he’s extraordinarily wealthy, and he can be tone-deaf about what moves voters. He just doesn’t seem comfortable in his skin. – Ron Fournier
Barack Obama may have found the answer to his biggest rhetorical challenge: When millions of voters are unemployed or underemployed, how does a president simultaneously sound realistic and optimistic? – Ron Fournier
Mandates are rarely won on election night. They are earned after Inauguration Day by leaders who spend their political capital wisely, taking advantage of events without overreaching. – Ron Fournier
Don’t underestimate questions from the crowd; technology has made voters more informed than ever. – Ron Fournier
If Mitt Romney is vanilla, Chris Christie is three hefty scoops of Rocky Road topped with whipped cream, Red Bull, and gravel. – Ron Fournier
Barack Obama won a second term but no mandate. Thanks in part to his own small-bore and brutish campaign, victory guarantees the president nothing more than the headache of building consensus in a gridlocked capital on behalf of a polarized public. – Ron Fournier
Obama ran a hard-edged and negative campaign against Romney, hoping to convince recession-weary voters that his rival was unworthy of the job. – Ron Fournier
Perhaps we should wait until his second term begins before carving Barack Obama’s face in Mount Rushmore. Is that asking too much? – Ron Fournier
Shock, confusion, fear, anger, grief, and defiance. On Sept. 11, 2001, and for the three days following the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil, President George W. Bush led with raw emotion that reflected the public’s whipsawing stages of acceptance. – Ron Fournier
The failure of the White House and Congress to seriously address the nation’s fiscal situation is certain to broaden the belief among many voters that the U.S. political system is broken. – Ron Fournier
President George W. Bush won reelection in 2004 largely because he was seen as comfortable in his own skin, while rival John Kerry was viewed as a flip-flopping opportunist. – Ron Fournier