Every Now And Then, A Presidential Candidate

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.

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.

Say What You Want To Say About The Rest Of His Presidency, Including His Tone-deaf Response To Katrina And A War Waged In Iraq On False Pretenses, Bush Connected With Americans In The Aftermath Of 9/11 Because He Looked As Frail And Unforgiving As We Felt.

For A Man Who Has Compared Himself To Theodore Roosevelt And The Nation's Challenges To Those Of The Gilded Age, Obama Put Forward A Tepid Agenda.

Republicans Would Have Preferred The Court Overturn The Health Care Bill, An Act That Would Have Underscored Obama's Biggest Liability - The Perception Among Voters, Including Those Who Like And Trust Him, That He Has Been Ineffective.