Ron Fournier

“It's a deft trick to turn American exceptionalism into an exceptional political tactic.”

“Although we were never pals and occasionally butted heads, my relationship with Clinton and his wife, Hillary, made me a better journalist.”

“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.”

“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.”

“Perhaps we should wait until his second term begins before carving Barack Obama's face in Mount Rushmore. Is that asking too much?”

“According to a Public Policy Polling survey, most Americans find lice and colonoscopies more appealing than Capitol Hill.”

“Palin seems to have forgotten that her poll ratings have plummeted since the summer of 2011.”

“Obama might do well to remember that his fast rise from the Illinois state Senate was due in large part to an uncanny ability to make friends and find mentors.”

“Obama shows no sign of easing up on negativity.”

“It's a bit unfair to accuse Obama of dividing the nation when the facts show that it already is.”

“Christie led the way - with a bulldozer. The governor is blunt, brash, and self-consciously authentic, the antithesis to what turns off today's voters: flip-flopping politicians who speak in poll-tested platitudes. Yes, he's the anti-Romney.”

“In times of tumult, voters are likely to forgive a president, if not reward him, for compromises made in service of solutions.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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?”

“Movies such as 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' in 1939 to 'Dave' in 1993 portray Washington leaders as the ultimate Everymen - decent people just like you and me, only thrust onto greatness.”

“Climate change was a point of division between Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney. The president declared climate change a global threat, acknowledged that the actions of humanity were deepening the crisis, and pledged to do something about it if elected.”

“It's an appeal as old as America and its presidency: This is an extraordinary country populated by hard-working, big-dreaming, freedom-loving people graced by God when they're not pulling themselves up by the bootstraps.”