#no

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

#aloof #chuck #considers #defense #fools

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. ↗

— Ron Fournier

#authentic #blunt #brash #christie #governor

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. ↗

— Ron Fournier

#acknowledged #actions #between #change #climate

Most political journalists come to Washington because they're snappy writers, big thinkers, or news breakers. Me? My ticket to the big leagues had little to do with talent. It was mostly about the governor I was covering, Bill Clinton. ↗

— Ron Fournier

#because #big #big leagues #bill #bill clinton

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. ↗

— Ron Fournier

#due #fast #find #friends #his

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

#children #even #feels #his #hope

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

#alaska #ballot #cast #conceivably #could

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

#comfortable #complicates #extraordinarily #him #his

With gridlock the norm, Congress's approval rating is below 10 percent and the public has lost faith in its national leadership. ↗

— Ron Fournier

#below #congress #faith #leadership #lost

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

#because #been #dangerous #decades #decline