Ron Fournier Quotes

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

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.

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.

The question is whether voters, particularly independents, believe that Obama truly values personal liberty and responsibility as much as the government-bought safety net.

We’re living in an era of unprecedented change, and I want to be a part of documenting it.

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.

In Washington, compromise has become a dirty word.

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.

Every now and then, a presidential candidate surprises us with a truly human and honest moment.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Political reporters and political professionals rushed to judgment against Romney because we crave clear, unambiguous story lines.

Andrew Jackson was the first president to claim that the desires of the public overrode Congress‘s constitutional prerogatives. Virtually every president since Jackson has claimed the mantle, even while lacking two ingredients of an electoral mandate: a landslide victory and a specific agenda.

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.

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?

Voters don’t have to love him, Romney advisers say, but they will respect him.

At his best, Obama promised to work with Republicans to reduce the deficit in a way that honors both individualism and community.

Clearly, the Obama presidency hasn’t wiped out racial prejudices.

Anything may be possible in America, but a Palin presidency is virtually implausible.

Election night is the easiest time to act like a grownup.

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

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.

If history is a guide, a victory for Obama means he faces the prospect of a second term dogged by scandal or inertia.

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

If acknowledging that racial misgivings and misunderstandings are still a part of politics and life in America, I plead guilty.

American exceptionalism is the recurring character in the nation’s narrative.

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.

A concrete agenda and landslide victory might not even guarantee a president his mandate in a capital as polarized as Washington.

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.

To be fair, my analysis failed to spell out Obama’s first-term accomplishments, although I did acknowledge his ‘enormous skills’ and tried to focus readers on the distinction between good and great presidencies.

One of Obama’s most impressive attributes is his quiet confidence: Voters sense that he is comfortable in his own skin, a dedicated father and friend who won’t waste time with the phony rituals of Washington.

Obama will learn from his mistakes.

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.

Like a cowboy saddling a bucking stallion, Republican leaders tried to tame the Tea Party while riding it to victories.

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.

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.

Obama shows no sign of easing up on negativity.

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.

It’s a deft trick to turn American exceptionalism into an exceptional political tactic.

Obama is capable – as evidenced by his first-term success with health care reform. But mandate-building requires humility, a trait not easily associated with him.

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.