I've spent the better part of my career in politics and public policy working on and fighting for education reforms.
Democracy is but an experiment in the long history of the world.
Reasonable people can reasonably disagree on policy.
At some point he has to show that he has a vision of a better way. He can't just say 'The future is bleak, follow me.' Because no one will.
A messy participatory process is representative democracy at its best.
As in nature, politics abhors a vacuum. Without a strong voice for more moderate leadership, the Tea Party is filling that vacuum.