President Obama is casting his lot in the middle of a debate as old as America itself: Are we rugged individualists pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps? Or are we a nation of community, all connected and counting on one another?

Don't stigmatize in a rush to explain inexplicable evil.

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.

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

I've been leading newsrooms for a while now and it's been an honor serving as Editor in Chief of N.J., but I really think that my best shot at moving the needle in politics is by getting close to it - by reading, reporting, tweeting and writing.

I'm hearing echoes of Bill Clinton, circa 1996, in President Obama's reelection rhetoric.

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