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

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

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.

The 2016 presidential election is ripe for the emergence of a game-changing political leader who either dramatically reforms one of the existing parties or mounts an independent bid.

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.

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

Since declaring that she would not serve in a second Obama administration, Clinton has dismissed suggestions that she will run in 2016.