If Mitt Romney is vanilla, Chris Christie is three hefty scoops of Rocky Road topped with whipped cream, Red Bull, and gravel.

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

Anything can go wrong in a debate, and Obama is not a perfect debater.

Don't underestimate questions from the crowd; technology has made voters more informed than ever.

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

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

For a man who has compared himself to Theodore Roosevelt and the nation's challenges to those of the Gilded Age, Obama put forward a tepid agenda.