Obama ran a hard-edged and negative campaign against Romney, hoping to convince recession-weary voters that his rival was unworthy of the job.

White House operatives went to great lengths to show Obama shifting focus from wars abroad to domestic issues at home.

Most Tea Party activists consider Obama a big-spending liberal. Some even question his eligibility to be president.

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

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

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.