If acknowledging that racial misgivings and misunderstandings are still a part of politics and life in America, I plead guilty.

Shock, confusion, fear, anger, grief, and defiance. On Sept. 11, 2001, and for the three days following the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil, President George W. Bush led with raw emotion that reflected the public's whipsawing stages of acceptance.

The failure of the White House and Congress to seriously address the nation's fiscal situation is certain to broaden the belief among many voters that the U.S. political system is broken.

'Argo,' 'Lincoln,' and 'Zero Dark Thirty,' three films honored with Best Picture Oscar nominations, lionize their Washington-anchored protagonists as crafty, competent, and virtually incorruptible.

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

Obama shows no sign of easing up on negativity.

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