'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.

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

Somebody must be up and somebody must be down. Trouble is, campaigns are messy, subtle creatures that don't follow convenient narratives.

Palin seems to have forgotten that her poll ratings have plummeted since the summer of 2011.

Obama is capable - as evidenced by his first-term success with health care reform. But mandate-building requires humility, a trait not easily associated with him.

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

Anything may be possible in America, but a Palin presidency is virtually implausible.