Movies such as 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' in 1939 to 'Dave' in 1993 portray Washington leaders as the ultimate Everymen - decent people just like you and me, only thrust onto greatness.

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.

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.

The fact that Obama is getting criticism from the left and the right might reflect his understanding of the underlying political dynamics.

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

Obama will learn from his mistakes.

A concrete agenda and landslide victory might not even guarantee a president his mandate in a capital as polarized as Washington.