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

Obama still has work to do with the vision thing. Convincing voters that he has a credible, practical plan to turn the nation around is a process, not a speech.

In Washington, compromise has become a dirty word.

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

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

A presidential debate is a job interview. And voters look for certain traits in people applying to be president.

Andrew Jackson was the first president to claim that the desires of the public overrode Congress's constitutional prerogatives. Virtually every president since Jackson has claimed the mantle, even while lacking two ingredients of an electoral mandate: a landslide victory and a specific agenda.