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" Obama might do well to remember that his fast rise from the Illinois state Senate was due in large part to an uncanny ability to make friends and find mentors. "

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" To be fair, my analysis failed to spell out Obama's first-term accomplishments, although I did acknowledge his 'enormous skills' and tried to focus readers on the distinction between good and great presidencies. "

Ron Fournier

Spell

Focus

Good

" We're living in an era of unprecedented change, and I want to be a part of documenting it. "

" 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. "

" Climate change was a point of division between Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney. The president declared climate change a global threat, acknowledged that the actions of humanity were deepening the crisis, and pledged to do something about it if elected. "

" The problem, gentlemen, is that Obama is right: The promise of upward mobility is dying in America, and no amount of political demagoguery will fix it. "

" It's a bit unfair to accuse Obama of dividing the nation when the facts show that it already is. "

" I've been leading newsrooms for a while now and it's been an honor serving as Editor in Chief of N.J., but I really think that my best shot at moving the needle in politics is by getting close to it - by reading, reporting, tweeting and writing. "

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

" Hollywood has a history of raising expectations beyond Washington's reach, of appealing to the very American desire to mythologize political leaders, particularly the president. "

" Every now and then, a presidential candidate surprises us with a truly human and honest moment. "

" 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. "

" If Mitt Romney is vanilla, Chris Christie is three hefty scoops of Rocky Road topped with whipped cream, Red Bull, and gravel. "

" 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. "

" AP promoted me to the White House beat because I knew Clinton, his family, friends, and staff better than anybody in the national press corps. Those contacts helped me break a few stories and get my career in Washington jump-started. "

Ron Fournier

Career

Friends

" It's a deft trick to turn American exceptionalism into an exceptional political tactic. "

" Although we were never pals and occasionally butted heads, my relationship with Clinton and his wife, Hillary, made me a better journalist. "

Ron Fournier

Relationship

Never

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

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

" If history is a guide, a victory for Obama means he faces the prospect of a second term dogged by scandal or inertia. "

" Obama won the presidency on the strength of his message and the skills of the messenger. Now the talk of hope and change feels out of tune when so many Americans are out of work, over-mortgaged, and worried that life will be even tougher for their children. "

" Mandates are rarely won on election night. They are earned after Inauguration Day by leaders who spend their political capital wisely, taking advantage of events without overreaching. "

" Perhaps we should wait until his second term begins before carving Barack Obama's face in Mount Rushmore. Is that asking too much? "

" One of Obama's most impressive attributes is his quiet confidence: Voters sense that he is comfortable in his own skin, a dedicated father and friend who won't waste time with the phony rituals of Washington. "

" Election night is the easiest time to act like a grownup. "

" Historians will likely give Obama credit for steering the country away from the brink of economic collapse in 2009. "

" Since declaring that she would not serve in a second Obama administration, Clinton has dismissed suggestions that she will run in 2016. "

" Obama considers himself above deal-making and back-slapping, political necessities he often delegates to Vice President Joe Biden and other lesser sorts. "

" Voters don't have to love him, Romney advisers say, but they will respect him. "

" 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. "

" 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. "