One side of the American psyche wants smaller government, lower taxes, and more choices for individuals, even if those choices increase risk. The other wants a strong social safety net to protect the weakest among us, even if it costs more to minimize risk. Ron Fournier Read Quote
Most political journalists come to Washington because they’re snappy writers, big thinkers, or news breakers. Me? My ticket to the big leagues had little to do with talent. It was mostly about the governor I was covering, Bill Clinton. Ron Fournier Read Quote
Perhaps we should wait until his second term begins before carving Barack Obama’s face in Mount Rushmore. Is that asking too much? Ron Fournier Read Quote
Historians will likely give Obama credit for steering the country away from the brink of economic collapse in 2009. Ron Fournier Read Quote
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. Ron Fournier Read Quote
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. Ron Fournier Read Quote
In times of tumult, voters are likely to forgive a president, if not reward him, for compromises made in service of solutions. Ron Fournier Read Quote
The fact that Obama is getting criticism from the left and the right might reflect his understanding of the underlying political dynamics. Ron Fournier Read Quote
You can almost see voters nodding their heads at home: The public’s faith in politicians and political institutions has been on a steep and dangerous decline for decades, because elected leaders fail to deliver. Ron Fournier Read Quote
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. Ron Fournier Read Quote
