“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.” PresidentTermBuildingVictoryCampaignsThanksBarackGuaranteesBoresBehalfConsensusHeadacheMandates Author:Ron Fournier
“Business leaders, labor unions, governors, mayors, congressmen and presidents have all complained about a lack of funding for years, but aside from a one-time cash infusion from the stimulus program, nothing much has changed. There is still no consensus on how to solve the problem or where to get the massive amounts of money needed to fix it, just another example of political paralysis in Washington.” YearsStillsProblemPoliticalPresidentLeaderExampleChangedAmountNeededProgramLaborUnionsSolveMassiveOne TimeCashGovernorsConsensusFundingStimulusMayorsCongressmanBusiness LeadersParalysisLabor UnionInfusion Author:Steve Kroft
“We've had periods of meanness in American politics. Actually, the dawn of partisan division in America was basically in George Washington's second term, when it was obvious that he would be the first and only consensus president.” FirstsWould BeAmericaPresidentTermPeriodsObviousDawnDivisionAmerican PoliticsConsensusPartisansMeannessUs President Author:William J. Clinton