Obama’s Choice: Bowling Alone in the White House

Robert D. Putnam, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of the American Community (New York: Simon & Shuster, 2000).

Alexis de Tocqueville, (Arthur Goldhammer-Translator) Democracy in America (New York: Library of America, 2004).

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This analysis is informed by and draws on Stanley A. Renshon, Barack Obama and the Politics of Redemption (New York: Routledge, 2012).

Richard Reeves, President Nixon: Alone in the White House (New York: Simon & Shuster, 2001).

Richard E. Neustadt, Presidential Power and the Modern Presidents: The Politics of Leadership From Roosevelt to Reagan (New York: Free Press, 1990).

Ibid., 102, 136, 151, Chapter 13.

Chris Cillizza, “President Obama is Down. But is He Out?” Washington Post, 11 Dec. 2013.

Chris Cillizza, “Worst Year in Washington,” Washington Post, 13 Dec. 2013.

Ron Fournier, “This Is the End of the Presidency,” National Journal, 17 Dec. 2013.

Jeff Shesol, “Can You Reset a Presidency,” The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2014.

John Heilmann, “The West Wing, Season II,” Op. cit.

David Remnick, “Going the Distance: On and Off the Road with Obama,” The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2014.

Jane Mansbridge and Cathie Jo Martin, eds., with Sarah Binder, Francis Lee, Noland McCarthy, John Odell, Dustin Tingley and Mark Warren, Negotiating Agreement in Politics (Washington, DC: APSA, 2013), http://www.apsanet.org/media/PDFs/Publications/MansbridgeTF_FinalDraft.pdf.

As Fiorina and Adams argue, “Self-identified Democrats have become more homogeneously liberal and self-identified Republicans more homogeneously conservative. And the differences between the two partisan groups on issues have increased, although not nearly as much as those among party elites.” See Morris P. Fiorina and Samuel Adams, “Americans Aren’t Polarized, Just Better Sorted,” Washington Post, 21 Jan. 2014; see also Alan I. Abramowitz and Kyle L. Saunders, “Ideological Realignment in the U.S. Electorate,” Journal of Politics 60, no. 03 (1998), 634–52.

Barber and McCarthy argue that, “although the conventional wisdom often asserts that polarization resulted from changing behavior of both parties (i.e., with Democrats moving to the left and Republicans to the right), the evidence shows that the behavioral changes are far from symmetric and are largely driven by the Republican party.” See Michael Barber and Noland McCarthy, “Causes and Consequences of Polarization,” eds. Mansfield and Martin, Op. cit., 21. http://voteview.com/blog/?p=494.

In support of this claim Barber and McCarthy cite Christopher Hare, Nolan McCarthy, Keith T. Poole and Howard Rosenthal, “Polarization is Real (and Asymmetric),” Voteview Blog, 15 May 2002,

Cf., Amity Shlaes, The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression (New York: Harper, 2008); William J. Leuchtenburg, Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal: 1932–1940 (New York: Harper, 1963).

“Senator Barack Obama’s Announcement for President,” Springfield, IL, 10 Feb. 2007.

Quoted in Richard Wolffe, Renegade: The Making of a President (New York: Crown, 2009), 67.

Toby Harnden, “Barack Obama Vows to ‘Change the World,’” Telegraph, 17 Oct. 2008.

President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address, 21 Jan. 2009.

“Remarks by the President in Arnold, Missouri Town Hall,” 29 Apr. 2009.

Obama quoted in Wolffe, Renegade, Op. cit., 188.

Peter Baker, “For Obama, Steep Learning Curve as Chief in War,” New York Times, 28 Aug. 2010.

Scott Wilson, “Obama Brings more Optimism, Partisanship and Populism to Second Inaugural Speech,” Washington Post, 21 Jan. 2013.

Obama quoted in Michael Scherer, “How Barack Obama Became Mr. Unpopular,” Time, 2 Sep. 2010.

Ryan Lizza, “Above the Fray,” GQ, September 2007. (emphasis added).

Obama quoted in Robin Givhan, “Mussed for Success: Barack Obama’s Smooth Wrinkles,” Washington Post, 11 Aug. 2006.

Transcript, Meet the Press, NBC, 22 Oct. 2008. (emphasis added).

David Remmick, “Going the Distance: On and Off the Road with Barack Obama,” The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2014.

Scott Wilson, “Obama, the Loner President,” Washington Post,7 Oct. 2011.

Justin Sink, “Obama Blames Media for ‘Caricature,’” The Hill, 13 Jan. 2013.

David Remnick, “The Obama Tapes,” The New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2014.

“Obama Talks LeBron James Free Agency during Marv Albert TNT interview,” Huffington Post, 23 May 2010.

Josh Gernstein, “Obama, Gibbs Split Over Perfect Game,” Politico, 6 Jun. 2010.

Jessica Derschowitz, “‘The View:’ Obama Not Invited to Chelsea Clinton’s Wedding,” CBS, 29 Jul. 2010.

Derrik J. Lang, “Obama Appears on George Lopez’s Late Night Talk Show,” Huffington Post, 29 Jul. 2009.

Jim Rutterberg, “The Tonight Show With…President Obama?” New York Times, 3 Jun. 2009.

Elizabeth Williamson and Sam Schechner, “Obama Reinforces Policy Messages on Letterman’s ‘Late Night,’” Wall Street Journal, 22 Sep. 2009.

Helene Cooper, “For Obama, Talk About Economy Goes Into Late Night,” New York Times, 20 Mar. 2009.

JulieAnn McKellogg, “Michelle Obama: The First Lady of Late Night Television,” Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2014.

Laura Meckler, “On ‘Tonight Show,’ Obama Urges Steadiness in Face of Crisis,” Wall Street Journal, 19 Mar. 2009.

Dan Loumena, “President Obama a Hit as a TV Broadcaster,” Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2010.

Lisa de Moraes, “John Walsh to Interview President Obama on Fox’s ‘America’s Most Wanted,’” Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2010.

Michael Humes, “President Obama Fills Out Men’s & Women’s Brackets in Exclusive ESPN Interview,” ESPN, 16 Mar. 2010.

Michael D. Shear, “Obama to Appear on the ‘Daily Show,’” New York Times, 27 Oct. 2010.

Frazier Moore, “Obama to appear on ABC’s ‘The View’ on Thursday,” Associated Press, 26 Jul. 2010. John McCain also appeared on “The View”, but as a presidential candidate. See Robert Barnes and Michael D. Shear, “McCain Gets an Earful on ‘The View,’” Washington Post, 12 Sep. 2008.

Peter Wallsten and Faye Fiore, “Getting to Know the Obamas, on their Terms,” Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2009.

George C. Edwards III, On Deaf Ears: The Limits of the Bully Pulpit (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003).

Peggy Noonan, “Look at the Time,” Wall Street Journal, 30 Jan. 2009. (emphasis added).

Peggy Noonan, “The Sleepiness of a Hollow Legend,” Wall Street Journal, 23 Jan. 2013.

Quoted in Julianna Goldman, “Thrill of Obama Home Visits Fades for Americans Cited at Events,” Bloomberg News, 24 Jan. 2014.

“Statement by the President on the Affordable Care Act,” The White House, 14 Nov. 2013.

Juliet Eiperin and Sandhya Somashekhar, “Private Consultants Warned of Risks before HealthCare.gov’s Oct. 1 Launch,” Washington Post, 18 Nov. 2013.

Those briefed included, “HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius; Marilyn Tavenner, then acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS);” and White House Chief Technology Officer Todd Park attended a session about the report on April 4 at HHS headquarters. Obama health policy adviser Jeanne Lambrew and then-White House Deputy Chief of Staff Mark Childress received a briefing April 8 at the White House.

Roberta Rampron and Caren Bohen, “Obama was Briefed Earlier in Year on Health Website Problems,” Reuters, 19 Nov. 2013.

Scott Wilson, “Controversies Show How Obama’s Inattention to Detail may Hurt His Presidential Legacy,” Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2013.

Scott Wilson, “Obama’s Rough 2013 Prompts a New Blueprint,” Washington Post, 25 Jan. 2014.

Mark Mazzetti, Robert W. North and Michael R. Anderson, “Obama’s Uncertain Path Amid Syria Bloodshed,” New York Times, 22 Oct. 2013.

Gautham Nagesh, “White House Tech Team Missed Health-Site Alert,” Wall Street Journal, 12 Nov. 2013.

Ron Suskind, Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President (New York: Harper, 2011), 458.

“Red Team Discussion document,” http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/836615/mckinsey-amp-company-presentation-on.pdf.

David Suskind, Confidence Men…, Op. cit., 371.

Andrew Rudalevige, “The President Needs Help: Happy Birthday, Brownlow Report!” Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2012; see also Fredrick C. Mosher, ed., Basic Documents in Public Administration: 1776–1950 (New York: Holmes & Meirer, 1976), 111–39.

An overview can be found at the website: Executive Office of the President, http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop.

These figures are drawn from Executive Office of the President, “Fiscal Year 2014 Congressional Budget Submission,” http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2014-eopbudget1_0.pdf.

David E. Lewis, “The Contemporary Presidency: The Personnel Process in the Modern Presidency.” Presidential Studies Quarterly 42 (2012), 587.

Richard P. Nathan, The Administrative Presidency (New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1983).

Terry M. Moe, “The Politicized Presidency,” in The Managerial Presidency, ed. James P. Pfiffner, 2nd ed. (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1999), 147–8.

Michael D. Shear and Ceci Connolly, “Obama Builds Powerful Team of White House Advisers,” Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2009; see also Jonathan Martin, “West Wing on Steroids in Obama W.H.,” Politico, 25 Jan. 2009.

Scott Wilson, “Obama, the Loner President,” Op.cit.

Anne E. Kornblut, “White House Moving to Repair Troubled Relationship with Cabinet,” Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2011.

Glenn Thrush, “Locked in the Cabinet,” Politico Magazine, November 2013. (emphasis added).

Scott Wilson, “Obama’s Rough 2013 Prompts a New Blueprint,” Washington Post, 25 Jan. 2014.

Scott Wilson, “Obama, the Loner President,” Op. cit.

Peter Nicholas and Janet Hook, “Obama the Velcro President,” Los Angeles Times, 30 Jul. 2010.

Athena Jones, “Obama: Change Comes from Me,” NBC-First Read, 26 Nov. 2008.

Gerald F. Seib, “Obama will be Hands-on Chief,” Wall Street Journal, 13 Jan. 2009.

Quoted in Mayhill Fower, “Obama: No Need for Foreign Policy Help from V.P.,” Huffington Post, 7 Apr. 2008. (emphasis in original).

Obama quoted in Dan Balz and Hayes Johnson, The Battle for America (New York: Viking, 2010), 28.

Obama quoted in Jonathan Alter, The Promise: President Obama, Year One (New York: Simon & Shuster, 2010), 150.

Obama quoted in Ryan Lizza, “Battle Plans: How Obama Won,” The New Yorker, 17 Nov. 2008.

Obama quoted in John Helleman, “The West Wing, Season II,” New York Magazine, 23 Jan. 2011.

Scott Wilson, “Obama, the Loner President,” Op. cit.

The classic treatment of these issues remains Alexander L. George, Presidential Decisionmaking in Foreign Policy: The Effective Use of Information and Advice (Boulder, CO: Westview, 1980).

Scott Wilson, “Obama, the Loner President,” Op. cit.

John Heilemann and Mark Halprin, Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime (New York: Harper, 2010,) 32; see also John Avlon, “Irrational Obama Exuberance,” The Daily Beast, 26 Nov. 2008.

Quoted in David Mendell, Obama: From Promise to Power (New York: Amistad, 2007), 7.

Jarrett quoted in David Remmick, The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama (New York: Knopf, 2010), 274.

Helleman, “The West Wing, Season II,” Op. cit.

“Yes Minister,” BBC, 7 Jan. 2014, http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/yesminister.

Helene Cooper and Eric Schmitt, “White House Debate Led to Plan to Widen Afghan Effort,” New York Times, 28 Mar. 2009.

Mark Mazzetti, Robert F. Worth, and Michael R. Gordon, “Obama’s Uncertain Path Amid Syria Bloodshed,” New York Times, 22 Oct. 2013.

“Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event,” Washington Park, Sandusky, Ohio, 5 Jul. 2012.

Eric Schmitt and Tom Shanker, “General Calls for More U.S. Troops to Avoid Afghan Failure,” New York Times, 21 Sep. 2009.

Mark Landler and Jeff Zelany, “Among Obama Aides, Debate Intensifies on Troop Levels,” New York Times, 13 Nov. 2009.

Schmitt and Shanker, “General Calls for More U.S. Troops..,” Op. cit.

Gates quoted in Bob Woodward, “Robert Gates, Former Defense Secretary, Offers Harsh Critique of Obama’s Leadership in ‘Duty,’” Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2014.

Sheryl Stolberg and Helene Cooper, “Obama Adds Troops, but Maps Exit Plan,” New York Times, 2 Dec. 2009.

Mark Lander, “President Pulls Lawmakers Into Box He Made,” New York Times, 31 Aug. 2013.

PBS Newsmaker Interview, “President Obama: ‘I Have Not Made a Decision’ on Syria,” 28 Aug. 2013, http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/white_house/july-dec13/obama_08-28.html.

Ibid.

Chuck Todd, “The White House Walk-and-talk that Changed Obama’s Mind on Syria,” NBC News, 31 Aug. 2013.

Lander, “President Pulls…,” Op. cit. (emphasis added).

Mayhill Fower, “Obama: No Need for Foreign Policy Help from V.P.,” Op. cit.

Renshon, Barack Obama and the Politics of Redemption. Op. cit., 280–5.

Cf., Ryan Lizza, “The Second Term,” The New Yorker, 18 Jun. 2012; see also Justin Sink, “Who is He? Obama Keeps Allies, Enemies Guessing in Second Term,” The Hill, 17 Jun. 2013.

Peter Slevin, “Obama Forged Political Mettle In Illinois Capitol,” Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2007.

Eli Saslow, “From Outsider To Politician,” Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2008.

Mendell, Obama…, Op. cit., 7.

The composite reflected 99 key votes and assigned scores in three areas: economic issues, social issues, and foreign policy. See Brian Friel, Richard E. Cohen and Kirk Victor, “Obama: Most Liberal Senator in 2007,” National Journal, 31 Jan. 2008.

Robin Toner, “Obama’s Test: Can a Liberal Be a Unifier?” New York Times, 25 Mar. 2008.

Remnick, The Bridge…, Op. cit., 433.

Remnick, “The Obama Tapes,” Op. cit.

David Remnick, “Going the Distance: On and Off the Road with Obama,” Op. cit.

Barack Obama, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (New York: Crown, 2006), 29.

Ibid., 10.

Ibid., 24 (emphasis added).

David Remnick, “Going the Distance: On and Off the Road with Obama,” Op. cit.

David Remnick,“ The Obama Tapes,” Op. cit.

Jodi Kantor, “In Law School, Obama Found Political Voice,” New York Times, 28 Jan. 2007.

Ibid.

Quoted in Fox Butterfield, “First Black Elected to Head Harvard’s Law Review,” New York Times, 6 Feb. 1990.

Kantor, “In Law School…,” Op. cit.

Remnick, The Bridge…, Op. cit. 430.

Balz and Johnson, The Battle for America 2008, Op. cit., 305.

This section draws on Stanley A. Renshon, “The Decline of the Obama Presidency: A Political Psychology Perspective,” Journal of Comparative Government and European Policy (Zeitschrift für Staats- und Europawissenschaften, ZSE) 11/4 (2013), 535–569.

Remarks of President Barack Obama – As Prepared for Delivery Address to Joint Session of Congress,” White House, 24 Feb. 2009.

Rahm quoted in Gerald F. Seib, “In Crisis, Opportunity for Obama,” Wall Street Journal, 21 Nov. 2008.

Bert A. Rockman and Eric Waltenburg, “Obama at Mid-term,” Journal of Comparative Government and European Policy (Zeitschrift für Staats- und Europawissenschaften, ZSE), 2 (2010), 185.

Michael D. Shear, “Obama Invites Congressional Leaders for Cocktails at the White House,” Washington Post, 28 Jan. 2009.

Scott Wilson, “Obama, the Loner President,” Op. cit.

Huma Kahn, “‘I Won:’ President Obama Works to Be Bipartisan But Shows There Are Clear Limits,” ABC News, 23 Jan. 2009; see also Jonathan Martin and Carol E. Lee, “Obama to GOP: ‘I Won,’” Politico, 23 Jan. 2013.

Ryan Lizza, “The Second Term: What Will Obama do Now that He’s Reelected?” The New Yorker, 18 Jun. 2002.

Jonathan Alter, The Promise: President Obama, Year One, Op. cit., 244 (emphasis added).

Rockman and Waltenburg, “Obama at Mid-term,” Op. cit., 192.

Brian Montopoli, “Obama to McCain: ‘The Election’s Over,’” CBS News, 25 Feb. 2010.

Lori Montgomery and Shailagh Murray, “As Democrats Seek to Push through Health Bill, Obama Reaches out to Republicans,” Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2010.

Obama quoted in David Remnick, “Testing the Waters,” The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2008. (emphasis added).

Scott Wilson, “With an Eye on Legacy, Obama Developing Second-term Strategy,” Washington Post, 20 Jan. 2013.

Peter Baker, “Obama Pursuing a Modest Agenda in State of Union,” New York Times, 25 Jan. 2014. (emphasis added); see also Carl Huse, “President Obama’s State of the Union Address Represented a Study in Scaled-down Ambition,” New York Times, 28 Jan. 2014.

Obama quoted in David Remnick, “Going the Distance: On and Off the Road with Obama,” Op. cit.

“Remarks by the President Before Cabinet Meeting,” Cabinet Room, 14 Jan. 2014.

Emmarie Huetteman, “Aides Say Obama Is Willing to Work With or Without Congress to Meet Goals,” New York Times, 26 Jan. 2014.

Carol E. Lee and Damian Paletta, “Obama to Assert Unilateral Agenda,” Wall Street Journal, 26 Jan. 2014.

Susan Crabtree, “Obama Solicits Ideas for Ways to Sidestep Congress,” Washington Examiner, 24 Jan. 2014.

Alexandra Jaffe, “Senior Obama Advisor Pledges Executive Action,” The Hill, 26 Jan. 2014.

Arlette Sanenz, “Obama Wants Mayors To Help Him Bypass Congress,” ABC News, 23 Jan. 2014.

Peter Baker, “In State of the Union, Obama Vows Solo Action on the Economy,” New York Times, 28 Jan. 2014.

Alexis Simendinger, “Modest Proposals, Vow to Act Alone Mark Speech,” Real Clear Politics, 29 Jan. 2014.

David Nakamura and David A. Fafrenhold, “In State of the Union, Obama Vows to Expand Opportunity, With or Without Congress,” Washington Post, 21 Jan. 2013.

“Remarks by the President on the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation,” North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 15 Feb. 2014.

“State of the Union Address,” 28 Jan. 2014.

“News Conference by the President,” The White House, 30 Apr. 2013.

Quoted in Rahm Emmanuel interview for the Clinton Years, PBS Frontline, 2000.

Zachary A. Goldfarb, “Obama Fighting Perception that Administration is out of Time to Make Progress on Priorities,” Washington Post, 15 Jan. 2014.

Scott Wilson, “Obama’s Rough 2013 Prompts a New Blueprint,” Op. cit.

Scott Wilson, “With an Eye on Legacy, Obama Developing Second-term Strategy,” Washington Post, 20 Jan. 2013.

Dan Balz and Peyton M. Craighill, “Poll Finds Little Faith in Nation’s Leaders,” Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2014.

Peter Baker, “Touring States, Obama Pushes Modest Agenda,” New York Times, 29 Jan. 2014.

Graham G. Dodds, Take Up Your Pen: Unilateral Presidential Directives in American Politics (Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013); see also Phillip J. Cooper, By Order of the President: The Use and Abuse of Executive Direct Action (Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas Press, 2002).

A complete list of presidential executive orders from the consequential to the mundane may be found at the site of the American Presidency Project, http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/index.php.

Vanessa K. Burrows, “Executive Orders: Issuance, Modification, and Revocation,” Congressional Research Service, 13 Dec. 2011.

Elana Kagan, “Presidential Administration,” Harvard Law Review 114 (2000–2001), 2248.

Cf., John Morton, “Civil Immigration Enforcement Priorities for the Apprehension, Detention and Removal of Aliens,” Department of Homeland Security, 2 Mar. 2011, http://www.ice.gov/doclib/news/releases/2011/110302washingtondc.pdf.

Ron Brownstein, “Here’s How Obama Can Go It Alone,” National Journal, 30 Jan. 2014; see also Ezra Klein, “There’s Still Hope for Obama’s Change,” Bloomberg, 31 Jan. 2014.

Karl Hulse, “Executive Order May Be Only Option, but It Comes With Limits,” New York Times, 28 Jan. 2014.

Ron Brownstein, “A Pen, a Phone, and a Flailing President,” National Journal, 27 Jan. 2014.

Vanessa K. Burrows, “Executive Orders: Issuance and Revocation,” Congressional Research Service, 25 Mar. 2010, 3–4.

Ibid., 4.

Russell Berman, “Boehner Warns Obama not to go Around Congress with Orders,” The Hill, 28 Jan. 2014.

Rasmussen, “69% Think It’s Better for Obama to Work With Congress Than Go Around It,” 29 Jan. 2014.

Washington Post/ABC News poll, January 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/page/20102019/WashingtonPost/2014/01/26/National-Politics/Polling/question_13006.xml?uuid=Rv4tgIZHEeOv-BkfjReDJQ. The question’s wording seems to prime agreement by emphasizing the legitimacy of the power, without reference to its controversial nature in some quarters; Q: Presidents have the power in some cases to bypass Congress and take action by executive order to accomplish their administration’s goals. Is this approach something you...?

Dan Balz and Peyton M. Craighill, “Poll Finds Little Faith in Nation’s Leaders,” Op. cit.

Linda Feldmann, “Is Barack Obama an Imperial President?,” The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Jan. 2014.

David Ingram, “Obama Avoids Executive Actions that could Prompt Lawsuits,” Reuters, 29 Jan. 2014.

Cf., James Oliphant, “Obama’s Threat of Executive Action Won’t Help the Economy,” National Journal, 20 Jan. 2014.

Gerald F. Seib, “Obama Seeks Way to Right His Ship,” Wall Street Journal, 30 Dec. 2013.

Scott Wilson,“Obama’s Rough 2013 Prompts a New Blueprint,” Op.Cit.

Scott Wilson, “Obama, the Loner President,” Op. cit.

I borrow this term from the Hungarian psychoanalyst Michael Balint. His insight was that for all structural and dynamic psychological complexities that characterized most adult functioning, the real roots of peoples’ troubles lay in an early mismatch between a particular need and an emotional deficit surrounding its satisfaction. In Balint’s view this “basic fault” represented the starting point of an emotional fault line that developed early and often carried over into later life. Even among successful people, the right circumstances could trigger this “basic fault” and undermine them. <mspace><mspace; Balint’s concept of the basic fault was developed to help guide psychoanalytic work, but it has some usefulness in thinking about the psychological fault lines that may lie at the core of some presidential leadership. Its usefulness is that it provides a conceptual vehicle to understand how smart, accomplished people who ought to be successful leaders sometimes fail in their efforts at both leadership and governance. See Michael Balint, The Basic Fault: Therapeutic Aspects of Regression (Evanston, Ill: Northwest University Press, 1992).

Cf., “National Survey of Tea Party Supporters,” New York Times, 5–12 Apr. 2010, http://documents.nytimes.com/new-york-timescbs-news-poll-national-survey-of-tea-party-supporters; see also Kate Zernike, “That Monolithic Tea Party Just Wasn’t There,” New York Times, 1 Aug. 2011.

Lisa Myers and Hannah Rappleye, “Obama Admin. Knew Millions Could not Keep their Health Insurance,” NBC News, 1 Oct. 2013; see also Colleen McCain Nelson, Peter Nicholas and Carole E. Lee,“Aides Debated Obama Health-Care Coverage Promise,” Wall Street Journal, 2 Nov. 2013.

Dan Balz and Peyton M. Craighill, “Obama’s Ratings Tumble After Health-care Flaws,” Washington Post, 19 Nov. 2013.

Scott Wilson, “With an Eye on Legacy, Obama Developing Second-term Strategy,” Washington Post, 20 Jan. 2013.

Obama quoted in Jake Tapper and Chelsea J. Carter, “President Obama Says He’s Not Recalibrating Ambitions,” CNN-The Lead, 31 Jan. 2014.

Ron Christie, “A President Tests His Limits,” The Daily Beast, 16 Jan. 2014.