In my mind, Obama’s big idea was to run in the first place. I remember seeing his speech at the 2004 Democratic convention. My wife was watching, too, and we both were blown away. We even made the point to each other that we needed to remember his name. Clearly, that became unnecessary soon enough.

What is missing for me is the acknowledgement that it is always the man, the circumstances, and the flow of events from the time the two come together which allows the sort of Big Idea you speak of. Churchill was a discarded and disgraced politician until Chamberlain so messed things up that the Brits were willing to give Churchill another shot.

Kennedy benefited from living in a time when a politician could get away with a great deal of personal information staying private. He would never have been elected if the electorate was aware of how serious his back injury was, not to mention his other health challenges and his behavioral ones.

Reagan came on the scene as the Communist system, at least as ruled by the Soviets, was decaying from the root. He helped push it over, but it was rotten enough for him to get the job done without nearly the struggle it would have been 30 years earlier.

Remember our recent discussion on civil discourse, Brad? We spoke on JJL about the potential to disagree without becoming disagreeable. It is a skill seriously lacking in today’s world. Today, the least indication of disagreement becomes name calling and demonizing and declaring the other to be THEM, much different and unacceptable to US.

I’m not pointing fingers, just as you are not, Brad. I see it on both sides of the political spectrum if the worst at either extreme end. I see it from senior officials of our own government and from wild-eyed commentators, again from both extremes.

It doesn’t matter what tactic is employed to solve the crises of the world today as long as this sickness of division and dehumanization goes untreated.

From how you define eloquence, it would seem that it is not within the realm of possibility.

From my own perspective, unless one happens to be Rush Limbaugh who is absolutely certain all the time, about any topic you might name, all of us are uncertain at some level as we sail these uncharted waters.

I don’t pretend to be prescient and thereby able to see what is coming down the pike, but I can say for a fact that our current president’s critics have given him less opportunity than his predecessor was allowed eight years ago to lead in the beginning of his term minus the squabbling to which our legislative bodies seem to devolve.

Even the worst of marriages typically start with a honeymoon longer than Obama’s has been. Not that it would have lasted until now, but that it would have at least lasted out the week of his inauguration.

When was the last time you saw a departing vice president openly critical of the new administration within a matter of a few months? That’s an audacity demonstrated which gave me pause. Unprecedented, but not surprising behavior from Dick Cheney which I think even the leaders of his own party were put off to hear.

As I said in my earlier comment, well-intentioned and thoughtful people will debate the issues which are arising in how Obama has managed his first six months in office, along with the ones which will arise in the next six, at which point he will be all of 25% of the way into his term of office.

His challenges are so many and so large that I am grateful for the support he has at home, for his apparent good health, and for an evident strong will. I honestly don’t think John McCain would have lived out his term when one considers the enormity of the task, and if that scenario didn’t scare the dickens out of people who voted for him, they didn’t connect the dots.

Not that I am particularly excited at the possibility of Joe Biden sitting behind the desk in the oval office, but at least the chances of that happening are demonstrably smaller than to see soon-to-be former governor Palin in that seat had McCain won.

Looping back to where we started, my contention is a simple one: I contend that no person could be elected president of this nation and come to his inauguration day with an approval rating so ridiculously high without possessing the skill of a great orator. Clearly, America craved it, and he delivered.

And, that’s an opinion! We all can have as many of those as we can fit in our opinion carry-on.

My feeling is that eloquence is about moving the listener, inspiring and lifting the spirit, displaying a grace and confidence in the use of the language.

I appreciate you offering a calm description as to why you don’t find our president a compelling and eloquent speaker, Brad. I’m fine with agreeing to disagree on this one.

If you remain unconvinced of his eloquence, or at least its occasional peeping out from under the podium, it would seem to me that you may be seeking more than there is in any of us to offer.

My point has nothing whatsoever to do with his policies or strategic decision-making prowess. Well-intentioned, smart people can debate those–and will–for years to come. Right now, I’m curious to know if your opinion of Obama’s ability to speak eloquently has changed since a year ago.

Thanks, Brad!