Tina Brown Quotes

So here's the question: Without a change in leadership, why would the next four years be any different from the last four years?

The rap on Obama has been that he is a little too cool and aloof. The rap on Romney may be that he is just plain callous.

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.

I bumped into my cousin after she'd shaved her hair very short, and she looked incredible. She seemed so effortless and cool, and I wanted that. And, I've had it like that ever since.

It's probably fair to say that Obama's ideas were too big for America's appetite. It would have been nice had he made a few incremental repairs to the economy and left the transformative events for a less stressful time.

Obama's great asset has always been an ability to maintain his air of authority without being baritone about it. He can be boring, but he is never ridiculous or pompous.

It is frequently a misfortune to have very brilliant men in charge of affairs. They expect too much of ordinary men.

I would say that Barack Obama has always been a real optimist about what can be accomplished. He believes that government can be used to create systemic, long-term, real change. And the first lady is more of a skeptic.

The reality of split government puts a premium on creativity within the administration. President Obama needs to put the right people in charge of the agencies and then have them push the bounds of administrative power to change policy through those agencies. President Obama has a pretty good track record of this.

Obama's even keel sometimes comes across as aloof or even cold.

I just don't understand how Kerry or Obama or anybody else thought Assad was going to change.

We must lead in a different way... We must have an active president, who gives strong direction and works with the government for its implementation.

I don't think Michael Bloomberg would say that his greatest skill is delivering the speech. He would say he's more of a nuts-and-bolts mayor-picking up the trash, dealing with the school system.

We believe it is bad or dangerous to be carried away by our emotions. We admire the person who is cool, who acts without feeling.

Hope and change? We're not doing that anymore. They're doing attack and blame. And so, I just think people are going to see through this. They want real leadership. They want us to get this country on the right track.

Part of Obama's persona is self-reliance. He's calm; he's cool; he's self-possessed. In many ways, he has tried to define himself in opposition to Clinton's sometimes needy, often undisciplined, emotionalism.

Stop being conned by the old mantra that says, 'Leaders are cool, managers are dweebs.' Instead, follow the Peters Principle: Leaders are cool. Managers are cool too!

There is a growing sense among Americans outside the Beltway that while President Obama may be a good talker, he is a lousy manager.

'Cool' is detached and emotionally cool. My instinct is to battle anything that seems overly cool.

Given the daunting challenges that we face, it's important that president elect Obama is prepared to really take power and begin to rule day one.

More and more, Democrats are starting to worry they that they have a more um, colorful version of Jimmy Carter on their hands. Obama acts cool as a proverbial cucumber but that awful '70s show seems frightfully close to a rerun.

Now I know how Jack feels when he has told three people that they can each be Secretary of State.

Successful reform requires a long-term vision, driven by political leadership.

You can’t govern a country on charisma.

As Obama prepares to begin the last year of his presidency, he stands in an unusual position on the national stage: He is the rationalist, a creature of intellect rather than emotion.