IF JIMMY CARTER'S SWEATER FITS...:

Mr. President, some leadership, please (Eugene Robinson, November 9, 2010, Washington Post)

In his only interview since the GOP rampage, with Steve Kroft of "60 Minutes," Obama was reasonable, analytical, professorial - but also uninspired and uninspiring. I'm just being honest, if not generous; when Kroft asked whatever happened to Obama's "mojo," the president gave the impression that he's been wondering the same thing.

By uninspired, I mean there was no sense that Obama relishes the high-stakes political battles that are sure to come over the next two years. There was no hint, for example, that he looks forward to the opportunity to put Republicans on the spot about all the unrealistic budget-cutting they say they want to carry out. And by uninspiring, I mean that the president offered no vision of a brighter tomorrow. Instead, he sketched a future not quite as dim as the present.

Obama said he has learned that "leadership isn't just legislation" - that it's also "a matter of persuading people . . . giving them confidence and bringing them together . . . setting a tone." He acknowledged that "we haven't always been successful at that," then gave a demonstration.

"Do you get discouraged? Are you discouraged now?" Kroft asked.

"I do get discouraged," Obama replied, according to the transcript of the full interview. "I thought that the economy would have gotten better by now. You know, one of the things I think you understand - as president you're held responsible for everything. But you don't always have control of everything, right? And especially an economy this big. There are limited tools to encourage the kind of job growth that we need. But I have fundamental confidence in this country. I am constantly reminded that we have been through worse times than these, and we've always come out on top. And I'm positive that the same thing is going to happen this time. You know, there are going to be setbacks, and we may take two steps forward and one step back, but the trajectory of this country is always positive."

Well, it may be unfair, but presidents aren't allowed to be discouraged.