A PRESIDENCY ABOUT NOTHING:

In his astonishingly swift rise, he was virtually alone - a Democrat, but not a creature of the Democratic Party, a politician of progressive instincts, but not an ideologue. His tendency toward solitude, however, left him disinclined to build new ties and allies in Washington, leaning instead on his family and close friends from Chicago.

Moreover, he has little use for small talk or the grubbier side of politics, and his overweening pride in his exceptional intelligence makes him impatient with others' ideas. As a result, members of Congress, business figures, and others have felt put off in his presence - even insulted by his remoteness.

More broadly, Obama's approach to governing has run counter to his early claim that he wanted to create a "team of rivals" that would offer competing views. His preference for surrounding himself with people who have proved their loyalty has produced a White House staff that is widely considered, even by some cabinet officials, to be less than stellar. It is also a staff that has exercised tight control over policy. Cabinet members have chafed at their proposals being subjected to lengthy review by White House committees, whose reports are often opaque.

Follow @brothersjudd