Obama press conference

Seemed to go rather well, as far as I could see.

Obama's unflappable and takes the long view, which makes him really hard for the Bush I-Clinton-Bush II trained press and punditry to figure out.

The cable news cycle and political press tend to be like Wall Street day traders, excessively focused on short-term considerations. Wise investors, we're always told, look out for the long term and I think Obama is showing that rings just as true for politicians.

Tactical politics may be entertaining, but the vast majority of people, of voters, only check in on an occasional basis and they miss out on most of the tactical maneuvering. They're interested in the long haul. We saw that with the public reaction to the Iraq war. While the pundits were still debating, the public rendered its judgment.