Joel Stein: The Year of Not Trying Too Hard

Did you spend 2013 not getting stuff done? You're in good company

Remember 2012, with all that running for President, jumping out of the stratosphere to break the speed of sound, watching a 2½-hour movie about Lincoln negotiating for congressional votes, and pretending to understand the Higgs boson? All that trying so hard? This year, we learned a lesson. This year, we took it easy: 2013 was the year of not trying too hard.

The leader of the free world was the leader of not trying too hard. Instead of last-minute negotiations to prevent the sequester, we sequestered. Instead of last-minute negotiations to prevent the government shutdown, we shut down. He drew a...

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