Obama's Fresh Start: Substance Over Showbiz

Obama has shifted the focus of the presidency from showbiz to substance — at least for now

Kevin Dietsch / Getty

U.S. President Barack Obama

"It is not something we're going to be able to do overnight," Barack Obama said as he sent his Middle East envoy, George Mitchell , off to the region. Or was it when he was talking about closing Guantánamo ? Or, perhaps, when he was discussing the impact of his stimulus package on the cratering American economy? Actually, the President used a version of the line multiple times during his first week in office — a week that, rather than offering the catharsis of a bright new American morning, summoned the groaning image of a...

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