Governing is more than a morality tale  One of the common
misperceptions of American politics is that a great speech or a
rhetorical call to arms can shape domestic policy.  In fact, the
Founding Fathers established a system of governance -- with
separation of powers, and checks and balances -- that makes it
very difficult to get things done. The exceptions often have
come after national tragedies (see: the Great Society after
JFK's assassination) or when one party holds the White House and
a supermajority in Congress (see: the New Deal under FDR, when
Democrats once held a 75-17 majority in the Senate).  As
presidential scholar Richard Neustadt once observed, the White
House is actually a weak office when it comes to domestic
affairs, and that successful presidents -- in terms of getting
things done -- use their powers to persuade and bargain.
Neustadt wrote:   But Drew Westen's harsh critique -- from the
left -- of Barack Obama's presidency so far misses this
understanding of separation of powers, checks an