From the editor: What just happened?

Most of us understand, deep down, that the presidency could hardly be called a cushy job. Most also know that national problems are never as easy to solve as television noisemakers would have us believe.

Consider the intricacies of foreign policy, the personalities one must deal with across the globe, the various flash points, the unforeseen threats, the many worries on the domestic front, all that blather coming from Congress, the endless accusations from partisans ...

To wrest command over all of this requires a rare combination of inner toughness and intellect. To project that command ba...