The Third Most Challenging Presidency
By Richard C. Leone, The Star-Ledger, November 6, 2008

http://blog.nj.com/njv_richard_c_leone/2008/11/the_road_ahead.html

"In the midst of an economic crisis and two wars, what is needed most of all is a renewed sense of national confidence and presidential mastery that assures that these problems will be tackled aggressively. In these emergency circumstances, strong leadership is likely to produce strong Congressional support because of a widespread realization that "something must be done." No one is going to want to be perceived as obstructionist or sit indifferently on the sidelines; indeed, it's likely that some Republicans will join with Democrats in solutions to solve the problems even if the Democrats get most of the credit (and perhaps blame later if the solutions fail). Moreover, there is historical precedent for this kind of situation and it all seems to argue for the virtues of Democrats taking full advantage of their sweeping victory."