'Who listens to a President?'

I really enjoyed this New Yorker piece on the ability of presidents to persuade.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/03/19/120319fa_fact_klein

The bottom line: Most presidents do not persuade the public. Even Reagan, studied empirically, did not. And yet they all think that they can.

The exception: The president's support, lack of support, or indifference to a bill alters how Congress votes along party lines.

Much like in baseball/sabermetrics, I like when political scientists put our cliches and assumptions to the test with empirical evidence. The article made me want to read some of the books it cites.

 

A lot of people and a whole media network does, to figure out what they need to shriek wildly in fear about.