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I'm not driving to be a popular president.

The presidency is more than a popularity contest.

A president must serve only the common cause of the people of the United States.

As someone who has more than a passing acquaintance with most of the 20th century presidents, I have often thought that their accomplishments have little staying power in shaping popular views of their leadership.

A president cannot sit on his hands and be seen as passive in the face of ruthless action by a foreign dictator.

Presidents are elected not by direct popular vote but by 538 members of the Electoral College.

Being president is like running a cemetery: you've got a lot of people under you and nobody's listening.

Second, the President's popularity has not translated into increased support for the Republican party or for the policies and approaches on domestic policy championed by the President.

There's always been that theory that if a candidate can't run a decent campaign, he probably can't run a decent presidency. That might be true, although sadly I must admit that running a brilliant campaign does not translate into running a brilliant White House.