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Obama's Presidency Joins the Fray

Americans prefer a leader who does not stand aloof from the weight and the lessons of our history.

In May of this year, President Obama brought together a group of presidential historians for what was supposed to be the first of many meetings. By available accounts, he was curious about the rise of the tea party, curious as to whether there had been precedents for this sort of backlash against the established order. He listened to these experts of the American presidency, but was prickly and didn't give anything away.

We shouldn't be surprised. What most engaged Mr. Obama before his rise to the highest office in the land...