Of all the attributes one should look for in a President, the process of choosing good Cabinet members and White House staff is the most important. His enemies warned that he had had no administrative and people-managing experience, and here we are having to ruefully agree that they tended to be correct, even if they knew damn all else.

No boss can do everything himself. He has to have motivated and reliable staff. Unfortunately, Obama’s staff have fallen flat on their faces, especially with healthcare, but also over Syria and phone tapping. A good manager should be able to recruit at least 3 out of 4 good people, especially if you are US President, with all the advice available in the country. As for the President himself, a good manager, contemplating his signature achievement, the Affordable Health legislation, should have had daily meetings: what’s going on, how far have we got? When will you start testing? How many people are you planning to be on the website at one time? He should have been on the phone cajoling, bullying, insisting – it’s his great health initiative. The above are not technical questions – they are common sense.

Epicureans want peaceful, enjoyable lives, with good conversations with good friends. But at the moment their peace is being spoiled by the antics of hate groups and self-inflicted wounds among those who are elected to govern us. They see the country declining before their eyes. They are citizens like everyone else, and what is going on affects them in very way. It is painful to watch a smart guy coming unstuck in real time.