I think Barack Obama is one of the most exciting politicians to come along in a long time.

What strikes me when I leave Washington is the extent to which there's a huge disconnect between Washington and the rest of the country. The rest of the country is not hyper partisan.

Who the hell ever dreamed up a tie? It's just such a weird idea, and yet it has been literally hanging around forever as the one constant and boring men's fashion staple.

I met Barack Obama, I read his book, I like him a great deal. I disagree with him on very fundamental issues.

I think the press are good people; I think they're educated people.

I don't think that the press in 2004 was any more unfair to Bush than they were to Kerry.

I think the press has an interest in communicating to its viewers or readers, and their viewers or readers drive profit for those news organizations, so I think those news organizations have a certain bias toward their own readers. Yeah, I think they are a special interest. Of course they are.

Social Security and Medicare are necessary safety nets, but they are nearing insolvency as fewer pay in, more take out, and more take out more.

Debates require a lot of hard work and preparation. If you try to wing it, it shows.

Voters are looking for credibility and are wary of polish. At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter which candidate can more deftly read a teleprompter.

To pull off successful attacks in debates, you have to execute with nuance and subtlety. It has to be artful.

Marco Rubio is interesting because he checks so many boxes when you think about what a Republican nominee needs. He brings Florida, he's young, he's Hispanic, the Tea Party likes him. But that said, he's got issues, actually surprisingly, ironically, with Mexican-American voters.

A messy participatory process is representative democracy at its best.

Immigration is the most explosive issue I've seen in my political career.

The GOP cannot expect to win the presidency in the future by simply relying on running up big numbers with white voters.

Technology has had more of an impact on the presidency and how the presidency communicates than anything.

Now personally, I think the president should golf every day and never have a press conference. I want the leader of the free world to be as stress-free as possible. And if golf helps fade the psychic heat from the job, by all means tee it up often, Mr. President.

Elections are about the future. And the GOP will not win a campaign focused on the past.

Contrary to conventional military and game theory, the most effective offense is sometimes a direct attack against your political opponent's greatest strength - not his weaknesses - to place him immediately on the defensive.

As a Republican, I never expected to be working with Hillary Clinton.

The press doesn't just cover presidential campaigns, they influence them by making arbitrary decisions about who is 'top tier' and merits coverage.

A failure to act is a terrible, stunning legacy for any leader. But far worse when it is the president of the United States. And that's the point driven home by Romney's selection of Ryan, who dared to lead when Obama did not.

Convention speeches are powerful tools to bend the curve of public opinion. George H. W. Bush's 1988 convention speech is a great example. His son's speech was also quite powerful.

Voters crave authenticity.