David Maraniss: “Second terms often bring a new set of frustrations for a president,
following the laws of diminishing returns and lame-duckiness. But
history also shows that a second term is required to create, or to
ratify, presidential greatness — and in that sense, Obama is not
ambivalent about his ambitions. Since he first thought about being
president, a notion that came to him relatively late compared with most
politicians, he has wanted to be a great one. When he stepped onto the
stage Tuesday night, he realized that he has that chance.”

