Peggy Noonan is a bit haughty. But she writes a handy op-ed, such as this one on President Obama becoming disonnected:

The real story is that his rhetorical and iconic detachment are harped on because they reflect a deeper disconnect, the truly problematic one, and that is over policy. It doesn’t really matter how he sounds. It matters, in a time of crisis, what he does. That’s where the lack of connection comes in.

… All politicians are canaries in coal mines, they’re always the first to feel the political atmosphere…

In a way, Mr. Obama’s disconnection is a sign of the times. We are living in the age of breakup, with so many of the ties that held us together loosening and fraying. If the president wants to lead toward something better, he should try listening. If you can’t connect through the words you speak, at least you can do it through your ability to hear

Something for our own politicians to mull over as they gear up for the election?