Tempest has swirled around Barack Obama from the first days of his presidency. The president, however, has refused to be rattled and instead has shown a strong personal character trait that is appealing to more Americans.
He has remained an island of calm in the center of storms—a virtue celebrated by Rudyard Kipling's 1895 poem, "If," in which he wrote, "If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs ... you'll be a Man, my son."
Even as the upheaval in Egypt became bloody and threatened to turn the Middle East into a new crisis, President Obama has suffered no meaningful Republican criticism.
House Speaker John Boehner: "Our administration so far has handled this tense situation pretty well." James Baker, secretary of state under President George H.W. Bush: "They've been handling the Egyptian crisis quite well, frankly."
Potential GOP presidential candidates have fallen silent, except for, predictably, Newt Gingrich, who said of the president and his advisers, "I don't think they have a clue." Gingrich, of course, had no suggestions.
Lack of widespread GOP comment also indicates that some Republican critics lack depth or interest in foreign affairs.
Persistence with policies is now yielding a slow decline in unemployment. Standing firm, Obama also overcame GOP opposition to design a new nuclear treaty with Russia.
While Obama presents a presidential persona to the country, detractors such as Sarah Palin are increasingly insulting.
The result is a measurable uptick in his popularity and confidence level of Americans.
Adult behavior wins out every time.
