Political winds are funny things. When they are blowing in from behind, leaders look poised, in control, and powerful. When they are blowing into their face, they look overwhelmed, out of their depth, and utterly impotent. We have seen this time and again over the years with presidents.

Take Jimmy Carter. When he was a candidate for the presidency, he promised to return the office to the people, and bring about a moral revival. It helped him become the first person from the Deep South ever to win the White House, but he looked like a fool when the country was hit with 10 percent inflation. The “malaise” speech, followed by his request for all his Cabinet heads to submit their resignations, was actually classic Carter – he was asking the country to look carefully at itself and he would do the same with his administration. But it totally backfired, and he was mocked for seeming erratic.