Obama's term needs to find focus, author says

President Barack Obama
President Obama held a press conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House last December. Obama said 2014 can be a "breakthrough year."
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

President Obama's second term is suffering from a case of attention deficit disorder, writes author Greg McKeown in a recent Politico op-ed.

By giving too little attention to too many things, the president is failing to make serious headway on any single issue, he says. Prioritizing a few tasks, argues McKeown, would benefit the president and the country as a whole:

I am not suggesting for one moment that this is easy. To define the priority is hard. It takes debate, disagreement and really tough conversations — and that's just within a leader's inner circle. Still, it goes to the very essence of leadership. Obama needs to debate and answer this question, "If we only get one thing done in 2014, what should it be?"

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.