One former administration official told me directly that the people in the White House "NEVER TALK TO REAL PEOPLE." Another former Obama staffer confided to me that it was clear to him that the president didn't mind giving speeches (lectures), but really avoided personal contact with members of Congress and folks outside the Beltway. "He doesn't seem to derive energy from spending time with regular people the way Clinton did. He rallies to give speeches for the big crowds, but avoids individual contact," the former staffer recalled. This "arms-length" attitude extends to top decision-makers in the president's administration. A senior housing official recently told me that, despite the fact that he was responsible for crafting policies to stem the foreclosure crisis, he had personally never met with a homeowner who had been foreclosed on.

The president's disinterest in input from those outside his inner circle is costing him many wasted opportunities. Recently, a senator told me Obama went to his/her state, but issued an invitation for the senator to attend the event only the day before. "I represent a must-win state and lead the president in approval ratings by nearly 20 points. He was totally off-message for what my people wanted to hear. Doesn't the White House get it? I don't need him, he needs ME!"