Ultimately, our differences come down mostly to temperament. Some people are naturally cautious, and have a sharper appreciation of tragedy; others are more optimistic, with a keener appreciation of opportunity. As it happens, there are times that call for patient and incremental diplomacy, while other times require intuition and boldness. We citizen observers just hope that those with the right temperament get matched to their right moments, and that the man responsible ultimately for knowing which advisors to heed at which times, the President, has a little help from Providence. He needs it; this stuff isn't easy, and overly rigid definitions of "schools" of thought don't help. We'd all be better off out of school, contemplating raspberries.

Adam Garfinkle is editor of The National Interest.