 Saying hello to one Democratic megadonor and family friend at the White House recently, the president stared blankly and nodded his head. The first lady intervenes, whisper in her husband's ear, telling him to say hello to the donor by name and to thank them for their recent generosity. The president repeated the words his wife had fed him. It hasn't been good for a long time, but it's gotten so, so much worse. A witness to the exchange told me so much worse. OK, so here's the thing.