Midterm Election Reality is Sinking In

By Harry Smith

The reality is sinking in. From President Obama's description of the mid-term elections as a shellacking to the new "60 Minutes" interview with Steve Kroft where the president takes personal responsibility for not communicating effectively enough. This is a president who is chagrined, and maybe even humiliated. We made the point in this space a number of months back that the man who talked his way into the White House had seemed to lose his voice. As he travels to Asia, he'll have time on the plane to think about how he can find it again. This is a man not without empathy. We don't want an emoter in chief. But, the country needs to know that the president gets it. That life in these United States for many is damn tough now. The country is also short on optimism. Marry that eloquence with a vision for the future and the applause will follow. And listen. The next two years don't have to be as bad as Tuesday.

Just a Minute...I'm Harry Smith, CBS News