If Obama was implicitly promising to leave behind the old recriminations, well, that, for Loury, was precisely the problem.
Whenever my husband serves me tea or coffee he asks "Sugar?", knowing full well that for the 50 years we've known each other I've answered "No thank you".
But surely it helps as well that for twenty years now national Republicans have only been able to dream about capturing Michigan, even though its demographics would suggest that it's a potential swing state.
He knew full well that, for many of his players, the only thing up for grabs now would be a succession of pint glasses, but it was worth it to take their mind off things.
As at the Grand Union, the Beacon's hotel staff knows the tour operators and runners so well that for the past six years it has asked runners to write their finishing times on a flip chart in the lobby.
Orwell knew very well that for all the clarity of his vision there were things he simply could not see (or hear, as in this case, and have to wake up for).
