From my new Sunday Review/Upshot column:

When will we give up on the idea of a leader who will magically bring consensus and unity to our politics?

At election time, candidates seduce us with promises to bring America together, but inevitably fall short while in office and end up leaving office with the country more polarized than when they arrived. After blaming them for their failure to unite us, we turn to the next crop of presidential aspirants, and the cycle of hope and disappointment begins all over again.