It was thirty years ago...

...this Friday that President Reagan fired 11,345 striking air traffic controllers. Declaring the situation an emergency, the president stated that if they didn't report for work within 48 hours, "they have forfeited their jobs and will be terminated."

Many observers were aghast; but it stuck. And the man who Clark Clifford had once famously dismissed as an "amiable dunce" was now seen in an entirely different light. The president was even more respected by his followers (if that was possible) and more feared by his opponents. And the public generally approved. Why? Because the average American -- heck, everyone -- likes a strong leader.

It was a transformational moment for a man who would go on to become a transformational president. But leaders don't always get the opportunity to be great. And I'm afraid President Obama may have missed his chance in the recent debt ceiling debate.

What if, rather than drawing several lines in the sand and crossing each one of them one by one, the president had merely said, "We're not going to negotiate with terrorists -- period." And stuck to it. He could have insisted on a clean debt ceiling vote (without any conditions) and, if Congress couldn't come to an agreement, declare a national emergency, invoke the 14th Amendment and unilaterally raise the debt ceiling. If anyone squawked, the president could have dared the courts to assume the responsibility for plunging the nation into another Great Depression. Is there any doubt what the Supremes would have done?

According to all the polls, the American public backed Obama in his call for a balanced approach and saw the tea party's position as extreme. The president would have been seen as a strong leader and the public would have fallen in line behind him. At the end of the day, people want a strong leader.

If the president fails to win reelection it will be because of this week.