You can't help but be impressed with President Barack Obama's ability to communicate. Whether it's a formal speech to a joint session of Congress, an informal discussion after a summit on a very controversial subject, responding to questions at a press conference, or bantering with someone on ESPN, the president always seems to be on message, informed, articulate, and confident.

But the most impressive part of the Obama administration's communications abilities actually goes far beyond what is immediately evident: the president ...