Yes, politics in a certain context is fun, exciting, stay up all night and figure things out type good times. And it is sure a lost art. Graber is certainly right about a group mind that can bring to bare a larger sense of intelligence, comprehension and ways of action than just about any individual. Hell that's the whole basis of culture and it yields results far beyond even a group effort.
We are not used to thinking in these terms, but it sure helps to go somewhere else and or read a lot to assemble ideas from numerous sources present and past. The collective past may weight heavily or can liberate you ... I felt liberated in my delusional enthusiasm for the Egyptians...well an horrified for the Japanese.
Nice talk
CG