(CNN) -- Even though he sailed to the White House on the wings of his soaring rhetoric, President Barack Obama could find that he is on mission impossible as he launches his media blitz on Syria this week -- six television interviews on Monday and a dramatic prime time address on Tuesday. Perhaps he will persuade a skeptical public, but it is surely the toughest speaking assignment of his presidency. Surprisingly, he is now tripling down on his Syrian bet. First he drew the red line, uncertain whether President Bashar al-Assad would call his bluff. Then he doubled down by insisting on a vote from an unreliable Congress. Now he is placing almost all his chips on the table by betting on his capacity to turn around public opinion.Gergen, Katz: Rarely has a president faced as tough a public mood as does ObamaThey say he has ability to get people to like him but may not be persuasive on SyriaAuthors: Public mood seems strongly against interventionResearchers say the impact of the White House "bully pulpit" has been exaggerated
(Someday, in their memoirs, will _ insiders please tell us what they were thinking?).