In politics you also have to be cautiously optimistic.
It is impossible to live without failing at something unless you live so cautiously that you might has well not have lived at all in which case you have failed by default.
You can't test courage cautiously.
I was totally absorbed in the real world the politics the history the news and I just couldn't find my way into the fictional world... When I finally could return to writing the novel it was in fits and starts.