Reality Sets In... Heavily

In 1970 an R&B group called "The Chairmen of the Board" had a big hit with "Give Me Just A Little More Time." It's possible that may become the theme song for the Obama re-election campaign.

“When I said, ‘Change we can believe in,’ I didn’t say, ‘Change we can believe in tomorrow...’ ”

...backtracks the President. In other words, elect me to a second term and all those promises from the 2008 campaign will magically begin to happen.

Strategically Obama has two main problems: those people who see what he has done so far as exactly what they were afraid of - huge spending, deficits and bigger government - and those on the opposite side who castigate him for not spending enough (on them) and not expanding government in ways that benefit them.

Based on his track record (now that he finally has one) he'd be better off trying to please the second group. It's more within his world view. However, what he seems to be doing is drifting towards the middle, where he will please neither. Of course, with the House run by a Republican majority, radical action on his part would have to be via executive order, a risky proposition, since the US Supreme Court also has a conservative majority.

With the economy going nowhere this may all be moot. 10% unemployment almost certainly dooms his chances for reelection.