His failure to lead is no more or less than that. Franklin Roosevelt, on whom Obama openly modeled his campaign, spent his transition feverishly working on progressive legislation enacted the moment he took office, producing a legendary First Hundred Days that set the standard for every new president since. Obama managed naught but a few industry bailouts, while his campaign centerpiece, healthcare reform, languished in neglect until six months after he took office, when the seemingly endless stream of industry bail/handouts had depleted all his campaign popularity.

Likewise failing to replicate the achievements of the other great liberal icon, LBJ, Obama authored no healthcare bill of his own and refused to participate in negotiations with recalcitrant Congressmen. He delegated the latter duty to Reid and Pelosi, then cut their legs from beneath them each time they made a stand against attempts to water down the bill. The closest he came to involvement was forbidding Reid to strip Liebermans committee assignments as punishment for campaigning for McCain, which would supposedly produce bipartisan cooperation, but instead told a single Independent Senator he had the power to singlehandedly scuttle healthcare reform (which, being from the insurance capital of America, he promptly did.)

Obamas First Hundred Days and first term are a pathetic joke compared to FDRs, a contrast the more stark because Senate cloture required a 2/3 rather than 60% majority in 1932. Obama had the power; he simply did not use it for anyone but insurance, auto and oil companies. I kept saying I would have voted for Romney had I wanted him; where does that leave me now...?