Holding a majority in Congress doesn't equate to automatic legislative success. Even with a 60-vote majority in the Senate for about six months, this was a fragile supermajority. The Senate's 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster meant that every single member of the Democratic caucus, including independents, needed to vote in unison. It's not a total shock that he didn't get a little more done. Many on his side of the aisle still disagreed with more ambitious parts of the agenda.

In contrast, President George W. Bush’s legislative successes, particularly post-9/11, had a rallying sense of national unity to thank. The political climate was very different and partisan divides weren't as serious.

The notion that Obama "backstabbed" the public by blaming Republicans isn’t accurate. Public records and statements indicate that Republican leaders set a strategy of obstruction against Obama’s agenda. It’s on paper. They manufactured an environment where even routine legislation became a battleground. It was a stark contrast to the unity seen during the early Bush years.