President Obama has little to show for the first six months of his second term beyond gridlock in Congress, turmoil in the Middle East and assorted administration controversies.
The recent history of two-term presidencies shows that things could be a lot better. By this point President Bill Clinton had already struck a landmark budget-balancing deal with Congressional Republicans.
It also could be much worse. Richard M. Nixon’s presidency began unraveling in the first six months of his second term, Dwight D. Eisenhower faced an emerging recession and Ronald Reagan battled budget woes, terrorism and health problems. George W. Bush struggled with the deteriorating Iraq war. [cont.]
John Harwood, New York Times