Rating Obama- Part 1- The Line Up

Technically, it is just under one year since Barack Obama took the historic oath of office on the west steps of the Capital, but it is time to hand out grades on his performance to date.

It is important to recognize that although his party holds majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, these majorities are far slimmer than they appear. In their efforts to take control of both houses, the Democrats enacted a big-tent strategy which allowed them to include a wide range of political philosophies under the Democrat label. As a result of this strategy, the Senate Democrats include more conservative members, such as Connecticut Independent Joseph Lieberman and Nebraska's Ben Nelson, along with left wing Independent Bernard Sanders of Vermont, and noted liberals Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein of California. The house includes a significant conservative democratic faction, the Blue Dog Coalition to go along with the usual liberal line up.

Neither the Senate nor the House contain a philosophically monolithic Democratic majority, willing to march in lock-step where ever the President points. As a result of these political realities, President Obama must satisfy to some degree the demands of these varied factions. Whether by his own political temperament, or as the result of political calculation, Barack Obama's Presidency has been marked by a more moderate approach than that which many of his liberal supporters hoped for and his conservative detractors feared. The result is that his most liberal supporters are currently disappointed on a number of issues and already are talking of betrayal, while his conservative opponents will never be satisfied with anything he does.

In several follow-up postings, I'll take a look at the President's record on a variety of issues, such as the economy, environment, terrorism, war, relations with other nations, and the middle east.