If you wanted a liberal version of President Bush, you voted for the wrong man.

[SidneyCarton]

President Obama is not a maniacal narcissist, he is a pragmatist. He will try to work with the Republicans, and will work around them only if he has to. Remember his inaugural speech? He is trying to prove government works, hence unlike his predecessor he is not governing, to wreck (which does not require much in the way of consensus) but attempting to actually govern the country, it will not be some glorious steamroller, we need to get used to it.