Midterm blues: President Obama took a beating in November's elections. Can a wounded President and a divided Washington make any progress on the enormous challenges the U.S. faces at home and abroad?

• Author: Sanger, David E.
• Position: NATIONAL

Two years ago, when Barack Obama stood on the steps of the Capitol and was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States, the words "hope and change"--the clarion call of his improbable campaign for the presidency--resounded across the nation.

But 24 months is a long time in American politics, especially in an era of high unemployment, soaring national debt, and a broad sense of disillusionment among voters. So last month, still reeling from November's midterm elections in which Obama took what he himself called a "shellacking," the President sounded very different. Talk of hope was replaced with weary acknowledgment of "new realities." And talk of change was out; suddenly, the word "compromise" was in.

In fact, two years into his presidency, Obama faces exactly the kind of dilemma that confronted many of his predecessors, from Thomas Jefferson to Bill Clinton.

Any President who suddenly loses a large number of seats in Congress must decide between sticking to his guns and compromising to get something done. Facing sharp divisions and a country stung by the ongoing recession, Obama has clearly signaled he's choosing to compromise in an effort to break the gridlock in Washington that has infuriated so many voters.

'We're Going to Compromise'

Consider what he said in early December, just a few hours after he had given in to Republican demands to retain deep tax cuts enacted by President George W. Bush a decade ago. As a candidate, Obama had railed against those tax cuts, saying they gave too much to the wealthiest Americans. As President, he cut a deal, extending the cuts--at a cost of nearly a trillion dollars--in return for extended unemployment benefits and additional tax relief for middle-class workers that could help stimulate the economy.

"This is a big, diverse country," Obama said, clearly annoyed with charges that he'd given up on his principles. "In order to get stuff done, we're going to compromise."

He argued that Franklin D. Roosevelt settled for less than he wanted in 1935 when he created the Social Security program, which guarantees a minimal level of income for retirees--but the program improved drastically over the decades. Obama said he did the same thing last year when he agreed to a health care law that didn't include everything he wanted.

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"This country was founded on compromise," he said. As a black American, Obama added, "I couldn't go through the front door at this country's founding. And if we were really thinking about ideal positions, we wouldn't have a Union." He seemed to be referring to the many compromises that kept the country together...