Obama has long admired Abe Lincoln and has made his political life one of making these united States a more perfect Union. He is a constitutional lawyer and someone who is unique in American politics because of his bi-racial background as well as his childhood journeys outside the US.
He does not cuddle Congressional Democrats like Clinton. His use of Rahm Emanuel was to do this grunge work for him. He doesn't understand why he has to debate someone over achievements that are palpably clear to everyone - that's why he was so disengaged in the first debate. He tends to be a loner and very private person. His Chicago operatives were the perfect marriage for him. Indeed Plouffe and Axelrod and Gibbs and Rice and Jarret and Mussina have redefined political consultancy and Presidential campaigns.
He had three private luncheons with Presidential historians in his first year and a few months to find out more about the Presidential achievements of those who came before him. He always thinks ahead and not so much for the present. That's why deficits needed to stabilize the economy and give room to restructure the fundamentals of manufacturing were not seen as an evil. He rushed to transform educational standards and emphasize math and science. He was hell-bent on using his early political capital to get his signature health care bill that will change the landscape of a basic ingredient of society. He could have done comprehensive tax overhaul or immigration change. He was surprised at the resistance to modernity as expressed by the TEA party and the opposition by the Congressional Republican party.
Obama ended the Iraq war and is en route to end the Afghan one. He led in getting dictators out - Qadaffi without ground troops and too much expense; and Mubarak by tapping on the military's shoulders. His sanctions on Iran is about to achieve his non-proliferation aim without firing a missile. He has faced TEA party-like opposition from Netanyahu on the Palestinian question, but he is reshaping America's focus in the Pacific.
When Obama's two terms have been massaged by historians a lot of people will reflect on how little they reflected on the context of Obama's political life.