Ever since Obama took office, if not before, some Progressives have been acting as if Obama was supposed to create this Progressive revolution. It's a mystery where they got that idea.
Take Obama's entrance onto the national stage, the first time that most people here have probably been exposed to him. He made a speech about bringing together Democrats and Republicans and a "small shift" in priorities. The speech was acclaiming for calling attention to the problems of political polarization.
In the years afterwards, Obama continued on similar themes. In The Audactiy of Hope, Obama admits sheepishly, defensively, "I'm a Democrat,"
In the campaign against John Edwards and Hillary Clinton, Obama was asked why he thought he could do better than the other candidates for the Democratic nomination. His answer is that he thought he was the only one of them who could actually govern because he was less polarizing.
The Obama campaign and their supporters made a huge deal out of Obama's crowds in places like Idaho, North Dakota, and other extremely conservative, traditionally Republican places with few minorities. On the night before Super Tuesday, the media narrative is that independents would support only Obama.
The Obama campaign and their supporters made a huge deal out of "overcoming" the battles of the 1990s-- implying that bitter fighting with your opponent was not the right idea. They wanted to "overcome" the culture wars of the boomers and usher in a new era of good feelings. You don't do this by being a strong Progressive and trying to move the football as far as possible. You do it by calling off the game and going to a bar together. Obama never counted on the other side refusing to get off the field, but he never promised to play aggressive.
Even "change" was not mean to refer to Progressive change, but a reduction in the level of corruption. However, Obama never really said how he'd implement those changes. That's probably because he had no idea how, and never really had any plan, which is partially why more Americans today think Congress is corrupt than ever.
Oh yes, Obama has failed. Politics are more polarized than ever. Oh yes, his campaign was a lie. Congress is as corrupt as ever. That's what happens when you say you're going to overturn something very, very old and deep seated and the Achilles heel of democracy since the days of the Founders, but the tools in your arsenal consist of nothing more than slick rhetoric written by a speechwriter in his 20s.
But his failure is not the way that some of his "Progressive" critics insist. Obama decided a long time ago he wouldn't be a fighter because if he did, he would be seen as the angry black man, and that has always been a political loser for blacks. Instead, he has always said he would prioritize pragmatism over ideology. Too bad if some missed his entire career up to this point.