In case the White House and DNC still read the diaries on this site...
Where is the commitment to progressive ideals with which you won the 2008 election? While governing may be very different than campaigning, pragmatism is political suicide when you have been elected because of your audacity and promise of fundamental change.
Granted, you've passed more legislation by being pragmatic than by being ideological. Unfortunately little of it has been popular - which was easily predictable. Regardless of what you did, the right was going to label you as socialist. Meanwhile, the left understood that baby steps toward reform (in all problem areas - health care, the financial system, human rights) would not get us out of the ditch the Republicans put us in. While your words have stayed relatively sound, your actions have not been invisible to us "elite" liberals. Hell, 99% of non-troll Kossacks were warning of the political consequences of compromising with imbeciles in February 2009.
While staying ideologically (and legislatively) centered around progressive ideas might have lead to gridlock, the blame for the mess we find ourselves in would remain where it should be... with the Republicans.
Doing "something" by passing watered-down legislation, especially when it required abandoning your progressive base, has allowed the Republicans to hitch the economic and social problems of the country to your yoke. But even worse, it sucked the energy out of the very people who got you elected. Having the audacity to govern from the same ideological position from which you campaigned could have avoided this sorry state of affairs.
Remedying this situation will not be easy - a Republican Party controlled by right-wing zealots is about to take over Congress...
In your spare time away from fending off impeachment efforts by the majority in the House after January 2011, you might want to think a little about returning to the solid platform that got you elected in 2008.
p.s. In the meantime, I will do what I can to elect Democrats in November, but there is no denying that my enthusiasm will remain low until there is some solid evidence that you will start fighting (pragmatism be damned) for the real change that is needed. (BTW, A stimulus package centered on tax breaks for the rich ain't gonna cut it).
p.p.s. We all know things are bad, we can handle the truth, and we're ready to sacrifice to make things right... so stop with the cheerleading already.