What makes Barack Obama such a great President?

[bhikkhu]

29. Your first paragraph covers much of it

I would add, in fairness, that 2009 wasn't a good year for most of us, and it certainly wasn't a stand-out year for the president. 2010 was a better year for accomplishments and progress, in spite of the repugs kicking our asses at the ballot box.

And 2011 was a genuinely good year, again in spite of vigorous obstruction. I don't think its unreasonable to say that there may be a learning curve to the presidency, and Obama has pretty much got it figured out now. A second term should be much more productive, particularly if we can produce a more cooperative congress.

Ending the war in Afghanistan (as he plans to do) would make him a close-to-great president in my book, while officially ending the war against Al-qaeda and retiring the AUMF would make him a great president.

on edit - now I forgot to add a thing that's at least as important as ending wars - if he is able to turn around the long increases we have seen to income inequality in this country, that would be a great thing. I don't think any means for "sudden change" there is likely to be effective, but if he turned it around in the same deep policy-driven way that Reagan sent it in the wrong direction, that would be fine.