THE LONG GAME.

The article looks at criticisms of the first term of U.S. President Barack Obama from both sides of the political spectrum. The author argues that conservatives have portrayed Obama as much more liberal than his record on issues such as taxes and foreign policy, and do not acknowledge that he averted an economic depression with the stimulus package and the bank and auto industry bailouts. He also asserts that many of liberals' complaints are not realistic about what can be accomplished in a divided political climate and do not focus enough on his successes such as gay rights, appointing two women to the Supreme Court, and taking an important step towards universal health care. It is suggested that Obama is a long-term planner who values pragmatism over ideology.