[richlevy]

Originally Posted by DanaC

Isn't Obama kind of hampered in what he can and can't do as President though?

In addition to self-imposed limits, like having to play the adult and not let the country to default, there is the additional limit caused by the filibuster.

When the Democrats were in the minority, even though they filibustered or used the threat of filibuster sparingly, Ann Coulter made the rounds of conservative talk shows and correctly stated that the filibuster is a rule and has no backing in law or the Constitution. When the Democrats gained the majority she was strangely silent. The Republican minority used filibusters at least 7 times more often than Democrats had ever done. This was one of the major reasons why many of the Obama administration initiatives failed to pass.

It was also, ironically, one of the reasons Republicans were able to retake the House of Representatives. Voters were right to ask why the Obama failed to fulfill his promises. Unfortunately, in the election that followed, they ended up rewarding the obstructionists that caused the situation that they were complaining about. They also set the stage for gridlock.