Since the topic of the article is Liberalism I think Obama merits a mention If you want you could delete the adjective social As for your statement that there has been no expansion of the welfare state I need only mention Bush II s prescription drug plan for seniors and Obama s Affordable Health Care Act But social liberalism is not the same as welfare liberalism It includes the end of Don t Ask Don t Tell and the decriminalization of medical marijuana The election of a Black president is itself a major victory for social liberalism in a country where all previous presidents have been White