At home and abroad , Obama 's trail of disasters . 
NEW YORK , NY - SEPTEMBER 23 : U.S. President Barack Obama , who is in New York City for the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly , speaks at the Clinton Global Initiative on September 23 , 2014 in New York City . 
AS HE PREPARES to move out of the White House , Barack Obama is understandably focused on his legacy and reputation . 
Certainly Obama has his admirers . 
Moreover , Obama is going out with better-than-average approval ratings for a departing president . 
Most Americans long ago got over their crush on Obama , as they repeatedly demonstrated at the polls . 
In 2010 , two years after electing him president , voters trounced Obama 's party , handing Democrats the biggest midterm losses in 72 years . 
Obama was reelected in 2012 , but by nearly 4 million fewer votes than in his first election , making him the only president ever to win a second term with shrunken margins in both the popular and electoral vote . 
Two years later , with Obama imploring voters , "-LSB- My -RSB- policies are on the ballot -- every single one of them ," Democrats were clobbered again . 
And in 2016 , as he campaigned hard for Hillary Clinton , Obama was increasingly adamant that his legacy was at stake . 
As a political leader , Obama has been a disaster for his party . 
After eight years under Obama , the GOP is stronger than at any time since the 1920s , and the outgoing president 's party is in tatters . 
Obama urged Americans to cast their votes as a thumbs-up or thumbs-down on his legacy . 
In almost every respect , Obama leaves behind a trail of failure and disappointment . 
Obama took office during a painful recession and -LRB- with Congress 's help -RRB- made it even worse . 
Historically , the deeper a recession , the more robust the recovery that follows , but the economy 's rebound under Obama was the worst in seven decades . 
Obama spent more public funds on "stimulus" than all previous stimulus programs combined , with wretched , counterproductive results . 
In 2008 , when Obama was first elected president , 63 percent of Americans considered themselves middle class . 
Obama argues energetically that his economic policies have delivered prosperity and employment . 
"Millions and millions and millions and millions of people look at that pretty picture of America he painted ," said Bill Clinton after Obama extolled the recovery in his last State of the Union speech , "and they can not find themselves in it to save their lives ." 
But Obama was certain the measure would win public support , because of three promises he made over and over : that the law would extend health insurance to the 47 million uninsured , that it would significantly reduce health insurance costs , and that Americans who had health plans or doctors they liked could keep them . 
For months , Obama and his lieutenants insisted that Syrian dictator Bashar Assad could be induced to "reform ," and pointedly refused to intervene as an uprising against him metastasized into genocidal slaughter . 
At last Obama vowed to take action if Assad crossed a "red line" by deploying chemical weapons -- but when those weapons were used , Obama blinked . 
As a candidate for president , Obama promised to soothe America 's bitter and divisive politics , and to replace red stateblue state animosity with cooperation and bipartisanship . 
According to Gallup , Obama became the most polarizing president in modern history . 
Like all presidents , he faced partisan opposition , but Obama worsened things by regularly taking the low road and disparaging his critics ' motives . 
During his 2012 reelection campaign , Politico reported that "Obama and his top campaign aides have engaged far more frequently in character attacks and personal insults than the Romney campaign ." 
And when a Republican-led Congress would n't enact legislation he sought , Obama turned to his "pen and phone" strategy of governing by diktat that polarized politics even more . 
To his credit , Obama acknowledges that he did n't live up to his promise to reduce the angry rancor of Washington politics . 
And perhaps 60 percent of voters would not feel that their country , after two terms of Obama 's administration , is "on the wrong track ." 
Obama 's accession in 2008 as the nation 's first elected black president was an achievement that even Republicans and conservatives could cheer . 
It was also the high point of Obama 's presidency .
NEW YORK , NY - SEPTEMBER 23 : U.S. President Barack Obama , who is in New York City for the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly , speaks at the Clinton Global Initiative on September 23 , 2014 in New York City . 
AS HE PREPARES to move out of the White House , [TGT] is understandably focused on his legacy and reputation . 
Certainly [TGT] has his admirers . 
Moreover , [TGT] is going out with better-than-average approval ratings for a departing president . 
Most Americans long ago got over their crush on [TGT] , as they repeatedly demonstrated at the polls . 
In 2010 , two years after electing him president , voters trounced [TGT] 's party , handing Democrats the biggest midterm losses in 72 years . 
[TGT] was reelected in 2012 , but by nearly 4 million fewer votes than in [TGT] first election , making [TGT] the only president ever to win a second term with shrunken margins in both the popular and electoral vote . 
Two years later , with [TGT] imploring voters , "-LSB- My -RSB- policies are on the ballot -- every single one of them ," Democrats were clobbered again . 
And in 2016 , as [TGT] campaigned hard for Hillary Clinton , [TGT] was increasingly adamant that [TGT] legacy was at stake . 
As a political leader , [TGT] has been a disaster for [TGT] party . 
After eight years under [TGT] , the GOP is stronger than at any time since the 1920s , and the outgoing president 's party is in tatters . 
[TGT] urged Americans to cast their votes as a thumbs-up or thumbs-down on his legacy . 
In almost every respect , [TGT] leaves behind a trail of failure and disappointment . 
[TGT] took office during a painful recession and -LRB- with Congress 's help -RRB- made it even worse . 
Historically , the deeper a recession , the more robust the recovery that follows , but the economy 's rebound under [TGT] was the worst in seven decades . 
[TGT] spent more public funds on "stimulus" than all previous stimulus programs combined , with wretched , counterproductive results . 
In 2008 , when [TGT] was first elected president , 63 percent of Americans considered themselves middle class . 
[TGT] argues energetically that [TGT] economic policies have delivered prosperity and employment . 
"Millions and millions and millions and millions of people look at that pretty picture of America he painted ," said Bill Clinton after [TGT] extolled the recovery in his last State of the Union speech , "and they can not find themselves in it to save their lives ." 
But [TGT] was certain the measure would win public support , because of three promises [TGT] made over and over : that the law would extend health insurance to the 47 million uninsured , that it would significantly reduce health insurance costs , and that Americans who had health plans or doctors they liked could keep them . 
For months , [TGT] and [TGT] lieutenants insisted that Syrian dictator Bashar Assad could be induced to "reform ," and pointedly refused to intervene as an uprising against him metastasized into genocidal slaughter . 
At [TGT] vowed to take action if Assad crossed a "red line" by deploying chemical weapons -- but when those weapons were used , [TGT] blinked . 
As a candidate for president , [TGT] promised to soothe America 's bitter and divisive politics , and to replace red stateblue state animosity with cooperation and bipartisanship . 
According to Gallup , [TGT] became the most polarizing president in modern history . 
Like all presidents , [TGT] faced partisan opposition , but [TGT] worsened things by regularly taking the low road and disparaging [TGT] critics ' motives . 
During [TGT] 2012 reelection campaign , Politico reported that "[TGT] and [TGT] top campaign aides have engaged far more frequently in character attacks and personal insults than the Romney campaign ." 
And when a Republican-led Congress would n't enact legislation [TGT] sought , [TGT] turned to [TGT] "pen and phone" strategy of governing by diktat that polarized politics even more . 
To [TGT] credit , [TGT] acknowledges that [TGT] did n't live up to [TGT] promise to reduce the angry rancor of Washington politics . 
And perhaps 60 percent of voters would not feel that their country , after two terms of [TGT] 's administration , is "on the wrong track ." 
[TGT] 's accession in 2008 as the nation 's first elected black president was an achievement that even Republicans and conservatives could cheer . 
It was also the high point of [TGT] 's presidency .