Obama

What happened during those days in July when the grand bargain was almost reached, but not quite, changed him for good. He no longer seemed a divided man.

His goal after that summer was unequivocal: to win a second term.

he was unable to bridge a political divide that had only grown wider since he took office, underscoring the gulf between the way he campaigned and the way he had governed.

it was his inability to enact transformational change during the debt ceiling negotiations in the summer of 2011 that really changed Obama himself. The actions of Obama and his staff during that period best reflect the grand ambitions and the shortcomings of his entire presidency.

But more than anything, his aspiration to create a post-partisan politics gave a special lift to his candidacy and created outsize expectations for his presidency.

it has also disillusioned many Americans who believed he could bring the country together and transform Washington into a place where problem solving overcame party politics.

In many ways, however, Washington has changed Obama more than Obama has changed Washington.