How well does Obama sell his program?

Obama fuel-efficient trucks
President Obama spoke about fuel-efficiency standards at the Safeway Distribution Center in Upper Marlboro, Md., last week.
JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

John Kennedy had the Peace Corps and the space race. Lyndon Johnson had his "Great Society" and the Civil Rights Act. Richard Nixon had his "New Federalism," Gerald Ford had "Whip Inflation Now," and George H.W. Bush had "a thousand points of light."

Today, President Obama is coming to St. Paul to promote his "Year of Action" — and specifically his plan for a competition to promote job creation and infrastructure investment. How does Obama's record on getting his program enacted stack up against those of his predecessors?

His landmark achievement, the Affordable Care Act, remains on the critical list, a victim of self-inflicted wounds and constant assault by Republicans in Congress and statehouses around the country. In fact, the steady opposition of congressional Republicans has led Obama to focus his Year of Action plan on initiatives that he can undertake without their help.

The Daily Circuit looks at Obama's scorecard thus far and considers it in the context of earlier presidencies.

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