In his State of the Union Address on Jan. 21, 2010, President Obama reviewed Congress’s priorities and reported on the condition of the country. Unsurprisingly, the initial hype over President Obama has worn off and the split in Congress is still as deep as ever. Granted, the president still seemed confident and defiant, rather than contritely apologetic for his seeming lack of progress.

His frustration with the White House and legislators was very clear, blaming them for hindering his plans for change and not giving him enough credit for his successes, especially in rescuing the economy from the brink of financial disaster. He had promised to overhaul health care, close Guantanamo, have a market-based cap on carbon emissions, and sign a new arms control treaty with Russia by the end of the year. However, none of these have happened yet, and without a clear plan for the future, it seems likely that they will stay this way. In addition, the president pointed out that there were many tax cuts in the economic stimulus package. However, Republicans claimed that the tax cuts had been accompanied by too much spending, which caused the lack of positive response from their party.

Though some have blamed President Obama for trying to do too much in his first year, the president claimed that he was tackling all his problems head-on, unwilling to continue waiting to try to make a difference. Many thought that through electing Mr. Obama as President, there would instantly be change, overlooking all the middle steps in which legislation and change often are mired. Though his first year showed little change, it has laid a decent foundation for change. Now all that is to be seen is what President Obama chooses to build on his foundation; it’s the next three years that will determine whether his presidency is remembered or forgotten.