A Report Card on Obama's First Year

Obama is still well-liked, but his opponents and the punditocracy have latched on to several memes (he is too gentle and professorial, he takes too long to make up his mind, he is too quick to tax and spend) that are politically toxic. In the White House, as on the campaign trail, Obama is determined to remain true to his nature and not allow himself to become a manufactured avatar. But his image makers have not been deft enough in finding a happy medium that allows Obama to be Obama while neutralizing some of the more poisonous, potentially indelible story lines.

See pictures of Obama's college years.