article_snippet: While the odds of President Obama making progress on key issues is extremely slim, President Obama has not even had a chance to introduce issues fully into public debate -- a key function of presidents who hope to build the groundwork for future legislative breakthroughs and shape the national conversation -- or to even to attempt to make progress on issues, like tax reform, where there is potential support for a bipartisan breakthrough.
article_snippet: Each time that President Obama tried to introduce a new issue to the nation, whether that has to do with immigration reform or economic inequality, Republicans have instantly shifted public attention elsewhere by threatening extreme action on some other area of policy.
article_snippet: Republican leaders can and have said to the White House Republican leaders would like to find reasonable solutions to these problems, but with a nod to the Republican caucus, remind Obama that the Republican caucus don't have full control.
article_snippet: Aside from vetoing bills, Obama doesn't have many options other than to watch the clock tick away.
article_snippet: When the year began Obama wanted to make economic inequality a defining theme for the year.
article_snippet: Obama wanted to use the limited power
article_snippet: Obama had to bring more attention to the growing divide between the rich and the poor, as well as the struggles facing middle class Americans.
article_snippet: But Obama has only had limited success.
highlights_snippet: Julian Zelizer: GOP hogs the spotlight with funding deadlines like the battle over money for the Department of Homeland Security.
  
highlights_snippet: Julian Zelizer says the continual crises deprive Obama of the chance to move Julian Zelizer agenda forward even slightly .