country. but on the whole, many of his policies will be under pressure and could be rolled back entirely. how did this happen? when looking back at presidents like johnson or fdr, it's clear that to sustain a long legacy, you need not just to get elected president but to form a political coalition. johnson and roosevelt had congressional majorities that lasted. obama is an intensely charismatic politician but he was not able to build a political base underneath him. during his eight years, the democratic party has suffered an historic series of defeats at the state and national levels. putting them in the worst position they've been in since the 1920s. was that obama's failure? a lack of political skill? perhaps. though it is equally likely that the currents were stronger than any one person could shift. in recent years, america has gone through enormous economic, technological, political and cultural change. and in some parts of the country there has been a backlash to