Flush with success that’s less than they think it, Obama’s fans once again call him a transformational figure, up in a class with Reagan and Roosevelt — one of the singular figures who turns things around. Well, he is trying, but it may not work out as planned.

For it all to work out, three critical things must happen: He has to have the bulk of the country behind him, he has to address the really big issues, and he must be in sync with the currents of history. Has he, and is he? Not really. On each of these things, there are reasons for wonder, and many more reasons for doubt.