alternatehistory.com

President Obama's biggest issue, aside from being a bit big headed, was his lack of experience in Congress I think. When you account for how he started campaigning in 2006, he really only had 2/2.5 years in the Senate before being president. He had to rely a lot on others and did not have strong enough personal relationships and working relationships (or political muscle memory) to be effective early on when he was President. Once he only got so much done the first two or three years, he was stuck dealing with holdovers from that the next five or six years.

What if Barack Obama had won his 2000 house race, served two terms in Congress, and then run for Senate in 2004? Let's hold the broader political dynamic constant (still gets nominated in 2004, still gives the DNC speech, serves similarly as Senator as he historically did) for this thought experiment.

How would President Obama have been had be had more experience in Congress before being President?
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