Tom Bevan, writing for Real Clear Politics, goes all the way back to the beginning to find the true roots of the systemic gridlock that has typified the relationship between Congress and the White House during the Kenyan's tenure, and especially since 2010 when Republicans split Congress and managed to derail the Democrat juggernaut. Here's a snip:

QuoteSo much of the president's current troubles can be traced back to his comment to Eric Cantor, which the president uttered at a meeting held just three days into his first term. The setting was a White House meeting hosted by the freshly inaugurated president and his top economic advisers. Their guests were congressional leaders of both parties and both chambers of Congress—there to discuss the framework of the huge stimulus bill hurtling through the newly installed 111th Congress.

Despite Obama's bravado in the meeting, he also expressed openness to the ideas Cantor proposed.  As Carl M. Cannon and I reported in our eBook, "Election 2012: The Battle Begins," Republican lawmakers left the White House feeling Obama was sincere in his desire to work with them on crafting the legislation.

But it quickly became apparent that this was little more than lip service. Republicans discovered that most of the stimulus bill had already been written behind closed doors by Nancy Pelosi and David Obey, then chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Obama failed to step in, and almost nothing Republicans suggested to the president was seriously considered by Democrats, let alone incorporated into the legislation.

Republicans felt used by the president, and disrespected by their colleagues on the other side of the aisle. Not a single GOP House lawmaker voted in favor of the stimulus. Whatever political goodwill that existed in the aftermath of the 2008 election was gone less than a week after Obama's inauguration. The well was poisoned then and there.

Good stuff! The whole thing is well worth a read!

Good article as the main reason for the divide.  Another stickler was the breathless, photo-op nature of the Gitmo closure-signing.  The immediacy of it seemed ridiculous to me and my Republican friends.  And to a sizable number of Republicans on the Hill as well, I'll bet.  Like an overheated parent doing a cannonball in the backyard-pool full of innocently-swimming children.

Sort of an You Americans were stupid to vote for George Bush attitude... ^\splash/^

Plus a lot of people then, weren't sure obama was in-charge of Obama: the product.  It didn't feel 'partisan' after the Greek-pillar convention-stunt. 

The Affordable Care Act was written in the 1990's (then called Hillarycare) and sat around waiting for someone to implement it.

Liberals just bide their time to get what they want.  They incrementally impose the ideas on you.

They've been waiting for gay marriage (remember civil union discussion?), legalization of marijuana, "free" contraception, gays in the military, etc etc.

They KNOW they won't get what they want the first time.  Obama knew exactly what he wanted to do.

DaisyJane