Maybe all the problems that Jeff Jacoby cites that taint President Obama’s legacy are valid (“Barack Obama’s legacy of failure’’). But these are all a consequence of Obama’s aspiration to fix longstanding problems. I don’t consider trying to fix the health care system or trying to stop endless wars that have caused more problems than they solved leading from behind. Obama’s lack of success in these endeavors just shows he’s not a miracle worker.

Doing things only for the sake of support from a fickle and tractable public is what political hacks are guilty of. The hidebound Republicans, on the other hand, seem to be content to just let things fester, especially if doing something might harm the financial interests of their big-bucks supporters. They are not interested in any cooperative effort whose success might accrue to the benefit of their opponents.

Berge Tatian

Stoneham