There are a whole lot of other factors in this, really. Some of these things aren't really controllable, while others are. Some look like obvious and stupid mistakes, but almost always in hindsight. How many people thought Obama's plans (in the beginning) were a horrible idea until AFTER they were put through and our economy didn't see significant improvement? Same can be said about Bush and Clinton as well. When things go wrong, then everything looks like a bad idea, even when they aren't really. Such as this "Obamacare" thing, or PPACA. Most people bash the living hell out of it without knowing anything about what it is. For those of you who want a general idea, http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/vb8vs/eli5_what_exactly_is_obamacare_and_what_did_it/c530lfx this will help.
