This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Whether or not you voted for President Barack Obama, every political moderate hoped he would really bring change to a flawed and partisan political system.

Obama was a fresh face and he appeared to owe no one. Even much of his campaign was paid for by popular appeal.

Three years later, he is still bouncing up the stairs, giving the same speeches, blaming the same people. They deserve blame, but where is the leadership?

Obama's promised immigration policy is the DREAM Act. His energy policy, Cash for Clunkers and Solyndra.

His deficit-reduction plan could have and should have been the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (Simpson-Bowles), which Obama commissioned. But he turned out to be the smartest coward in the room and dropped the ball on meaningful change.

His crowning achievement was health care reform, but instead of keeping it simple, he created a nightmare for states and businesses.

Goodbye, Obama, and please take the tea partyers and 99-percenters with you. Who knows if Romney will be any better, but I am ready for another change.

Chad Harper

Salt Lake City