Obama can move only as fast as the lawmakers can evolve. Throughout history there have been great men who discovered truths and it took the powerful years to finally accept them. An example is Copernicus and his heliocentric theory. It took 200 years before society (the church) accepted his views.
(Excerpt) Nicolaus Copernicus published the definitive statement of his system in De Revolutionibus in 1543. Copernicus began to write it in 1506 and finished it in 1530, but did not publish it until the year of his death.
In 1758 the Catholic Church dropped the general prohibition of books advocating heliocentrism from the Index of Forbidden Books. Pope Pius VII approved a decree in 1822 by the Sacred Congregation of the Inquisition to allow the printing of heliocentric books in Rome. (End)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliocentrism#Religious_attitudes_to_heliocentrism
While it's been shown social policies are instrumental in advancing society there are those who say it will come to a crashing end. No doubt a similar argument was used by folks, centuries ago, claiming if people went far enough they'd drop off the face of the earth.
Of course Obama is going to keep his base. They'll bitch and whine and that's completely natural. While they're frustrated they understand Obama can lead the lawmakers to the fountain of knowledge but he can't make them drink.
