Barack Obama, when elected in 2008 with running mate and vice-president Joe Biden, were voted in on the premise that they would be different to the Bush regime which went before them.
He promised to bring the troops home from both Iraq and Afghanistan, which to his credit he largely has. However, last year when American troops did pull out in the main from Afghanistan, a large number were left behind to help the government in Kabul continue the fight in the country against the Taliban.
Certainly there is still a lot wrong with Afghanistan, but the country has improved a lot too particularly within the realm of women's education.
Iraq was handed back to the Iraqis a while ago, but with Islamic State conquering all before them in the province, the US with allies including the UK has had to go back into the country with airstrikes on IS targets and a few hundred troops based in Baghdad.
As regards Syria, President Obama said if Assad used chemical weapons it would be something he would not tolerate. When proof came in that the Syrian regime had been using them, everyone was getting ready for the US to start bombing Assad in Damascus. It never happened, as at the 11th hour with Russian help, the Syrians agreed to dismantle their chemical munitions which were then to be taken away by ship and destroyed somewhere neutral.
Many accused Obama of dithering over Syria and not having the spine to actually step up to the military plate, as it were. In Libya, although US forces did take part in bombing Gaddafi along with Cameron and Sarkozy, it seemed Obama wanted to be in the background and let the British and French take the credit for overthrowing the controversial Colonel.
Then there was the terrorist attack on the American embassy in Libya which many Republicans in the US say Obama did little about.
The one triumph in his foreign policy was taking out Osama Bin Laden. Of course Al-Qaeda still exists led by Ayman Al-Zawahiri, Bin Laden's doctor and deputy leader. Following on from this, there have been the drone attacks which have taken out prominent Al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders, but unfortunately innocents have died - as well creating tension between the US, Afghanistan and now Pakistan too.
There have also been his sanctions against Putin's Russia for their actions in Ukraine.
At home it seems the American economy is doing OK, with jobs seemingly plentiful - plus Obamacare (the nearest thing that the US has to an NHS to help those less fortunate in American society). Many Republicans have moaned that this system is costing too much money to implement.
Obama is faced with a majority Reublican senate led by John Boehner and they and the Obama regime have clashed on many issues. Obama over-rode congress to bring in a law to decriminalize illegal immigrants (figures suggest as many as 5 million, and in special circumstances the President can do that under the constitution).
However, many Republicans and others accused Obama of acting like a dictator in circumventing congress and the senate to get this bill up and running.
The President attracted many white votes but also black, Hispanic and other minorities in the US. It seemed to be that the minority populations felt they could identify with him. Many voted for him because they wanted a change from the Bush administration.
Possible successors to Obama have been mooted. Hilary Clinton and Jeb Bush seem to be the two front runners. How history will judge Obama will be in the hands of those that witnessed his Presidency and the social commentators who will write about him now and retrospectively.
