Every President has to deal with name calling and opposition from both the fringes of their own party and the entire opposition party.

Pres. Reagan was derided as senile, a lightweight, an Actor with no background, ad nauseum. He still accomplished much of the agenda he ran on despite his detractors and taking office during a massive recession.

Pres. Clinton was derided as a hick from Arkansas, his presidency was rife with scandal, and he still accomplished much (love it or hate it) on the legislative side.

The first President Bush never got out of the shadow of Reagan, and was an appeaser, never showed a backbone on domestic policy, and didn't communicate well.(read my lips.......)

The second President Bush ran as a conservative initially, had a strong foreign policy (love it or hate it, you knew where he stood) but domestically he tried to be everything to everyone, from No Child Left Behind to the medicare prescription drug benefit disaster. We will pay dearly for both of those.

When Presidents LEAD, they do well. When they appease or go to childish bullying, they do poorly.