Because Clinton embodies these qualities and has overcome a number of minor setbacks, "Clinton has even more of an element of success, as an individual, than even Roosevelt," Peterson says. "But this is a world where the parties are stronger than they were during the New Deal, there is no coherence in Congress, and Clinton has to deal with many more complex issues."

Lynn Martin, who was secretary of labor for former president George Bush and is now a fellow at the Institute of Politics, says it is hard to measure Clinton against Bush because "Bush was already inside Washington" when he began his term.

"Clinton and Bush are like apples and oranges," Martin says. "[Bush] was preceded by a president who was in the same party and he was able to continue."

While Martin says Bush started at a conservative pace, she says one of the rotten apples spoiling Clinton's early days is his insistence upon tackling so many issues at once.

David King, associate professor of public policy at the Kennedy School, also says Clinton has lost focus.

"His biggest general mistake is that he surrounded himself with political neophytes in dealing with Congress. And because of that, he's lost focus," King says.

The attention that Clinton's staff has received, both because of its relative inexperience and the difficulties Clinton has had with appointments, may come back to haunt Clinton, Fiorina says.

"[Clinton's staff members] are young and very arrogant, yet very inexperienced," Fiorina says.

Charles T. Royer, director of the Institute of Politics and former mayor of Seattle, agrees that Clinton "has really had a rocky start" in making his selections for key posts.

"It's been a little slow across the government. I mean they're having a really hard time with the sub-cabinet positions. You can only take so many Zoe Bairds before they start to question the whole administration," Royer says.

Royer says "it is obvious now that Clinton seems to be a man who enjoys the fray. He loves politics. He doesn't see the government as the enemy. He sees it as a positive influence for change."

The Economy

But Clinton's friendliness with the government, and parts of his liberal economic agenda, have some scared.

"It's beginning to look like the old line that 'no tax looks bad to a Democrat,'" Fiorina says.

"He is showing that he is no new-style Democrat but is turning out to be an old-style, activist Northern Democrat," Fiorina says. "If he pulls it off, great. But if the economy is struggling along and we get nothing new, then people will say 'Hey, we got fooled again.' And they will blow off the Democrats."