'Saturday Night Live' joked recently that President Barack Obama hadn't accomplished anything during his nearly one year in office.

"It's very clear what I've done so far, and that is nothing. Nada. Almost one year and nothing to show for it," said Fred Armisen, the comedian portraying the president.

A screen with several of the country's most pressing issues flashed in the background with "yes" and "no" check boxes next to the issue. On everything from closing Guantanamo Bay to getting out of Iraq to improving Afghanistan and health care reform, the "no" box was checked.

"Looking at this list, I'm seeing two big accomplishments: jack and squat," Armisen said to audience laughter.

I chuckled at the line, too, but clearly there are some people in this country who think that skit is true.

"I'm afraid I wasn't realistic," Pauline McAreavy, 76, a retired school nurse, told the New York Times in an article today about how some Iowa voters who supported President Obama in the important caucuses are now disappointed.

"I really thought there would be immediate change. ... Sometimes the Republicans are just as bad as Democrats. But it's politics as usual, and that's what I voted against."

It has been nearly one year since President Obama won election and there are still several intractable issues that he is dealing with. To say that he has not lived up to his promises so far, though, is no laughing matter.With a full two months to go until the one-year anniversary of his swearing in, Obama has made big leaps. He has appointed the first Latino Supreme Court justice, signed legislation that guarantees women equal pay and improved health care access for children.

"If we stopped today, this legislative session would have been one of the most productive in a generation -- if we just stopped. But we didn't want to stop," Obama said recently.

The main problem is that President Obama had impossibly high expectations and has faced increasingly hostile Republican opposition based more on politics than the good of the country. It is resistance for the sake of resistance.

"In terms of comparing the quality of any recent candidates for president, you'd have to go back to JFK to find anyone who has inspired the same level of awe," David Bositis, senior political analyst at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a Washington, D.C., think tank that focuses on issues affecting African Americans and people of color, told AOL Black Voices in an interview. "This is a person who has a great capacity to learn, understand and grow."

Given that awe, even some of the people who supported Obama are upset that more hasn't been accomplished. However, if you look at the issues that Obama has tackled, it's clear that he has made some progress.

One of those issues is the economy: President Obama managed to get a huge $787 billion stimulus bill passed at one of the worst times in this country's economic history.

"When he took office, the economy was the worst that it had been in 90 years. This wasn't just a downturn, but the worst downturn since the Great Depression," said Bositis. "With little help from Republicans, Obama got a big stimulus bill passed and put programs in place that are helping the economy."

I'm not totally pleased with the health care bills being bounced around Congress because the public option seems like it is teetering or will be watered down at best. If we look at the situation objectively, Obama has made more progress than any president in recent memory. Former President Bill Clinton failed at his attempts to reform our nation's health care system. Obama, though, has managed to turn the tide in his favor although it has been very ugly so far.

"He is making progress on health care reform, and there is a better than 50 percent chance that a bill will pass. No president has been able to do that in 50 years," said Bositis.

Most importantly, said Bositis, is that President Obama has been able to maintain public support while tackling difficult issues.

President Obama has received criticism from the right and left for not moving quickly enough on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The right wants him to send more troops to Afghanistan as quickly as possible, and the left wanted a complete withdrawal from Iraq by Jan. 21. President Obama has wisely decided that neither is a smart move.

But unlike his predecessor, who created the military morass that we are in, Obama has been able to maintain the public's confidence in his ability to govern and make the right decisions.

According to a recent Gallup poll, 53 percent of Americans approve of the job the president is doing. That's down from a high of more than 60 percent, but it shows the confidence in President Obama's ability to make good decisions. By the end of his term, even strong Bush supporters had abandoned any pretense that he was capable of making the right decisions.

One area where Obama might have done better is on issues affecting the gay community, said Bositis. President Obama has pledged to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in the military and has the support to do so but hasn't. He also hasn't moved on gay marriage and hasn't made much progress on immigration reform.

"Given his astounding victory, they thought he would just do it. Their attitude is: Either you're with us or against us. You are either part of the solution or part of the problem," said Bositis. "The problem is that he can't take his eyes off the ball on certain issues right now."

The economy is something that could not wait. Health care reform is probably one of the most important elements related to this country's long-term economic success. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are also pressing. I think watchers on gay rights issues and immigration should continue to push the president to address his commitments quickly but in a constructive way.

Obama recently reiterated his plans to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." That was his way of saying, "Give me a minute. I just got here." He recently ended the travel and immigration ban for those with HIV/AIDS, and asylum may be opened for those fleeing spousal abuse. Let's keep the heat on President Obama, but not in a FOX-News-tea-party sort of way that hurts public discourse.

"After eight years of Bush, people want to see real progress. They want to see movement and action, or it gives them a sense of anxiety. Is he selling out or is he weak, they might ask," Bositis said.

It's always best to keep the pressure on politicians, lest they forget their promises. Let's see what's happening with Guantanamo or "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" 24 months after Obama's victory. For those feeling a little nervous, check out the 'Saturday Night Live' spoof and laugh away your anxiety.