A politician's path to office is more likely paved with promises than with good intentions and Barack Obama's road to the White House was certainly no different.

Hundreds of millions of people in America and around the world bought into his campaign mantra of change, not because they necessarily believed everything — even anything — would change, but because they hoped it would.

However, hope does not spring eternal, it quickly changes to disappointment and disillusionment.

On Jan. 19, in what became a referendum on Obama's first year as president, the voters of Massachusetts gave the Republicans a Senate seat the Democrats had held for almost half a century, and sent the White House the clear message that it is time things really began changing.