My score for Barack Obama’s first year? A solid, satisfied B

Not surprisingly, President Barack Obama’s approval ratings have slipped a lot since January 2009, when he was elected on a wave of national euphoria.

Even critics of the Democrat were eager for a fresh start in the post-Bush years.

But it’s a truism of politics than when people actually start governing and making decisions, they start making people unhappy. And Mr. Obama has done that.

Some pundits think his first year in office was pretty rocky; others have expressed cautious optimism.

Here’s my scorecard:

1. Controlling the agenda. A-. The White House refused to get distracted by things it didn’t want to set as top priorities, issues like same-sex marriage and the public option for healthcare. They dodged a bullet that Bill Clinton walked smack into. That’s just good politics.

2. Obama kept his cool. A-. The President gets a lot of flack for being too cool. That’s a pretty great negative to have. This begins to look like a guy who could keep hitting singles and doubles for four straight years. Maybe eight.

3. We’re not in a Depression. A+. Liberals and conservatives both like to rage against the White House on this one; and it’s hard to celebrate something that didn’t happen. But all indicators 18 months ago were that things could get a lot worse. They didn’t.

4. We haven’t been hit by Islamic terrorists. B+. Obviously, the Obama administration wins this one ugly. The Christmas bomber was inept. But so were some of the shoe bombers and others who failed during the Bush years. The fact remains that in Obama’s first full year, this White House kept the homeland safe.

5. Changing the tone in Washington. D. That lousy grade isn’t for lack of bipartisanship. That was a ridiculous thing to promise. The problem is that Mr. Obama hasn’t been nearly as innovative or fresh in his approach as many expected. We want Brain Trusts and innovative new ideas. Maybe in 2010?

6. Cutting the budget deficit. D. Yes, it’s hard to stimulate the economy and reshape a structural deficit at the same time. But not impossible. We need to revamp our trade policies and big entitlement programs fast, to avoid banana republic status. Mr. Obama talks about weaning us from Middle East oil. How about also weaning us from Chinese debt?

7. The Wars. C. Mr. Obama promised a bold new plan for Afghanistan. He gave us a surge. If there’s something really innovative buried in this effort, I can’t find it. I’m not quite with the ‘bring our boys home’ crowd, but I expected more than this.

8. Avoiding scandal. A++. There’s a reason Republicans have had to gin up scandals over Obama’s birth certificate. By all accounts, he seems to be a decent, grounded family man, with a great wife and solid public ethics. That makes the other team squirm.

9. Healthcare. B. I know, I know, there’s a lot of junk in this bill, and a lot of unfinished business. I base my grade on two factors. First, I’m convinced that the current system is horribly, immorally broken. Second, nobody else has been able to get this far with reform.

10. Reminding us what centrism looks like. A. I think it’s an open question whether this is the kind of leadership Americans want anymore. Obama is turning out to be far more Harry Truman and Lyndon Johnson, far less FDR and Jimmy Carter. Liberals are losing a lot of battles in this White House, and so are conservatives. Is that a good thing?

So, there it is. For a President who inherited two wars, a deadly dangerous economic crisis, and a deeply divided society, I’m giving Mr. Obama a solid, satisfied B.

Your thoughts? Post below.