You know like talking, chewing... [LOL] I can forgive him pretty much everything else (amnesty, free meds for rich old folk, making the income tax MORE progressive even while cutting rates, elevating EPA to cabinet level, NCLB, meeting Ted "Kopechne Killer" Kennedy without gouging out his eyeballs, etc.) on the basis of his dedication to the WOT (which I assume is your "one thing") as well as for his excellent SCOTUS nominations. I just wish he got one more.
Started with the Chinese forcing down a plane before the presidential chair was even warm.
9/11, the tsunami, Enron, Katrina.
But he was focused on the WOT as the single most important issue.. it made him loose sight of many other issues.
To his credit he tried to wave the red flag on Fannie and Freddie but without republican support he was screwed.
but ditto on all the items you mentioned.
Compassionate conservatism doesn't work.. Offering an olive branch to a liberal is like expecting an shark to stop when they have only chewed off one leg.