His first term he tried to to reach out to republicans, but the more moderate GOP were terrify to even be seen walking near the President. The Tea Party turn into a Political hit squad purdging all moderates from the party. Thats why a number of long term serving republicans left office. Also, Remember Boehner talking about he got 99% of what he wanted? He couldn't have got that without Obama convincing the Democrats to come along. Most of the Bush tax cuts stayed intact. In fact many of the democratic leaders were getting piss off at him because they felt he was caving too much to the republicans.
By the way, it was the right that campaign on "compromise was a dirty word". That was the battle cry in 2010. So how do you reach out to someone who wants to cut your hands off at the first opportunity.
The battle cry for 2010 was basically the ACA or variants caused by the ACA. The electorate was peeved at being ignored and told their wishes didn't matter. The electorate was promised the economy and jobs were be priority number one, health care took that position and the administration was seen as not really caring about the economy and jobs.
Personally I did not see any compromise at all coming from the white house in 2009 and 10. I saw a president that turned domestic policy over to Pelosi and Reid and told them to have at it. The only compromise I saw occurred in December of 2010 during the lame duck session where each party got something, DADT was repealed, START was approved along with an extension of the Bush tax cuts.
I also personally think if there was no ACA to cause the voter backlash of 2010 the Democrats would still be in charge of the House. That you would be looking at a more productive Obama term/s than the gridlock we have now. In my opinion it all started with the ACA and since its passage the Democrats have been way too busy protecting and defending it to get much else done.
Here thanks to RCP are the polls, quite a lot of them from different polling firms on whether the American public wanted the ACA or were opposed to it. Even today, the majority of Americans are opposed to it, in my view that is where all of this started.
Below are the polls thanks to RCP of public opinion on the ACA when the Senate passed it in November of 2009
CNN/Opinion Research 12/2-12/3 36% for 61% Against/Oppose +25
Rasmussen Reports 11/29 - 11/29 41% for 53% Against/Oppose +12
Gallup 11/20-11/22 44% for 49% Against/Oppose +5
Ipsos/McClatchy 11/19 - 11/22 34% for 46% Against/Oppose +12
Rasmussen Reports 11/21 - 11/22 38% for 56% Against/Oppose +18
FOX News 11/17 - 11/18 35% for 51% Against/Oppose +16
PPP (D) 11/13 - 11/15 40% for 52% Against/Oppose +12
Below are the polls thanks to RCP of public opinion on the ACA when the House passed it in March of 2010
Bloomberg 3/19 - 3/22 38% for 50% Against/Oppose +12
CNN/Opinion Research 3/19 - 3/21 39% for 59% Against/Oppose +20
CBS News 3/18 - 3/21 37% for 48% Against/Oppose +11
Rasmussen Reports 3/19 - 3/20 41% for 54% Against/Oppose +13
Quinnipiac 3/16 - 3/21 36% for 54% Against/Oppose +18
Democracy Corps (D) 3/15 - 3/18 40% for 52% Against/Oppose +12
FOX News 3/16 - 3/17 35% 55% Against/Oppose +20