He’s assembled an infrastructure of independent and bipartisan advisers, such as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and empowered them to execute the administration’s policies. He took risks by ordering the raid that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and escalating a secret drone war to root out terrorists. He’s forged relationships with foreign leaders that helped stem the contagion from Europe’s debt crisis.

“He needs to draw on that experience and apply it in the domestic sphere,” said Podesta. “How do you get the most out of a really talented group of people? How do you engage in a way where everything isn’t a zero sum game with partisan opponents?”

His advisers say the president has learned the value of bypassing Congress, pursuing goals through executive actions instead of legislation, and marshaling public opinion. His inaugural address on tomorrow and the State of the Union speech on Feb. 12 will set the tone as he pushes for immigration, gun control and raising the debt ceiling.

President’s Power

“The powers of the presidency are largely rhetorical,” said Axelrod. “Power is limited in many ways by politics. What the president does have is the bully pulpit.”

Unveiling his administration’s proposals to curb gun violence last week, Obama announced a host of legislative proposals, including an assault-weapons ban that even his aides concede may not pass in Congress. He appealed for public support, saying the country’s gun culture won’t change “unless the American people demand it.”

On the debt ceiling fight, aides said Obama has stood his ground against Republicans even at the risk of a default on the nation’s credit because it’s important for both future negotiations and to preserve the institution of the presidency.

There are signs his hardball strategy is being taken seriously on Capitol Hill. Republicans last week announced they would vote to extend the debt ceiling for three months, backing away from their insistence that any increase in the nation’s borrowing limit be accompanied by equal spending cuts.

Executive Action

“He’s a constitutional lawyer who really is trained on the legislative process that interests him. But the dynamics of our time, the tea leaves, have forced him to be much more of an executive power president,” said Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian at Rice University in Houston, who also dined with Obama earlier this month.