From the moment President Barack Obama won his second term, people were already talking about who will run in 2016. Political experts say his power to influence the country will fade in about two years.
"After the midterm election, he's got no real chance. Two years at the most. But, even within a year. I would say, realistically, he's got about year," UNCG Political Science Professor Thom Little said.
Little says gun control and immigration are at least two issues the president will fight to get votes on in congress.
Previous presidents have seen some positive results in their second term.
• Clinton celebrated a budget surplus
• Reagan had diplomatic success in the cold war
• Eisenhower helped establish NASA
After a president wins a second term, he has momentum. The people sent him back to office and supported his ideas.
However, for reasons no one can explain, controversy and scandal often stop the momentum.
"I think that's coincidence, to be honest. I don't think there's anything structurally to suggest you are more likely to have scandals. I think it's just worked out that way," Little said.
• Nixon had Watergate
• Reagan had Iran-Contra
• Clinton had the Monica Lewinsky scandal
• George W. Bush had the response to Hurricane Katrina
What will happen with President Obama? It's anybody's guess. But, political experts say second term presidents are also more likely to focus on their legacy.
"It's particularly in those last two years, when it's likely they can't get as much done, that they really start thinking about - what am I going to be known for? If you look at Clinton, that's when he went to the Middle East and started to work for peace. What they do is look for that big thing they can do without a lot of congressional support. You'll see him, I think, really turn to foreign policy."