It is an issue specific political mandate that President Obama won with his re-election bid in that more voters want to raise taxes on the wealthy than not. But Obama does not have a general mandate to do whatever he wants where other things are concerned because the popular vote margin win was just too close.
So the House will give Obama his tax increase on the wealthy and then voters will be shocked when that makes not one iota of difference in regards to their financial situations. What the Left does not grasp is that enough voters believed enough of this leftwing propaganda that they now expect Obama to pull off economic and financial miracles.
Second term presidents must deliver on the bulk of both their outright and their implied promises and in those two regards Obama again promised voters the moon and stars. Obama is very good at promising everything to everyone but he reeks at delivery on those fanciful promises. But this time -- and because Obama won re-election by the narrowest of popular vote margins -- a general failure to produce means that in 2016 there will be a Republican president in the Oval Office at the end of the year.
That's established voter psychology . . . and it really is just that simple. Obama has four years to return this nation to general good times and fancy living and heaven help the Democratic Party if he fails to deliver -- again.