Sadly, it is much more likely that a second term in the Presidency will downgrade the historical image of that President, no matter how successful he might have been in the first term.
Below is a list of second term Presidents— including those who succeeded to the Presidency during the term, and then were elected on their own—who faced adversity big time in that last term in the Presidency, indicating the negative developments.
Thomas Jefferson—-The Chesapeake Affair, and the Embargo Act.
James Madison—The War of 1812, and burning of the White House and the US Capitol by the British.
Abraham Lincoln—Assassinated within six weeks of starting second term of office.
Ulysses S. Grant—-Exposure of Credit Mobilier Scandal, and the Panic of 1873.
Grover Cleveland (non consecutive terms)—Panic of 1893, Pullman Strike, Cancer surgery on the President’s jaw in secret.
William McKinley—Assassinated after six months of his second term in office.
Woodrow Wilson—-Controversy over Versailles Treaty and League of Nations, the Red Scare, and the stroke which paralyzed him in his last 18 months in the Presidency.
Franklin D. Roosevelt—-Split in the Democratic Party over the Supreme Court “Packing” plan, attempted “Purge” of Southern Democrats, Recession of 1937-1938, and controversy over isolationism and World War II.
Harry Truman—After finishing the term of FDR, facing the Second Red Scare and the Korean War controversy.
Dwight D. Eisenhower—The Soviet move into space with Sputnik, and the U-2 Spy Plane Incident with the Soviet Union.
Lyndon B. Johnson—The escalation of the Vietnam War, and the invasion of the Dominican Republic, both highly controversial.
Richard Nixon—The Watergate scandal and the move to impeach, and the resignation.
Ronald Reagan—The Iran Contra Scandal
Bill Clinton—The Monica Lewinsky Scandal, and the Impeachment Trial.
George W. Bush—The Hurricane Katrina disaster, and the Great Recession.
Let us hope for better fortunes for Barack Obama in his second and last term!