An inability to compromise can also be considered a sign of extremism. If the majority of voters didn't want compromise they wouldn't have voted for a divided government. Obama's party lost the senate as a referendum against his policies. Instead of realizing this Obama has doubled-down. That's not only extremism, but extreme stubbornness.

As for the president calling the shots, that's generally what he does. The U.S. president is also the commander-in-chief of the military and fills cabinet positions. A popular president or at least an articulate one can use his podium to manipulate public opinion. That's very easy to do in the USA where the media is generally pro-Democrat.