He works with the existing operative reality, negotiates with the people who've brought power to the table, and doesn't mind losing battles. He's open to working with unconventional allies, willing to give opponents enough rope to hang themselves, confident in his abilities to charm, recruit and negotiate with allies and enemies, but not so alpha-crazy as to want to own every decision and dominate every discussion.
He's cynical about the left's effectiveness, but committed to the goal of social justice. He's much more leery of the right and the financial elite, but is more interested in leveraging his specific situation as POTUS to create long-term change than in protecting a fixed ideology. He is tactically more interested in strength than ideology, more willing to spend energy engaging a strong opponent, than supporting a weak ally.
He is at the moment much more frustrated/disappointed with the left, than the right. He considers his role as president to be more a (partly intuitive) response to the mood of the people and politicians, than a rigid ideological stance. He'd like to see large crowds protesting for jobs and infrastructure development on the Mall, and doesn't understand why they're not there now.