Yes I can, says Obama It is fitting President Obama's first trip will be to Las Vegas after his Thursday night broadcast. The city is for gamblers and Mr Obama has thrust what remains of his agenda into the middle of the table. At risk are prospects of finding any common ground with the recently victorious Republicans. Chances of striking some kind of tax reform, confirming presidential appointments, and fast tracking Mr Obama's global trade deals, are all now in greater jeopardy. It will be up to Republicans how they respond. But as Mr Obama knows, this is just the kind of move that is likely to prompt them to raise the stakes. Will it all be worth it? The tempting answer is no. Given the noise Mr Obama's actions have generated, their scope is surprisingly modest. Other presidents, including George Bush senior and junior, have used similar "prosecutorial discretion" to exclude certain categories of illegal immigrants from deportation. Mr Obama's move is on a larger scale. But it would be a stretch to describe it as unconstitutional - let alone as an impeachable offence, as some of Mr Obama's more excitable detractors have claimed. To underline: Mr Obama has offered up to 5m illegal immigrants the chance to apply for a three-year reprieve from being deported. Most of them would not have been deported anyway. Moreover Mr Obama's successor could rescind the order with the same ease that he promulgated it. So what is all the fuss about? Some of Mr Obama's most vehement critics have likened him to King George III. Coming hard on the heels of the Democratic defeat in the midterm elections, it is yet another sign of a dictatorial president ignoring the voice of the people. They point to the fact that Mr Obama chose to postpone this action until after the election since he knew how unpopular it would be. The last point is certainly true. But the idea that Mr Obama is imperious is absurd. His actions are limited in scope and reversible in fact. Likewise, there is hyperbole in Mr Obama's defence. His more starry-eyed supporters liken his actions to Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation that put an end to slavery without reference to Congress. If only there were a parallel. In all likelihood, Mr Obama's move will put an end to hopes of immigration reform on his watch. So much for the policy. What about the politics? Here Mr Obama may have more to gain from his gambit. Those puzzling over Mr Obama's uncharacteristic fit of impatience should cast their mind back to 2010 when Republicans took control of the House of Representatives. Mr Obama bent over backwards to meet his opponents halfway on fiscal reform, which was the central issue of the moment. In return Republicans took the US to the brink of sovereign default. The same applies to Mr Obama's efforts to fashion a bipartisan bill on immigration reform. He has taken draconian steps to strengthen the border first in order to meet the Republican precondition for offering illegal immigrants a pathway to citizenship. Again, it bought him nothing. Mr Obama's actions should be seen in that context - once bitten, twice shy. Now he is playing solely for the politics. Even without Mr Obama's action, the chances were high Republicans would tear each other apart over immigration in the next two years and thus damage their chances of winning the White House in 2016. Hispanic voters are the fastest rising slice of the electoral pie. Now conservative sentiment will be even more inflamed. Mr Obama's impulse may not be nearly as noble as he made it out to be on Thursday night. But it is not devoid of method. It is nevertheless a sorry reflection on the condition of US politics. It is also a snapshot of a president who feels he no longer has anything to lose.