So is the "100 days" mark for measuring the president a media-made Hallmark holiday? Or a valuable tool for sizing up a new leader? Here’s what you told me. (These are viewer responses from iReport, Facebook and Twitter. It’s unscientific, I know, but some of you are just so darn clever I wanted to share.)

Luis spoke for the majority, who said the media makes too much of it. “100 days = less than 7% of a 4-year term. Would you like to get graded on 7% of your work?”

From Chris: “Anyone who thinks you can size up a new President's performance in 100 days simply does not understand how the wheels of our government turn.”

From Azeem: “Media-hype...it takes a while to settle into a new job...let alone the presidency. A person should be judged by the body of their entire work...at least that's what I hope for myself!”

From Bill: “Its like Pre Season NCAA football polls.... the end never is what the beginning predicts.”

From Carlos A.: “Media hype definitely...first 365 days would be more valuable...I still love watching it though.”

Amy disagrees: “I think it's useful as a broad gauge of how similar or different policy will be for the next four years.”

What do you think of the 100 day mark?

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President Obama has continually promised to reach across the aisle to pass legislation. But the first 100 days of his presidency were spent mostly at odds with Republicans. The president delivered a bipartisan appeal at a news conference last night marking his first 100 days in office.

Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), a deputy minority whip in the House, says the Republican Party needs to grow and welcome new people. He also blames President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for not living up to their bipartisan promises. Rep. McCarthy joined Kiran Chetry on CNN’s “American Morning” Thursday.

Kiran Chetry: The president said again last night that his bipartisan efforts have been genuine. Do you think he has lived up to the bipartisan pledge over the past 100 days?

Kevin McCarthy: Unfortunately, no... We invited this president early on when he first got elected to our conference to have a bipartisan talk and work on the stimulus bill. Where Republicans actually put together a working group, gave him a list of ideas, even scored and measured it based upon his economic drivers, which has created twice as many jobs with half the money and not one idea was taken.

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John P. Avlon is the author of Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics. He writes a weekly column for The Daily Beast and is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Previously, he served as Chief Speechwriter for New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and was a columnist and associate editor for The New York Sun.
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By John Avlon
Special to CNN

Senator Arlen Specter's defection to the Democrats yesterday will bring the Democrats to a filibuster proof 60 seat majority once Al Franken is seated.  This is bad for believers in the virtue of checks and balances, but the reality is that Republicans have only themselves to blame.

Centrists have been forced to the margins of the Republican Party, as the party itself has been forced to the margins of American politics. The two dynamics are, of course, directly connected.

In his press conference, Specter named Joe Lieberman as his political soul mate, a man who lost a Democratic primary to a left-wing anti-war candidate but easily won re-election as an Independent in Connecticut.  But his real and rightful anger was directed at conservative activists who have targeted centrist Republican incumbents in recent years, including Specter.

Among these ranks have been Rhode Island Senator Lincoln Chafee, Maryland Congressman Wayne Gilchrist and New Mexico Congresswoman Heather Wilson.  All were challenged by conservatives backed by the Club for Growth who were cheered on by right-wing radio.  All lost their primary challenges.  And all the victorious conservatives were easily beaten in the general election by Democrats.

This is the dynamic that has led the Republican Party into retreat and increasing irrelevance, preaching to a shrinking choir instead of building a big tent.  Senator Specter was acting in self-interest – he knew that he had a better chance of winning a general election than a closed partisan primary. 

But the fact that Democrats welcomed him with open arms while Republicans like Rush Limbaugh said good riddance after attacking him for years, speaks to the shifting fault-lines below what could be a larger, Obama-led realignment.