The lobotomized Obamabots seen nodding in approval . . . the rest of America, not so much.

(CBS News) — President Obama won’t be caught criticizing Mitt Romney for arguing that his administration hasn’t pulled the economy far enough out of the hole it was in four years ago, the president told CBS News in an exclusive interview, “because if I was in his shoes, I’d be making the same argument.”

Sitting down recently with Charlie Rose in the Blue Room of the White House, Mr. Obama and first lady Michelle Obama reflected on lessons learned during their first term, one of the biggest being, “In this office, everything takes a little longer than you’d like,” the president said.

“I think it’s important to know we did an awful lot in the first four years,” Mr. Obama told Rose when asked why he was seeking reelection. “But when I think about the next four years, what’s undone?”

The president argued that another term would help congeal policies he’s put in place to make sure the middle class is “strong and growing,” and said, “The question right now for the American people is, which vision – mine or Mr. Romney’s – is most likely to deliver for those folks?”

Rose asked about the current campaign compared to the 2008 race in which Mr. Obama ran on “hope,” “change,” and “Yes, we can.” “What happened to that? Because that’s not the narrative today,” said Rose.

“Well, it’s funny, you know? I just came back from a bus tour in Ohio. And we’re now starting to get in the campaign swing. And I tell people, ‘This campaign’s still about hope.’ If somebody asks me, it’s still about change.”