good in some places and bad in others

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 mins (2011-06-30 14:34:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

An alternative to Charles' contribution

a possibility

must-be-a-republican/ - Im Cache2 Aug 2010 – It is the middle ground between light and shadow. Must be a Republican then again could be a Democrat Oops forbidden knowledge hay is

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 Min. (2011-06-30 14:43:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or: " a mixture of light and shadow "
Since we live in a world of opposites, it's always a mixture. The positive and negative expresses itself simultaneously, light and shadow. .... The election of 2008 did not give the desired results to the Republicans. The dye is cast.

This sounds like a translation from an English source that used a sports metaphor widely used in American English. Up and down results in Khanty-Mansiysk. Round 6 Women's Olympiad general summary . At one point, it looked like the Ukrainian women would ...; My down, up, down, up, down, down results. Looks like I'm trending in the right direction: This is my latest result from 6/17/2011 ...;

highs and lows

This might be one way round it, although I also like the previous answerers' "mixed" and "patchy" results.

It seems to me that the phrase "highlights and lowlights" comes up a great deal on American websites talking about how politicians are faring, and I found many many decent hits for "highlights and lowlights" in relation to Obama. But you would have to rephrase, obviously, to fit this in...



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 38 mins (2011-06-30 15:06:56 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Oh, and I forgot to mention that none of the more literal translations of this, such as "highlights and lowlights" quite reflect the original. In fact, thinking about it, "highlights and lowlights" is more of a media term reflecting the interest in whatever points they are highlighting, rather than the success of one policy or another...

Anyway. I think that something like "hit-and-miss" or Charles' or Jaime's "mixed" or "patchy" may well work, although I'm sure you'll end up with a few good options.

Spanish term (edited): (y sus resultados de) luces y sombras

I think I would translate "resultados" as "performance" or "leadership" here, it seems a more natural option for English. "Mixed bag" is certainly a term used widely in the US press to describe Obama's performance/leadership. Plenty of examples out there, of which I include a couple of links to.

Definition from Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary:

mixed bag
Function: noun
Date: 1926

2: one having both positive and negative qualities or aspects his performance was a mixed bag

i.e. a thing that is partly good and partly bad (Oxford)

Thought I'd throw this one into the pot, though many valid options have been suggested here.

Has been used of Obama in political journalism:

Obama, we shall wait and watch - Analysis - DNA
www.dnaindia.com › COLUMNS › AYAZ MEMON - Cached11 Oct 2009 – But nine months of Obama in office have been like the curate's egg, good and bad in parts. His home ratings have slumped from the very high ...

Michael Tomasky: Obama's torture memo dilemma | Comment is free ...
www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/.../torture-memo-obama-bus... - Cached17 Apr 2009 – Obama is showing himself to be just like most politicians in that he is like the proverbial curate's egg - good in parts. ...

I like James and Kate's suggestions and I think almost any of the ones listed would work fine, but I'll just throw in another one.

could even add adjectives ('brilliant' and 'glaring') to pick up some of the semantic connotations of the original 'luces y sombras'