There is no doubt that Obama's policies are hurting our recovery. However, I think we are facing some structural issues that will cause us to have high unemployment for some time to come. Globalization, immigration, and changing demographics affect our job market and the economy. We must deal with those factors sooner rather than later.
The states that are doing well (esp. ND and TX) are recovering natural resources. We have so much energy and other natural resources that are purposefully kept in the ground by the Feds that it is insane. Recovering the use of those assets would be a good start.