WASHINGTON — To the surprise of both allies and adversaries, President Obama has declined to humble himself following another midterm election bludgeoning.

To the contrary, his recent immigration action made clear his determination to focus tenaciously on his governing objectives, without hiding his derision for Congress. His abandon might even have affronted the Barack Obama of 2008, who ran for president against a political system “that’s divided us for too long.”

Mr. Obama has long since concluded that pursuing dreams of reconciliation in his final two years in office is a fool’s chase. So he is offering an alternative model for 21st-century presidential success.

It does not hinge on job approval ratings. As Mr. Obama’s weak poll numbers make clear, he has failed to unite the country.