...gov't and society can enable prosperity, but they can also impede it. How much potential business success is the gov't currently squandering through bureaucracy, inefficiency and other forms of waste?

I can only guess what Obama's intended meaning was, but most people perceived his remarks to mean that he doesn't place as much value on personal initiative as he does on gov't enabling when it comes to achieving prosperity. Plus, don't forget that the potential benefits of public resources like "roads and bridges" are there for every one to exploit, yet not all do. As much as people like surf lips disagree, there is some other factor besides public spending and "good teachers" driving success.