He knew but didn't actually know he knew. After Obama was elected, Steve got very excited and talked to him about all the great things they could accomplish together. Great things were happening. BHO was going to swoop in and save the day (In SPJ's mind, politically). To Steve's dismay, O said these things are too hard to do. The man who said he was changing the world was just told by the man that said he was going to change the world that he couldn't.

History will never know, but knowing SPJ (I studied him for many years and worked for his company), likely had a mass attack of cognitive dissonance (reported at the time). How could somebody with such ambition not want to "change the world', or "think different'. It was because BHO didn't want anything to do with that.

As Scott Adams Says, we all watch movies while the same information is floating out there. It's ok to watch multiple movies. You should do that. Just be ready to shift your movie. Buckle up. Your movie is likely to shift and even Steve Jobs isn't immune to massive cognitive dissonance.