RiverDog wrote:How many protests did you see at Obama's inauguration? Or at Bush 43's, who the libs despised, and like Trump, lost the popular vote but won the electoral vote in the most contentious, longest delayed election result in history? I don't think that there's any question that he's widened the political divide.
Donald Trump is the most divisive POTUS we've ever had, at least in my memory, and that's reflected in his disapproval numbers. He is the most unfavorably viewed candidate/POTUS since they started taking polls on the subject.
The thing I don't like most about Trump is his demeanor and the way he holds himself. The guy is a prick. As you and burrton have pointed out on several occasions, a POTUS does not have as much power to shape event as most people give them credit/blame for. I want my POTUS to be a respectable, dignified person, a leader of people that I can respect. I disliked Slick Willy for much the same reasons that I dislike Trump.
You're going by protests now?
There were plenty of protests for and against different ideas during Obama concerning immigration, racism, and the like. There were huge protests against the war during Bush Jr. administration. They called him shrub and made fun of how he talked. There were all kinds of idiots using racial epithets during Obama and Obama drove the pro-white, racist, anti-immigrant people to the polls like no other. The right wing despised Obama. Obama in essence created the environment ripe for Trump or a Trump-like president. Do you think this attitude sprouted overnight? It sprouted from eight years dealing with a leftist president beloved by Hollyweird and the left. Given a Nobel Peace Prize for doing nothing. Lauded for accomplishing almost nothing. And the main thing you could give Obama credit for is being a respectable, dignified left-wing president.
Sorry, man, I followed the news and listened to the right wingers. They hated Obama. Trump getting elected came because the political divide grew to this level during Obama until it was unleashed electing Trump. Just as Obama was elected because the hate for Bush Jr. and his wars. And Bush Jr. rode the hate of Clinton and his scumbag behavior in the White House.
The political divide has been insane since Slick Willy and only getting worse. I believe the political divide and hate of Obama fueled the Trump victory. We'll see if hate of Trump fuels some other guy into office or the hate from Obama carries on longer.
You really don't seem to realize how much right wing people hated Obama. I grew so damn tired of the racial crap about Obama from right wingers that I was glad when he left. People I'd known for years who had never previously exhibited racist characteristics started to hate Obama so much that I heard stuff out of their mouth I hadn't heard before. Trump winning stems from that hate.
I'm not much buying your narrative. Trump exists because of the political divide created by Obama. Trump tapped into that and rode it to the White House. Even Bush Jr. to a lesser degree fueled Trump with his soft stance on immigration because regardless of what you and I think, there are strong anti-immigrant forces in this nation that vote. That's why I don't much listen to the polls you post. I know these people exist, vote, and are pissed off beyond belief about illegal and abusive immigration.
To sum it up, Trump won the White House because of the political divide created by Obama. He tapped into that racial, conservative, right-leaning angst and anger from 8 years of leftist drivel from the White House and rode it in to DC.
And the next president will ride the political divide created by Trump. It's how you win elections now. Make the previous guy seem like he's horrible, tell the public you're going to change things, get to the White House, engage in lots of stupid fights and get very little done.