# Obama and Divisiveness **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 8, 2016, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286 "2016-03-08T15:38:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DerekMichaels00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DerekMichaels00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerekMichaels00)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/1 "2016-03-08T15:38:15Z")
Many people have said that President Obama has been divisive. What’s y’all’s take on that? I can kind of see where those ideas are coming from. Obama indeed has tried to deal with race, and he rightfully tries to address the concerns of black America, but it seems lost on him that whites are still the vast majority of this country and that Hispanics do not see themselves as being treated similarly to the blacks, even for as much hate as some pols give them. He should never have taken sides in this Trayvon/Zimmerman fight when he said “my son could’ve looked like Trayvon.” Did he not realize that Zimmerman wasn’t even white (how whites saw it)? Or that public opinion was [very split down the middle](http://www.people-press.org/2013/07/22/big-racial-divide-over-zimmerman-verdict/)? Why didn’t Obama even acknowledge that? Clinton stayed out of the OJ thing completely; Obama should’ve done that with Zimmerman. I think his speech was great in 2008; but his presidency doesn’t seem to have stuck to that. Even then, why did he take so long to disavow Farrakhan, or the Nation of Islam? Does he not realize that even for as much as we could debate how slavery/oppression is an environmental cause of black crime, that many people are not gonna be victims of crime and think “gee, if my ancestors didn’t enslave his, that wouldn’t have happened?” Did Obama not know that his seeming lack of patriotism would hurt his image? Carson and Cain show much more love of America than he does, and while I can understand why whites may be more patriotic than blacks, given how blacks have been treated, there does come a point of needing to put it behind them. I don’t think this is merely because Obama is a black President. Obama is racially divisive in a way Herman Cain or Ben Carson aren’t. The latter take the more Bill Cosby approach of self-reflection and improvement; Obama seems to ignore that. Obama needs a Sister Souljah moment. He seems to think his lack of one would have no consequences, but in reality there is one. His name is Donald Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/2 "2016-03-08T15:42:20Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > I don’t think this is merely because Obama is a black President. No, it’s pretty much that Obama is a Black man with a Brown name in the White House. He’s ‘divisive’ only because the People elected him President, and that brought the racists out of hiding. ---
**Author:** ![DerekMichaels00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DerekMichaels00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerekMichaels00)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/3 "2016-03-08T15:44:02Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > No, it’s pretty much that Obama is a Black man with a Brown name in the White House. He’s ‘divisive’ only because the People elected him President, and that brought the racists out of hiding. If his name weren’t Barack Hussein Obama, but Barry Jackson, he probably would have an easier time. But then again, maybe “Hussein” wouldn’t have given him so much trouble if he took a tougher stance on radical Islam. Some of the hate is probably anti-Muslim sentiment more than skin color racism. But Obama fed into that given how he doesn’t condemn radical Islamic terror in stronger terms, and by name, as well as dishonoring Israel. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/4 "2016-03-08T15:46:02Z")
You want President Obama to start drugging & raping young women? Michelle would hardly stand for that. This President has been “divisive” because of racism. Too many Americans have a huge problem with a non-white man in the White House. Of course, many of us pale folk feel no nostalgia for the Confederacy. We would have probably voted Democratic anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/5 "2016-03-08T15:47:05Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > he doesn’t condemn radical Islamic terror in stronger terms Who says he doesn’t? Like George W. Bush, he differentiates between people of the Islamic faith, and radical terrorists. To people who believe all Muslims are evil and should be exterminated or at least banished from the country, such differentiation means that he’s a Muslim sympathiser (because he’s a secret Muslim himself). ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/6 "2016-03-08T15:48:23Z")
Obama has neither substantially contributed to nor substantially diminished the trend toward polarization in American politics. It is an underlying trend that has continued apace during his administration, unfortunately. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/7 "2016-03-08T15:50:08Z")
Demonstrate by example, how: 1. Obama seems to lack patriotism. 2. Obama is racially divisive. 3. Obama could learn a thing or two about self reflection from Bill Cosby. 4. Obama has failed to disavow himself from extremist groups/ideologies. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/8 "2016-03-08T15:52:00Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > I don’t think this is merely because Obama is a black President. Obama is racially divisive in a way Herman Cain or Ben Carson aren’t. The latter take the more Bill Cosby approach of self-reflection and improvement; Obama seems to ignore that. It appears you have an issue with black Democrats. I mean, I don’t think Representative John Lewis is all that much for pushing ‘self-reflection and improvement’, but then again he was on the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement which was ‘divisive’ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DerekMichaels00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DerekMichaels00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerekMichaels00)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/9 "2016-03-08T15:52:27Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > You want President Obama to start drugging & raping young women? Michelle would hardly stand for that. This is why its a tragedy that Cosby is getting slimed; because if he weren’t, he might’ve called out some of the more heavy handed tactics of BLM like scrubbing names off buildings, safe-spaces, etc. > [@](#): > > This President has been “divisive” because of racism. Too many Americans have a huge problem with a non-white man in the White House. > > Of course, many of us pale folk feel no nostalgia for the Confederacy. We would have probably voted Democratic anyway. I agree there are people who don’t like him on the basis of skin color. But not all of the people who don’t like him are racists; many people who don’t like Obama did once like Herman Cain or Ben Carson, and Colin Powell too. Screaming “racism” at anytime a person who happens to be black is slighted isn’t helpful. What about Allen West? What about some of the Tea Party blacks who do exist and did get elected? I’m a white guy on the left of the center, a Bill Clinton type Democrat. > [@](#): > > Who says he doesn’t? Like George W. Bush, he differentiates between people of the Islamic faith, and radical terrorists. To people who believe all Muslims are evil and should be exterminated or at least banished from the country, such differentiation means that he’s a Muslim sympathiser (because he’s a secret Muslim himself). Why the FUCK ever talked about exterminating anyone? This is what the far-left does on Islam; claim that anyone who doesn’t look favorably on that religion or how its commonly practiced, wants to exterminate anyone? Do the far-left types who criticize Christian Right types and Mormons want to exterminate? Mormons engaged in self-reflecting/improvement by banning plural marriage and disavowing blacks as being the “stepsons of God.” Where is such Islamic action? ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/10 "2016-03-08T15:52:54Z")
I’d say that the “many people” saying “that” are just the same Kloset-Klan members who have never given their names or the exact numbers of followers… because that would show just how small they were. Figuratively? Literally? Both? Your call. BTW: Trump + David Duke Endorsement = Still Waiting on Disavowment “I’m cold honey.” “Put another cross on the fire.” ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/11 "2016-03-08T15:54:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Did Obama not know that his seeming lack of patriotism would hurt his image? Carson and Cain show much more love of America than he does, … I don’t even know where this is coming from. Who thinks this? ---
**Author:** ![DerekMichaels00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DerekMichaels00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerekMichaels00)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/12 "2016-03-08T15:58:47Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Demonstrate by example, how: > > 1. Obama seems to lack patriotism. Obama said America was “exceptional like Greece, et al.” Allowing his AG to call America a “nation of cowards.” The lapel pin incident or the lack of hand-on-heart during the anthem in 2007, I could go on. I think Rudy Giuliani [was right](http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/rudy-giuliani-president-obama-doesnt-love-america-115309) last year. Also, notice how at Hillary rallies, there are more flags than at Obama rallies of past? OK, maybe you might say “Obama is less ‘jingoistic’ than other POTUSes.” Well, maybe he should be more jingoistic. We did free the world from fascism and communism. > [@](#): > > BTW: Trump + David Duke Endorsement = Still Waiting on Disavowment Thats why I’m not voting for Trump; he’s doing what Obama did in 2008; pander to the fringes of his party. > [@](#): > > It appears you have an issue with black Democrats. I mean, I don’t think Representative John Lewis is all that much for pushing ‘self-reflection and improvement’, but then again he was on the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement which was ‘divisive’ John Lewis represents a congressional constituency. Obama is supposed to represent the whole country as his constituency. There, I’ve said it: I’m a last-of-the-mohican moderate Third-Way DLC Democrat. Sue me. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/13 "2016-03-08T15:59:27Z")
Obama needs to act more like a white guy in order to not be divisive? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/14 "2016-03-08T16:00:45Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > Many people have said that President Obama has been divisive. What’s y’all’s take on that?. Many people are wrong. > [@](#): > > I can kind of see where those ideas are coming from. Obama indeed has tried to deal with race, and he rightfully tries to address the concerns of black America, but it seems lost on him that whites are still the vast majority of this country and that Hispanics do not see themselves as being treated similarly to the blacks, even for as much hate as some pols give them. I’m quite sure that Obama is aware of the racial composition of the country. > [@](#): > > He should never have taken sides in this Trayvon/Zimmerman fight when he said “my son could’ve looked like Trayvon.” Did he not realize that Zimmerman wasn’t even white (how whites saw it)? Or that public opinion was [very split down the middle](http://www.people-press.org/2013/07/22/big-racial-divide-over-zimmerman-verdict/)? Why didn’t Obama even acknowledge that? Clinton stayed out of the OJ thing completely; Obama should’ve done that with Zimmerman. It was obvious that Zimmerman was suspicious of Martin due to his being black. In the OJ case, the case was tried as it should have been. In Zimmerman’s case, the wheels of justice did not seem to turn smoothly. Obama had every right to be as outraged as the rest of us that in some places there seems to be open season on young black males. > [@](#): > > I think his speech was great in 2008; but his presidency doesn’t seem to have stuck to that. Even then, why did he take so long to disavow Farrakhan, or the Nation of Islam? Disavow for what? What did Farrakhan do? > [@](#): > > Does he not realize that even for as much as we could debate how slavery/oppression is an environmental cause of black crime, that many people are not gonna be victims of crime and think “gee, if my ancestors didn’t enslave his, that wouldn’t have happened?” Pretty sure this doesn’t get said. > [@](#): > > Did Obama not know that his seeming lack of patriotism would hurt his image? Carson and Cain show much more love of America than he does, and while I can understand why whites may be more patriotic than blacks, given how blacks have been treated, there does come a point of needing to put it behind them. How does one conclude that Obama is unpatriotic when he frequently states his love for the country? > [@](#): > > I don’t think this is merely because Obama is a black President. Obama is racially divisive in a way Herman Cain or Ben Carson aren’t. The latter take the more Bill Cosby approach of self-reflection and improvement; Obama seems to ignore that. And we all know what a gem of a character Bill Cosby is. Or are you thinking that only Republican blacks can be patriotic? > [@](#): > > Obama needs a Sister Souljah moment. He seems to think his lack of one would have no consequences, but in reality there is one. His name is Donald Trump. No he doesn’t. He’s taken his fair share of abuse for being the first black president. Why is he burdened with condemning other blacks in order to earn the respect of those who will never give it to him? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/15 "2016-03-08T16:03:38Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > The lapel pin incident Screw that. Check out [these pictures.](http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/08/07/flag_pins_in_debate_some_republican_candidates_who_debated_thursday_lacked.html) Why aren’t you whining about their lack of lapel pins? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/16 "2016-03-08T16:09:39Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > This is why its a tragedy that Cosby is getting slimed; because if he weren’t, he might’ve called out some of the more heavy handed tactics of BLM like scrubbing names off buildings, safe-spaces, etc. :rolleyes: No, that really is not very much of a tragedy at all, at all. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/17 "2016-03-08T16:11:12Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > OK, maybe you might say “Obama is less ‘jingoistic’ than other POTUSes.” Well, maybe he should be more jingoistic. We did free the world from fascism and communism. The US also atomic-bombed a country into submission, interred most members of a single nationality against its will, illegally ousted a duly appointed leader in Iran (Mossadegh), confiscated the islands of Hawaii, eliminated the authority of its monarchy, and arrested its duly appointed queen, illegally ousted a duly appointed leader in Iraq (Hussain), and much more… and that was just within the last hundred years. I’d say we need much less jingoism. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/18 "2016-03-08T16:13:09Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > Why the FUCK ever talked about exterminating anyone? [Islam Must Die](https://www.facebook.com/Islam-Must-Die-292194264240270/) [radical Muslims: 'Kill 'em all](http://www.vocativ.com/culture/society/ted-nugents-muslims-islam/) plus [There is no such thing as a “radical Muslim” for they are all radical according to their own holy book the (Koran) Qur’an!](http://jamesrussellpublishing.biz/truthaboutmuslims.html). [[T]hey’re evil. Let’s kill them all.](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/muslims-are-evil-let-s-kill-them-all-us-tv-commentator-erik-rush-provokes-furious-reaction-with-8575176.html) [No Allah in America](https://news-images.vice.com/images/articles/meta/2015/01/19/anti-islam-protesters-swarm-muslim-conference-in-texas-1421703808.jpg?crop=1xw:0.7157894736842105xh;0xw,0.03859649122807018xh&resize=1200:*&output-format=image/jpeg&output-quality=75) ---
**Author:** ![DerekMichaels00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DerekMichaels00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerekMichaels00)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/19 "2016-03-08T16:16:24Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > It was obvious that Zimmerman was suspicious of Martin due to his being black. In the OJ case, the case was tried as it should have been. In Zimmerman’s case, the wheels of justice did not seem to turn smoothly. Obama had every right to be as outraged as the rest of us that in some places there seems to be open season on young black males. > > Disavow for what? What did Farrakhan do? > > Or are you thinking that only Republican blacks can be patriotic? > > No he doesn’t. He’s taken his fair share of abuse for being the first black president. Why is he burdened with condemning other blacks in order to earn the respect of those who will never give it to him? There are white hoodlums who if they were loitering on other people’s property, would also be suspected of being up to no good. And even then, if the black community engaged in less crime, maybe Trayvon would’ve been less suspect. What did Farrakhan do? You know what, when a guy is famous as he is, what he says isn’t that different from doing. Farrakhan hates the Jews, praised Hitler, and says many other un-American things about separatism, instead of reconciliation with whites. Who said one has to be a black Republican to be patriotic? What about Hank Johnson of GA, a stirling example of a public servant? ---
**Author:** ![DerekMichaels00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DerekMichaels00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerekMichaels00)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/20 "2016-03-08T16:19:25Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > [Islam Must Die](https://www.facebook.com/Islam-Must-Die-292194264240270/) > [radical Muslims: 'Kill 'em all](http://www.vocativ.com/culture/society/ted-nugents-muslims-islam/) plus [There is no such thing as a “radical Muslim” for they are all radical > according to their own holy book the (Koran) Qur’an!](http://jamesrussellpublishing.biz/truthaboutmuslims.html). > [[T]hey’re evil. Let’s kill them all.](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/muslims-are-evil-let-s-kill-them-all-us-tv-commentator-erik-rush-provokes-furious-reaction-with-8575176.html) > [No Allah in America](https://news-images.vice.com/images/articles/meta/2015/01/19/anti-islam-protesters-swarm-muslim-conference-in-texas-1421703808.jpg?crop=1xw:0.7157894736842105xh;0xw,0.03859649122807018xh&resize=1200:*&output-format=image/jpeg&output-quality=75) Those aren’t the mainstream Americans who do acknowledge the threat of Radical Islamic Terror; the links you show are the fringes. You leave out visionaries like Bill Maher, or the Americans in [this poll](http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/israel_the_middle_east/voters_to_obama_yes_we_are_at_war_with_radical_islam). Or the ones who disagree with banning all Muslims entering the country but have legit reservations on [Syrian refugees](http://www.pollingreport.com/terror.htm). If I wanted to show you equally crazy links like you show, I could show ones which have ultra PC white liberals who convert to Islam to show “solidarity” or think Islam is the epitome of peace. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286.md?page=2)