# 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:** 23
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/441 "2016-06-02T16:54:58Z")
It’s not that Obama is split into two. It’s that he himself is the Kryptonite that splits racists out from the American public. He’s like a racist-magnet. And since racists are de-facto morons, it highlights their moron views on a whole range of subjects. Eight years ago, astro started a thread titled, [Republicans losing thier minds as a nigger gets closer to being POTUS](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=10301996#post10301996). He took some shit for it but he’s been proven correct. I’m not surprised that there are a large number of racists in America but I am a little discouraged to find that there are so many idiots. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/442 "2016-06-02T16:57:06Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > given that yea, Obama didn’t explicitly apologize, that is probably what polifact was getting at. Fact is those speeches earlier in his term mostly sounded and read mostly remorseful and regretful. Well maybe, but remember how Reagan went to Germany that time, and apologized for the United States causing WW II?\* And when he begged for forgiveness from Iran?\* I have never heard anyone apologize for those gaffes. Have you? Huh? - no cites will be forthcoming. I will simply continue to assert ridiculous premises. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/443 "2016-06-02T17:02:33Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > Remember all those “Obama-Superman” memes that were floating around way back when? Well, I think that what has happened is that Obama was exposed to a form of Kryptonite that split him into two individuals. Like that imaginary story with “Superman-Red and Superman-Blue”, we have “Actual-Obama and Fantasy-Obama”. > > Actual-Obama makes a speech in the Middle East, Fantasy-Obama runs around apologizing. Actual-Obama signs fewer executive orders than Bush, Fantasy-Obama governs by fiat. Actual-Obama, well, you get the idea. > > Obama is not divisive in the sense that he _causes_ division, he just highlights the division that exists, mostly just by being who and what he is. > [@Merneith](#): > > It’s not that Obama is split into two. It’s that he himself is the Kryptonite that splits racists out from the American public. He’s like a racist-magnet. And since racists are de-facto morons, it highlights their moron views on a whole range of subjects. > > Eight years ago, astro started a thread titled, [Republicans losing thier minds as a nigger gets closer to being POTUS](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=10301996#post10301996). He took some shit for it but he’s been proven correct. > > I’m not surprised that there are a large number of racists in America but I am a little discouraged to find that there are so many idiots. The racism is a big part of it – but, the essential part of “who and what he is” to which the Pubs really object, is a Democratic POTUS. Doesn’t matter who. Doesn’t matter whether it’s a liberal or conservative Dem. Bill got it almost as bad, and so will Hillary. The Pubs simply will not acknowledge the legitimacy of a Democrat’s mandate. That’s the point which partisan polarization now has reached. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/444 "2016-06-02T17:03:55Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > given that yea, Obama didn’t explicitly apologize, that is probably what polifact was getting at. Well, he should have, shouldn’t he? The world was **owed** an apology for America’s behavior during the W years. ---
**Author:** ![DerekMichaels00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DerekMichaels00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerekMichaels00)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/445 "2016-06-02T22:47:14Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Well, he should have, shouldn’t he? The world was **owed** an apology for America’s behavior during the W years. Why was the world owed an apology? Iraq, in theory, OK. But not the world, theory or practice. Even for as bad as W. was, apologizing just emboldened our enemies and lost us face in the world. Politics, geopolitical or domestic, is not the place to lose face. On another note, [heres’s a big difference](http://time.com/4355797/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-foreign-policy-speech-transcript/) between Obama, and even Hillary (as Giuliani pointed out that Obama’s predecessors of BOTH D and R were more patriotic than him) > [@](#): > > I believe with all my heart that America is an exceptional country – that we’re still, in Lincoln’s words, **the last, best hope of earth** …America’s network of allies is part of what makes us exceptional. I know Hillary’s paying lipservice to Obama’s foreign policy praises to please the base and him, but Hillary shows that Giuliani was right; Dem POTUSes (and HRC, a wouldbe POTUS) talk about USA in a much more unifying way than “America is a nation of cowards” or “America is exceptional…like Greece.” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/446 "2016-06-02T22:52:38Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > Even for as bad as W. was, apologizing just emboldened our enemies and lost us face in the world. Politics, geopolitical or domestic, is not the place to lose face. Obama did not apologize, as you have admitted, and he did nothing whatsoever on that tour to embolden America’s enemies or cause us to lose face in the world, quite the reverse, we **gained** face. The Actual-Obama didn’t, anyway; see post #438. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/447 "2016-06-02T22:54:22Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > … apologizing just emboldened our enemies and lost us face in the world. Please quote the apologizing that “emboldened our enemies and lost us face in the world.” ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/448 "2016-06-02T23:01:52Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > … “America is a nation of cowards” or “America is exceptional…like Greece.” Obama didn’t say either of those things. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/449 "2016-06-02T23:03:35Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > Even for as bad as W. was, apologizing just emboldened our enemies and lost us face in the world. Politics, geopolitical or domestic, is not the place to lose face. The US under Obama is far, far more popular around the world than it was under Bush. Obama has never apologized for America, and his realistic and accurate depiction of the complexities of US involvement around the world have _greatly increased_, not harmed, respect for the US. Refusing to critique one’s self is weakness, not strength. > [@](#): > > On another note, [heres’s a big difference](http://time.com/4355797/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-foreign-policy-speech-transcript/) between Obama, and even Hillary (as Giuliani pointed out that Obama’s predecessors of BOTH D and R were more patriotic than him) Giuliani’s an idiotic conspiracy-mongering buffoon, and Obama’s never said or done anything that warrants any questioning of his patriotism. > [@](#): > > I know Hillary’s paying lipservice to Obama’s foreign policy praises to please the base and him, but Hillary shows that Giuliani was right; Dem POTUSes (and HRC, a wouldbe POTUS) talk about USA in a much more unifying way than “America is a nation of cowards” or “America is exceptional…like Greece.” Obama certainly talks about the US in as unifying a way as anyone – no one has praised the USA like he has. Like he has said countless times, only in America is a story like Obama’s personal story even possible. All of these criticisms of Obama are entirely baseless and only resonate with the right-wing radiosphere and fact-free idiots like Giuliani. You’ve offered no quotes and no evidence – everything you say is bullshit interpretation, innuendo, and outright false statements. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/450 "2016-06-02T23:09:57Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > The US under Obama is far, far more popular around the world than it was under Bush. Obama has never apologized for America, and his realistic and accurate depiction of the complexities of US involvement around the world have _greatly increased_, not harmed, respect for the US. Refusing to critique one’s self is weakness, not strength. Put another way: When Obama was done with that tour, America was a little more admired by the world and a little less feared. That is not loss of face. Our national dignity does not depend on being feared. It depends on being admirable. ---
**Author:** ![DerekMichaels00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DerekMichaels00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerekMichaels00)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/451 "2016-06-02T23:13:29Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > The US under Obama is far, far more popular around the world than it was under Bush. Obama has never apologized for America, and his realistic and accurate depiction of the complexities of US involvement around the world have _greatly increased_, not harmed, respect for the US. Refusing to critique one’s self is weakness, not strength. > > Obama certainly talks about the US in as unifying a way as anyone – no one has praised the USA like he has. Like he has said countless times, only in America is a story like Obama’s personal story even possible. America would’ve been more popular under any post-W POTUS than with Bush, Obama, McCain, or Hillary; it wouldn’t have mattered. Also, when you describe Obama’s view of American exceptionalism, it sounds like he’s saying America is exceptional because of Barack Obama (himself); that’s not patriotism, thats egotism. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/452 "2016-06-02T23:44:09Z")
We’re actually less popular in the countries Obama is bombing. We’re more popular where he is not bombing because the media covers him more favorably. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/453 "2016-06-02T23:58:35Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > Also, when you describe Obama’s view of American exceptionalism, it sounds like he’s saying America is exceptional because of Barack Obama (himself); that’s not patriotism, thats egotism. America is not exceptional, and thinking or saying so is not patriotic, it is dishonest. I make some allowances for Obama here because the POTUS is supposed to say only nice things about America; but no patriotic private citizen should. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/454 "2016-06-03T00:20:49Z")
DerekMichaels00 wrote:" it sounds like he’s saying America is exceptional because of Barack Obama." Hey, show me another country with a President who would have had a hard time even voting 50 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/455 "2016-06-03T00:32:19Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > America would’ve been more popular under any post-W POTUS than with Bush, Obama, McCain, or Hillary; it wouldn’t have mattered. > > Also, when you describe Obama’s view of American exceptionalism, it sounds like he’s saying America is exceptional because of Barack Obama (himself); that’s not patriotism, thats egotism. Don’t worry, there won’t be an America with a President Trump. Just a 1,250-foot tall wall marking where one border used to be. I swear, you find the pickiest of nits. ---
**Author:** ![DerekMichaels00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DerekMichaels00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerekMichaels00)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/456 "2016-06-03T00:41:03Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > DerekMichaels00 wrote:" it sounds like he’s saying America is exceptional because of Barack Obama." > > Hey, show me another country with a President who would have had a hard time even voting 50 years ago. You’re right, but Obama shouldn’t be the one bragging about that; let others do it for him. How often does someone present themselves the Oscar? [QUOTE=BrainGlutton] America is not exceptional, and thinking or saying so is not patriotic, it is dishonest. [/QUOTE] why is it not? Because it was the first modern representative democracy without a monarch? Because it played a pivotal role in freeing the world from fascism and communism? I didn’t know those were bad things. Guess because you don’t think America is exceptional, you’re far to the left of the likely Democratic nominee. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/457 "2016-06-03T00:41:32Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > America is not exceptional, and thinking or saying so is not patriotic, it is dishonest. I make some allowances for Obama here because the POTUS is supposed to say only nice things about America; but no patriotic private citizen should. The US is exceptional. Not because of our power, but because of our liberty. Other countries are free today, but no country codifies freedom or makes it as much a part of the culture as we do. For other countries, democracy and freedom “work”, and if one day they don’t seem to be working they will gladly turn back to despots and kings. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/458 "2016-06-03T00:51:16Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > America would’ve been more popular under any post-W POTUS than with Bush, Obama, McCain, or Hillary; it wouldn’t have mattered. > > Also, when you describe Obama’s view of American exceptionalism, it sounds like he’s saying America is exceptional because of Barack Obama (himself); that’s not patriotism, thats egotism. Obama is particularly popular around the world, and especially in Europe, Asia, and Africa. No, that’s not what he’s saying. You seem incapable of judging anything he says except in the worst possible way. We get it - there is something intrinsic to the man, something perhaps related to his middle name which you mention so often, that you dislike. ---
**Author:** ![DerekMichaels00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DerekMichaels00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerekMichaels00)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/459 "2016-06-03T00:55:55Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > The US is exceptional. Not because of our power, but because of our liberty. Other countries are free today, but no country codifies freedom or makes it as much a part of the culture as we do. For other countries, democracy and freedom “work”, and if one day they don’t seem to be working they will gladly turn back to despots and kings. this!! The UK doesn’t even have a constitution, and democracy was forced on most of Europe as a solution to endless wars and inspired by America (before mass Muslim immigration to Europe of course). THOSE countries in Europe nearly all have crosses on their flags and state churches (which monarchs as their heads), things progressives should laugh at Europe for but don’t even know. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/460 "2016-06-03T01:01:01Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > America would’ve been more popular under any post-W POTUS than with Bush, Obama, McCain, or Hillary; it wouldn’t have mattered. > > Also, when you describe Obama’s view of American exceptionalism, it sounds like he’s saying America is exceptional because of Barack Obama (himself); that’s not patriotism, thats egotism. We’re still waiting for you to cite Obama’s apologies to Japan, the Middle East and Western Europe. We’re also waiting for you to cite the quotes in post 445 that you imply came from Obama. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286.md?page=22) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286.md?page=24)