# 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:** 8
**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:** [April 27, 2016, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/141 "2016-04-27T12:03:13Z")
> [@CaptMurdock](#): > > Well, yes. Andrew Jackson tripped on the Oval Office rug; _that_ caused the Trail of Tears. :rolleyes: > > A century or so later, same sort of thing: Gerald Ford inadvertently tied his shoe to his hair dryer, and it pardoned Richard Nixon. šŸ˜ƒ Nitpick: the Oval Office didnā€™t exist when Jackson was president. Getting him off the $20 was long overdue. I donā€™t think he should have been on in the first place. His crusade against the Second Bank of the US triggered the Panic of 1837 and the deep recession that followed. His Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears should disqualify him from being remembered in any positive manner and certainly merits disqualification from being on currency. His one accomplishment which propelled him to the White House was winning a major battle after a peace agreement had already been reached. Some hero. The notion that Obama is divisive is ludicrous. He is the Jackie Robinson of politics, taking personal racial attacks with grace. He canā€™t be the Angry Black Man and he knows it. He is nowhere close to liberal, Iā€™d say ideologically he is as close to Nixon than he is to anybody in the modern era. To say that Democrats have moved to the left is like swimming from the shallow end to the deep end of the pool and observing that people sitting in the deck chairs have moved to higher ground. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/142 "2016-04-27T14:53:16Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > I could care less about his skin color, or really even his name. It indeed is things heā€™s said; I have big problems with what Obama said in 2009 at Cairo, comparing slavery to The Holocaust, comparing the Terrorstinian ā€œnakbaā€ to The Holocaust (by saying ā€œon the other handā€ when talking about it), purposely starting problems with Israel in hoping to make the Muslim world like America, ā€¦ > . Oh, I know Iā€™m going to regret poking this particular hornetā€™s nestā€¦ ā€¦but What, dude? :dubious: ---
**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:** [April 27, 2016, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/143 "2016-04-27T15:03:45Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I donā€™t see why anyone would want to defend Jackson. Even by the standards of his time he was a pretty evil guy. Thatā€™s not to say he didnā€™t do some good things as President, but all in all heā€™s a pretty scummy individual and nearly destroyed our democracy by defying the Supreme Court and our laws. > > Thomas Jefferson is a good example of a guy who should be judged by the standards of his time. His contribution to this country and humanity in general vastly outweigh his sins, which were pretty normal for the time. But Jackson? Screw him. Well said. I canā€™t understand calling Obama ā€œdeviciveā€ for being President while the Treasury decides to take Jackson off the front of the $20 bill. It seems to have united all factions of the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/144 "2016-04-27T15:48:36Z")
I get the feeling **DerekMichaels00** uses the word ā€œbutā€ in conversation a lot. As in: [ul] [li]Iā€™m not a bigot, butā€¦[/li][li]I donā€™t know where I heard this, butā€¦[/li][li]Iā€™m not saying it should be this way, butā€¦[/li][li]I know it sounds crazy, butā€¦[/li][li]Not that it matters what color he is, butā€¦[/li][/ul] I could go on, but you get the idea. ---
**Author:** ![dataguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eada6e/32.png) [@dataguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dataguy)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/145 "2016-04-27T16:06:55Z")
Iā€™m. M m Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/146 "2016-04-27T16:10:52Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > well there you go; he deserves to be on the front of a bill. FDR was a much, much more important figure than Jackson; he should be in line for the honor ahead of Jackson ā€“ and so should Teddy Roosevelt, for that matter ā€“ but all of them should be in line behind Tubman, who was not such an important figure but who embodied all that is the very best in the American character. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/147 "2016-04-27T20:27:27Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > I could care less about his skin color, or really even his name. Youā€™re not fooling anyone here. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/148 "2016-04-27T21:03:44Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > . . . winning a major battle after a peace agreement had already been reached. Some hero. . . . Neither side in that battle knew ā€“ or had any conceivable way to know ā€“ that peace had been reached. Thatā€™s an unfair cheap-shot. (I agree with everything else you said.) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/149 "2016-04-27T21:10:30Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Neither side in that battle knew ā€“ or had any conceivable way to know ā€“ that peace had been reached. Thatā€™s an unfair cheap-shot. > > (I agree with everything else you said.) And at least we got a catchy song out of it. ā€œIn 1814 we took a little trip / Along with Andy Jackson down the mighty Mississipā€™ . . .ā€ ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/150 "2016-04-27T21:51:11Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > And at least we got a catchy song out of it. ā€œIn 1814 we took a little trip / Along with Andy Jackson down the mighty Mississipā€™ . . .ā€ ā€œWe took a ton of ham, and we took a ton of beans / And we farted all the way to the town of New Orleans.ā€ (Or, so says my 10 year old selfā€¦) ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/151 "2016-04-27T21:56:02Z")
> [@dataguy](#): > > Iā€™m. > M m Donā€™t you go melting in my hand, now. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/152 "2016-04-27T22:36:02Z")
> [@](#): > > ā€œIn 1814 we took a little trip / Along with Andy Jackson down the mighty Mississipā€™ . . .ā€ Until that song, I had never considered the artillery potential of the common Louisiana alligator. Too bad \*Mythbusters \*folded, would have been a good one. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/153 "2016-04-27T22:38:02Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Until that song, I had never considered the artillery potential of the common Louisiana alligator. Too bad \*Mythbusters \*folded, would have been a good one. Tried it once. The gator really did lose his mind, and so did PETA. Unfortunately, certain restraining orders render the results irreproducible, at least by this researcher. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/154 "2016-04-28T02:45:11Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > And at least we got a catchy song out of it. ā€œIn 1814 we took a little trip / Along with Andy Jackson down the mighty Mississipā€™ . . .ā€ Another good one is ā€œ[The Hunters of Kentucky](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunters_of_Kentucky).ā€ > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > ā€œWe took a ton of ham, and we took a ton of beans / And we farted all the way to the town of New Orleans.ā€ (Or, so says my 10 year old selfā€¦) Grin! Peter Pan syndrome at its finest! I hope I never grow up so much that I stop thinking burping and farting are funny! ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/155 "2016-04-28T03:56:43Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > I get the feeling **DerekMichaels00** uses the word ā€œbutā€ in conversation a lot. As in: > [ul] > [li]Iā€™m not a bigot, butā€¦[/li][li]I donā€™t know where I heard this, butā€¦[/li][li]Iā€™m not saying it should be this way, butā€¦[/li][li]I know it sounds crazy, butā€¦[/li][li]Not that it matters what color he is, butā€¦[/li][/ul] > > I could go on, but you get the idea. Please Do NOT go on. Stick to discussions of the topic and issues and leave personal comments for The BBQ Pit. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/156 "2016-04-28T04:06:18Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Grin! Peter Pan syndrome at its finest! I hope I never grow up so much that I stop thinking burping and farting are funny! Said the Dowager Duchess at tea, ā€œYoung man, do you fart when you pee?ā€ I replied, "Not a bit! ā€œDo you belch when you shit?ā€ Which Iā€™d say left the honours with me. šŸ†’ ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/157 "2016-04-28T04:15:44Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > Many people have said that President Obama has been divisive. Those who claim that Obama has been divisive would be more honest to say ā€œmore uppity.ā€ ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/158 "2016-04-28T17:29:01Z")
[off-topic] ā€œI could care lessā€ is a peculiar phrase. I wonder if OP knows its meaning? šŸ˜› > [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > I could care less about his skin color, or really even his name. It indeed is things heā€™s said; I have big problems with what Obama said in 2009 at Cairo, comparing slavery to The Holocaust, comparing the Terrorstinian ā€œnakbaā€ to The Holocaust (by saying ā€œon the other handā€ when talking about it), FTR, Iā€™ve excerpted Obamaā€™s speech, bold-redding the phrase that **DerekMichaels00** finds so offensive. [QUOTE=Barack Obama, Cairo 2009] Around the world, the Jewish people were persecuted for centuries, and anti-Semitism in Europe culminated in an unprecedented Holocaust. Tomorrow, I will visit Buchenwald, which was part of a network of camps where Jews were enslaved, tortured, shot and gassed to death by the Third Reich. Six million Jews were killed ā€“ more than the entire Jewish population of Israel today. Denying that fact is baseless, it is ignorant, and it is hateful. Threatening Israel with destruction ā€“ or repeating vile stereotypes about Jews ā€“ is deeply wrong, and only serves to evoke in the minds of Israelis this most painful of memories while preventing the peace that the people of this region deserve. **On the other hand** , it is also undeniable that the Palestinian people ā€“ Muslims and Christians ā€“ have suffered in pursuit of a homeland. For more than 60 years theyā€™ve endured the pain of dislocation. Many wait in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, and neighboring lands for a life of peace and security that they have never been able to lead. They endure the daily humiliations ā€“ large and small ā€“ that come with occupation. So let there be no doubt: The situation for the Palestinian people is intolerable. And America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own. [/QUOTE] I think Obama struck a perfect balance ā€” the speech Iā€™d be proud to give if I were eloquent. What do others think? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/159 "2016-04-28T17:49:49Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > I think Obama struck a perfect balance ā€” the speech Iā€™d be proud to give if I were eloquent. What do others think? Agreed. ---
**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:** [April 28, 2016, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/160 "2016-04-28T17:51:08Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > [off-topic] FTR, Iā€™ve excerpted Obamaā€™s speech, bold-redding the phrase that **DerekMichaels00** finds so offensive. > > I think Obama struck a perfect balance ā€” the speech Iā€™d be proud to give if I were eloquent. What do others think? I think Obama has done a good job in trying to be even handed in his concern both for the Israelis and Palestinians. Unfortunately, for too many the whole Middle Eastern foreign policy can be summed up as ā€œIsrael can do no wrongā€. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286.md?page=9)