# Obama "Most Divisive" Figure in US Politics **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 20, 2012, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-most-divisive-figure-in-us-politics/622525 "2012-05-20T17:13:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fumster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-most-divisive-figure-in-us-politics/622525/1 "2012-05-20T17:13:34Z")
Mark Rubio has [called](http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/20/11775244-marco-rubio-calls-obama-most-divisive-figure-in-us-politics?lite)Obama the most divisive figure in US politics. Where do conservatives get this stuff? It’s as though there is no such thing as reality anymore. Hell, it’s hard to think of a president who has acted less divisively. His big crime is promoting a health care bill that was similar to one the Republican’s themselves advocated not long ago, and almost identical to what was signed into law by the presumptive nominee of the Republicans. Nixon, the guy that called Obama a liar, and Sara “Death Panel” Palin are divisive. I can see how the blunt Barney Frank and some other Democrats can be seen as divisive, but Obama? Regardless of political philosophy, I don’t see how anyone with a modicum of intelligence could remain connected to the Republicans when they just make stuff up. How can democracy work in this environment? ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-most-divisive-figure-in-us-politics/622525/2 "2012-05-20T17:20:04Z")
Well, he is black. ---
**Author:** ![fumster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-most-divisive-figure-in-us-politics/622525/3 "2012-05-20T17:26:49Z")
> [@gamerunknown](#): > > Well, he is black. Hell, even there he compromised and had a white mother. ---
**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:** [May 20, 2012, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-most-divisive-figure-in-us-politics/622525/4 "2012-05-20T17:34:56Z")
He’s divisive if you’re a real American. If you don’t find him divisive, then you’re not a real American. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-most-divisive-figure-in-us-politics/622525/5 "2012-05-20T17:44:21Z")
> [@fumster](#): > > Hell, even there he compromised and had a white mother. Plus, if he had a son, he’d come out wearing a hoodie. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-most-divisive-figure-in-us-politics/622525/6 "2012-05-20T17:59:15Z")
He actually called him the most divisive figure in “modern American history”! Apparently calling for a partial return to Clinton era tax rates makes you more divisive then Malcolm X, Newt Gingrich, Oliver North, Nixon, LBJ, George Wallace, etc. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-most-divisive-figure-in-us-politics/622525/7 "2012-05-20T18:26:39Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > He actually called him the most divisive figure in “modern American history”! > > Apparently calling for a partial return to Clinton era tax rates makes you more divisive then Malcolm X, Newt Gingrich, Oliver North, Nixon, LBJ, George Wallace, etc. Rubio doesn’t remember those people, so they’re not\* his\* “modern American history.” You don’t understand how right-wing history works. There are four periods, in order: THE BIBLE MY IDYLLIC CHILDHOOD THE USSR (which is identified with both Orwell’s 1984 and all Maoist movements everywhere) WHAT I LIVED THROUGH AS AN ADULT Everything else is trivia and didn’t happen. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-most-divisive-figure-in-us-politics/622525/8 "2012-05-20T18:40:05Z")
Quite the contrary: Obama is a uniter, not a divider. The Right hates him for being a hardcore tax-and-spend liberal with an old-school socialist agenda who wants to soak the rich to benefit the layabout poor, muzzle Wall Street, gut the military, weaken our position on the world stage, negotiate with our enemies, disengage from Israel, and outlaw the private ownership of firearms. The Left hates him because none of that is true. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-most-divisive-figure-in-us-politics/622525/9 "2012-05-20T18:56:33Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Quite the contrary: Obama is a uniter, not a divider. > > The Right hates him for being a hardcore tax-and-spend liberal with an old-school socialist agenda who wants to soak the rich to benefit the layabout poor, muzzle Wall Street, gut the military, weaken our position on the world stage, negotiate with our enemies, disengage from Israel, and outlaw the private ownership of firearms. The Left hates him because none of that is true. Wow, you nailed it. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-most-divisive-figure-in-us-politics/622525/10 "2012-05-20T19:36:28Z")
I think that with the evolution of online media and blogs, EVERY NEXT PRESIDENT will be the most divisive figure ever. When Nixon was in office he didn’t have the Occupy Movement, and Carter didn’t have the Tea Party, both groups able to spew their nonsense on a hundred web pages. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-most-divisive-figure-in-us-politics/622525/11 "2012-05-20T19:42:31Z")
They’re sort of right. Not that Obama has done anything to justify it, or acts in a divisive manner - but if half the country decides that he is the guy who is most responsible for all that is wrong in the world, and they absolutely hate him at their core, and they spend 10 hours a day passing around e-mails about his evil socialist plans and posting yahoo news comments about the end of America, he’s a divisive figure. It’s just ironic because he’s amongst the most concilliatory, and quite frankly, borderline spineless politicians we’ve seen - he’s far more inclusive and nice to them than they deserve. This is probably the biggest gap between actual divisive behavior, and perceived divisiveness that we may ever see. I don’t see how it could be any larger. The right wing echo chamber has been amazingly successful in working up everyone who chooses to be in it into a frothing rage over absolutely nothing. In 50 years, with some historical perspective, this could be taught in history classes as a new type/level of propoganda success. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-most-divisive-figure-in-us-politics/622525/12 "2012-05-20T19:59:47Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Quite the contrary: Obama is a uniter, not a divider. > > The Right hates him for being a hardcore tax-and-spend liberal with an old-school socialist agenda who wants to soak the rich to benefit the layabout poor, muzzle Wall Street, gut the military, weaken our position on the world stage, negotiate with our enemies, disengage from Israel, and outlaw the private ownership of firearms. The Left hates him because none of that is true. …Oh, I may have to steal that. ---
**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:** [May 20, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-most-divisive-figure-in-us-politics/622525/13 "2012-05-20T20:07:01Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > I think that with the evolution of online media and blogs, EVERY NEXT PRESIDENT will be the most divisive figure ever. When Nixon was in office he didn’t have the Occupy Movement, and Carter didn’t have the Tea Party, both groups able to spew their nonsense on a hundred web pages. But this isn’t from some wild eyed TPer. It’s from a Senator who is on everyone’s short list for the VP slot. If Romney is elected, do you think we’ll hear that from a similar Democraic Senator in 2016? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-most-divisive-figure-in-us-politics/622525/14 "2012-05-20T20:08:57Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > …Oh, I may have to steal that. Too late! Mine! Back off! ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-most-divisive-figure-in-us-politics/622525/15 "2012-05-20T20:50:20Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Too late! Mine! Back off! Nonsense; we can all have some; just send in the clones. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-most-divisive-figure-in-us-politics/622525/16 "2012-05-20T21:07:42Z")
> [@fumster](#): > > Mark Rubio has [called](http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/20/11775244-marco-rubio-calls-obama-most-divisive-figure-in-us-politics?lite)Obama the most divisive figure in US politics. Where do conservatives get this stuff? In this case, from angling for the Veep slot, I should think. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-most-divisive-figure-in-us-politics/622525/17 "2012-05-20T21:09:44Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Quite the contrary: Obama is a uniter, not a divider. And what America **needs** right now is a divider, not a uniter. Obama just doesn’t get that. He seems to take the right **seriously.** ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-most-divisive-figure-in-us-politics/622525/18 "2012-05-20T21:11:38Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > I think that with the evolution of online media and blogs, EVERY NEXT PRESIDENT will be the most divisive figure ever. Well, that kind of thing is older than the telegraph (though not much older, since modern democracy is not much older). It is always in a candidate’s interest to convince the voters, or at least his base, that the next election is the most important make-or-break event in their lives to date, that’s how you fire 'em up. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-most-divisive-figure-in-us-politics/622525/19 "2012-05-20T21:14:59Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > But this isn’t from some wild eyed TPer. It’s from a Senator who is on everyone’s short list for the VP slot. If Romney is elected, do you think we’ll hear that from a similar Democraic Senator in 2016? I hope so, and I expect in that case it would be justified. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-most-divisive-figure-in-us-politics/622525/20 "2012-05-20T22:39:51Z")
To me, he’s about as divisive as George Bush was through most of his presidency (I admit that at the end he went from being divisive to mostly reviled and avoided even by many in his own party). The left ABSOLUTELY hated him, the right generally liked him and supported him. You can make the argument that he was rightfully divisive for starting the Iraq war where Obama hasn’t made many truly divisive actions, but I’m not seeing a huge difference between the two in how much hate and vitriol there is spewed at them on a daily basis. About half the country supports Obama and thinks he’s doing a decent job. I don’t know anyone who is absolutely crazy about him. This is pretty much how Bush was for a long time. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-most-divisive-figure-in-us-politics/622525.md?page=2)