OK, I am a Republican (“Hi Algher”). I don’t hate Obama, nor do most of the Republicans that I interact with. Then again, I stick to perhaps a more informed and genteel set rather than the frothing-at-the-mouth folks who are necessary in any get-out-the-vote drive.
In other words, most of us are “fine” with him in general, and our opposition is due to standard differences in how we see things.
The health care bill is crap. It is too big, too complicated, and does not fix our root problems of employer based coverage (part of the system thanks to FDR and WWII price controls) and coverage for those with certain long-term illnesses if they fall off of a plan (endemic to a profit-based risk-sharing system with individual buy-in).
The bailouts of the banks (and others) was bad, IMHO. I would have let more of them crash. Instead, we seem to have created a system where the big banks could buy out little banks thanks to Fed money and Fed arm-twisting. I would have let more companies go under - but I actually believe in cut-throat capitalism.
I am HAPPY that Obama is continuing the path of getting out of Iraq. I hope he continues that. I am HAPPY that Obama listened to his military and is letting them ramp up some pressure in Afghanistan. I hope that he can find a way out of there.
After that, most of it remains to be seen. We put up a crap candidate, and we deserved our ass-kicking in the last election. We “deserve” to get back some seats only because the Democrats haven’t solved all of the nation’s problems. The electorate is pissed, scared, nervous and cranky and will grab onto whoever promises them SOMETHING to make it all better (sounds like my kids when they were toddlers).
Hatred is reserved for those that truly go over the line. If I wanted to hate a politician, it would have to be for something that is truly “theirs” that also could be said to have done lasting harm to the nation’s interests (as defined by me, of course):
If I wanted to hate a President, I only have two at this time:
LBJ for Vietnam.
Bush Junior for the Iraq War and squandering our control of the House and Senate.