Wshington Post: Obama The Most Polarizing President Ever...

[paulitician]

Wow, this coming from a long-established Liberal Media Outlet like the Washington Post is very surprising and damning.


President Obama ran — and won — in 2008 on the idea of uniting the country. But, each of his first three years in office have marked historic highs in political polarization, with Democrats largely approving of him and Republicans deeply disapproving.

For 2011, Obama’s third year in office, an average of 80 percent of Democrats approved of the job he was doing in Gallup tracking polls, as compared to 12 percent of Republicans who felt the same way. That’s a 68-point partisan gap, the highest for any president’s third year in office — ever. (The previous high was George W. Bush in 2007, when he had a 59 percent difference in job approval ratings.)

In 2010, the partisan gap between how Obama was viewed by Democrats versus Republicans stood at 68 percent; in 2009, it was 65 percent. Both were the highest marks ever for a president’s second and first years in office, respectively.

What do those numbers tell us? Put simply: that the country is hardening along more and more strict partisan lines.

While it’s easy to look at the numbers cited above and conclude that Obama has failed at his mission of bringing the country together, a deeper dig into the numbers in the Gallup poll suggests that the idea of erasing the partisan gap is simply impossible, as political polarization is rising rapidly.

Out of the ten most partisan years in terms of presidential job approval in Gallup data, seven — yes, seven — have come since 2004. Bush had a run between 2004 and 2007 in which the partisan disparity of his job approval was at 70 points or higher.

Read More:
Obama: The most polarizing president. Ever. - The Washington Post

 

[G.T.]

The Post is Liberal? who knew.

 

[Toro]

Wow, this coming from a long-established Liberal Media Outlet like the Washington Post is very surprising and damning.


President Obama ran — and won — in 2008 on the idea of uniting the country. But, each of his first three years in office have marked historic highs in political polarization, with Democrats largely approving of him and Republicans deeply disapproving.

For 2011, Obama’s third year in office, an average of 80 percent of Democrats approved of the job he was doing in Gallup tracking polls, as compared to 12 percent of Republicans who felt the same way. That’s a 68-point partisan gap, the highest for any president’s third year in office — ever. (The previous high was George W. Bush in 2007, when he had a 59 percent difference in job approval ratings.)

In 2010, the partisan gap between how Obama was viewed by Democrats versus Republicans stood at 68 percent; in 2009, it was 65 percent. Both were the highest marks ever for a president’s second and first years in office, respectively.

What do those numbers tell us? Put simply: that the country is hardening along more and more strict partisan lines.

While it’s easy to look at the numbers cited above and conclude that Obama has failed at his mission of bringing the country together, a deeper dig into the numbers in the Gallup poll suggests that the idea of erasing the partisan gap is simply impossible, as political polarization is rising rapidly.

Out of the ten most partisan years in terms of presidential job approval in Gallup data, seven — yes, seven — have come since 2004. Bush had a run between 2004 and 2007 in which the partisan disparity of his job approval was at 70 points or higher.

Read More:
Obama: The most polarizing president. Ever. - The Washington Post

Yup

 

[NYcarbineer]

The OP wrongly assumes that the president, or any president, causes the polarization.

 

[Wiseacre]

The OP wrongly assumes that the president, or any president, causes the polarization.

He ain't the sole cause, but he is a big reason for it. I think he's been playing politics from day one rather than properly governing.

 

[G.T.]

The OP wrongly assumes that the president, or any president, causes the polarization.

He ain't the sole cause, but he is a big reason for it. I think he's been playing politics from day one rather than properly governing.

The atmosphere makes it impossible to Govern. The Republicans in the House are their way or the highway, that's impossible to work with.

 

[California Girl]

The OP wrongly assumes that the president, or any president, causes the polarization.

He ain't the sole cause, but he is a big reason for it. I think he's been playing politics from day one rather than properly governing.

The atmosphere makes it impossible to Govern. The Republicans in the House are their way or the highway, that's impossible to work with.

I think you'll find it was because of Obama's attitude to the GOP that they became 'dug in' on their stance.

How the fuck can anyone defend that man's attitude towards those who disagree with him? He referred to them (me) as 'the enemy'.

He has offended every one of our allies, particularly Britain and Israel. Those countries - particularly Britain - have stood by this country every damned time we've asked. And Obama treats them like crap.

The man does not know how to govern. He was elected President of the United States - ALL of it, not just the parts that follow their Messiah.

 

[G.T.]

He ain't the sole cause, but he is a big reason for it. I think he's been playing politics from day one rather than properly governing.

The atmosphere makes it impossible to Govern. The Republicans in the House are their way or the highway, that's impossible to work with.

I think you'll find it was because of Obama's attitude to the GOP that they became 'dug in' on their stance.

How the fuck can anyone defend that man's attitude towards those who disagree with him? He referred to them (me) as 'the enemy'.

He has offended every one of our allies, particularly Britain and Israel. Those countries - particularly Britain - have stood by this country every damned time we've asked. And Obama treats them like crap.

The man does not know how to govern. He was elected President of the United States - ALL of it, not just the parts that follow their Messiah.

No, I won't find that because I wasn't born in 2009 and I heard them planning on it before he was elected.

 

[Article 15]

In my observation, ever since "you can't support the troops if you don't support the war" the far right noise machine has been the primary driver behind the polarization of this country.

 

[G.T.]

In my observation, ever since "you can't support the troops if you don't support the war" the far right noise machine has been the primary driver behind the polarization of this country.

That's when my ear was thrown to the wind and became interested in this stuff as a hobby. I caught it on Hate radio when sports radio was on a commercial one day, and much like my Howard Stern fascination (love to hate 'em) - politics got me like that. I kept thinking that the things they were saying? Noone in their right mind thinks like that.

 

[Stephanie]

Obama has been a disgrace as a President.

How this unknown JUNIOR SENATOR even became President is a bigger worry..Doesn't speak well of the country.

 

[knuckles]

The OP wrongly assumes that the president, or any president, causes the polarization.

He ain't the sole cause, but he is a big reason for it. I think he's been playing politics from day one rather than properly governing.

Obama is the boldest liar and the boldest partisan I've ever seen in the Presidency.

 

[G.T.]

Obama has been a disgrace as a President.

How this unknown JUNIOR SENATOR even became President is a bigger worry..Doesn't speak well of the country.

You've been on this since you ever even heard of him, it's old. You'd have the same schtick if he were doing great.

 

[Stephanie]

Obama has been a disgrace as a President.

How this unknown JUNIOR SENATOR even became President is a bigger worry..Doesn't speak well of the country.

You've been on this since you ever even heard of him, it's old. You'd have the same schtick if he were doing great.

waaa.
truth hurts I see

 

[California Girl]

The atmosphere makes it impossible to Govern. The Republicans in the House are their way or the highway, that's impossible to work with.

I think you'll find it was because of Obama's attitude to the GOP that they became 'dug in' on their stance.

How the fuck can anyone defend that man's attitude towards those who disagree with him? He referred to them (me) as 'the enemy'.

He has offended every one of our allies, particularly Britain and Israel. Those countries - particularly Britain - have stood by this country every damned time we've asked. And Obama treats them like crap.

The man does not know how to govern. He was elected President of the United States - ALL of it, not just the parts that follow their Messiah.

No, I won't find that because I wasn't born in 2009 and I heard them planning on it before he was elected.

I heard them planning to stand by their principles... and they clearly tried to work with Obama in the first year - and what did Obama respond? "I won". Arrogant little brat. I've always tried to disagree with his policies and ignore the rhetoric - until he referred to conservatives as 'the enemy'. I have never heard a President call other Americans 'the enemy' before... if you have, I'd love to see it.

Take a rational, honest look at it. If that was Bush and he called liberals 'the enemy', how would you react? I know I'd have been pissed at him... and I'm not a liberal. But if he'd called liberals 'the enemy', it would have offended me. I don't believe any President should call other Americans 'the enemy'. He is supposed to be the President of the whole country - all Americans. Fuck him.

 

[G.T.]

The OP wrongly assumes that the president, or any president, causes the polarization.

He ain't the sole cause, but he is a big reason for it. I think he's been playing politics from day one rather than properly governing.

Obama is the boldest liar and the boldest partisan I've ever seen in the Presidency.

Oh word? Which President said that Liberalism is a mental disorder? May he RIP.
Which President encamped Asians in the most unAmerican wartime act, perhaps, ever?
Which President fought a war against half of the Country, in the Civil War?

You pick Obama as the worst? It's just indicative of the times we're in, and Obama didn't create this atmosphere.

 

[G.T.]

I think you'll find it was because of Obama's attitude to the GOP that they became 'dug in' on their stance.

How the fuck can anyone defend that man's attitude towards those who disagree with him? He referred to them (me) as 'the enemy'.

He has offended every one of our allies, particularly Britain and Israel. Those countries - particularly Britain - have stood by this country every damned time we've asked. And Obama treats them like crap.

The man does not know how to govern. He was elected President of the United States - ALL of it, not just the parts that follow their Messiah.

No, I won't find that because I wasn't born in 2009 and I heard them planning on it before he was elected.

I heard them planning to stand by their principles... and they clearly tried to work with Obama in the first year - and what did Obama respond? "I won". Arrogant little brat. I've always tried to disagree with his policies and ignore the rhetoric - until he referred to conservatives as 'the enemy'. I have never heard a President call other Americans 'the enemy' before... if you have, I'd love to see it.

Take a rational, honest look at it. If that was Bush and he called liberals 'the enemy', how would you react? I know I'd have been pissed at him... and I'm not a liberal. But if he'd called liberals 'the enemy', it would have offended me. I don't believe any President should call other Americans 'the enemy'. He is supposed to be the President of the whole country - all Americans. Fuck him.

You have a fucked up perception of history.

When he said "I won" he was responding to vile partisanship - not just saying it out of the blue.

And he has compromised. To say that he hasn't is proposterous and lacks any indication that you know exactly what he's signed into law since President.

They ATTACKED HIM, not vowed to "stand by their principals," but attacked. They called him an enemy of America, long before he was elected.

I know why you have a rose colored memory of it, it's because you're the hack you steady proclaiming everyone else here to be all of the time. There's no other excuse for it, becuase they did *not* welcome his Presidency cordially or decent AT ALL.

Holy shit.

 

[Claudette]

Barry came in on a wave of Hope and Change. We see how thats going.

He promptly told the GOP to shut up and get in the back of the bus. He won. He wasn't interested in any of their ideas or suggestions. He made that quite clear.

He's not a uniter thats for sure. He's made it quite clear that he could care less about the other side.

Eventually you have to get results though and those are kinda hard when you've alienated the opposition to the point where any cooperation is hard won.

Funny how that works.

 

[Article 15]

The atmosphere makes it impossible to Govern. The Republicans in the House are their way or the highway, that's impossible to work with.

I think you'll find it was because of Obama's attitude to the GOP that they became 'dug in' on their stance.

How the fuck can anyone defend that man's attitude towards those who disagree with him? He referred to them (me) as 'the enemy'.

He has offended every one of our allies, particularly Britain and Israel. Those countries - particularly Britain - have stood by this country every damned time we've asked. And Obama treats them like crap.

The man does not know how to govern. He was elected President of the United States - ALL of it, not just the parts that follow their Messiah.

No, I won't find that because I wasn't born in 2009 and I heard them planning on it before he was elected.

Aye, and if anything Obama continuously trying to negotiate in good faith with the GOP despite having them yank the football away every damn time just encouraged them more.

Whenever he finally puts his foot down it's "ZOMG the evil dictator"

 

[G.T.]

Barry came in on a wave of Hope and Change. We see how thats going.

He promptly told the GOP to shut up and get in the back of the bus. He won. He wasn't interested in any of their ideas or suggestions. He made that quite clear.

He's not a uniter thats for sure. He's made it quite clear that he could care less about the other side.

Eventually you have to get results though and those are kinda hard when you've alienated the opposition to the point where any cooperation is hard won.

Funny how that works.

Claudette didn't read his inauguration speech.