Why Do Republicans Appear To Be So Disrespectful to President Obama?

[SuperFerret]

Are we talking elected Republicans or people who vote Republican?

 

[terry78]

Are we talking elected Republicans or people who vote Republican?

And what about split tickets?

 

[BoredGuy]

He is still more popular than Bush. People really couldn't stand that guy outside the U.S

most people couldn't stand him IN the US either
hence only actually winning one of his elections
...

and if were talking elected repubs here? they appear disrespectful because they are disrespectful, a small greedy group of millionaires who see themselves as above all us normies, and are such sore losers in presidential elections that they'd rather blow up the economy than work with that big (*cough*black*) meanie who beat poor McCain-icles and Rom-bo

but that's just scratching the surface

 

[DeadPresident]

Nothing changes. t:

Some of that might be me drinking the koolaid on the GW hate, but how unfit he was to govern a country was quite astonishing.

I think irrespective of policies or politics, looking at the base competency that GW brought to the table vs what Obama brings it's not even a competition. GW floated the USA all the way to hell in a little rubber boat but when something like Obamacare or free community colleges comes across suddenly Obama is "destroying the country". Petty partisan beliefs are Obama's biggest enemy. Like I said, I fully believe once enough time has gone by and everyone looks at it more objectively, Obama will go down as one of the better presidents the USA ever had.

 

[The Question]

A huge slice of post-1980s disgusting partisan divide, and probably a dash of racism.


It's funny, too, because by several measures Obama is more conservative than Ronald Reagan.

 

[CaptainWagner]

It is worse with Obama because the moderates on both sides of the aisle have been largely bounced from office since 2008. Previously a President could always find at least a few people on the opposing side that they could work with. Expect the current situation to be the new standard going forward.

That said, there have always been large blocks saying vile things repeatedly about most Presidents. Maybe a war hero like Eisenhower or Washington was untouchable to a certain degree, but they are the exception. It wasn't really that much better for Carter, LBJ, Truman, Hoover, McKinley, Cleveland, and basically every other president going back to John Adams. In terms of the shear vileness of the criticism, Obama's got things easy compared to what was said about Lincoln.

The Cleveland/Blaine election was also pretty awful. The stuff Obama has had to deal with is nothing compared to that.

 

[terry78]

I think one of my issues is that some tended to view him as like the uppity negro, like how dare he try and tell ME what I am and am not gonna do.

 

[Black Narcissus]

A bit of both; democrat and race.

 

[hippie_hunter]

most people couldn't stand him IN the US either
hence only actually winning one of his elections
...

and if were talking elected repubs here? they appear disrespectful because they are disrespectful, a small greedy group of millionaires who see themselves as above all us normies, and are such sore losers in presidential elections that they'd rather blow up the economy than work with that big (*cough*black*) meanie who beat poor McCain-icles and Rom-bo

but that's just scratching the surface

I'm gonna put it this way to you, he won both elections. Fairly and according to the rules.

 

[Black Narcissus]

I'm gonna put it this way to you, he won both elections. Fairly and according to the rules.

Kevin Spacey wouldn't lie to me.

 

[SV Fan]

I'm gonna put it this way to you, he won both elections. Fairly and according to the rules.

While he won both, he got less votes then the loser in one of those elections meaning a majority of people didn't want him as president that year but the rules worked in his favor

 

[hippie_hunter]

While he won both, he got less votes then the loser in one of those elections meaning a majority of people didn't want him as president that year but the rules worked in his favor

Doesn't matter. He still won in 2000. And Bush probably would have gotten a lot more votes if the networks didn't prematurely call Florida.

 

[SV Fan]

Doesn't matter. He still won in 2000. And Bush probably would have gotten a lot more votes if the networks didn't prematurely call Florida.

They didn't call Florida till after the polls closed there.

It's ridiculous to think that might make any difference in Utah or California

You could argue that calling it early was more likely to hurt Democrats because long lines are usually in Democrat districts in Florida, so maybe somebody hears at 9PM that Gore won Florida and they gave up

 

[hippie_hunter]

They didn't call Florida till after the polls closed there.

No they didn't. Florida is split in two time zones, they called Florida when the polls closed in Eastern Standard Time, (the majority of the state) while the polls were still open for another hour in the portion of the state that was in Central Standard Time. This was prime Republican country where Bush was winning with up to 70% in these counties. As a result many Floridians were turned away because they didn't think it was worth the time to vote in a state that was already called. The media's massive blunder cost Bush THOUSANDS of votes in Florida.

It's ridiculous to think that might make any difference in Utah or California

To a certain extent, when it looked like Gore was going to win, it would have dissuaded a lot of Republican voters.

 

[SV Fan]

This was prime Republican country where Bush was winning with up to 70% in these counties. As a result many Floridians were turned away because they didn't think it was worth the time to vote in a state that was already called. The media's massive blunder cost Bush THOUSANDS of votes in Florida.

It was called just before 8PM(7:50-8:00) EST, polls in the western part of Florida close at 8 EST(7CST) so that means somehow people who happen to be at those polls heard Gore won with less then 10 minutes to vote. I am guessing it might have cost TENS of votes more then THOUSANDS

As I said it's more likely to cause issues at polling stations that had long lines(which generally isn't rural areas) that had some access to outside media

 

[Thundercrack85]

I think anyone who thinks race isn't a factor in all this is either really naive, or just in deep denial.

The thing is, Obama is a mediocre liberal. With the exception of gay rights – which isn't even as divisive as it once was – and possibly abortion, Obama is pretty damn centrist, if not even slightly conservative.

By comparison Bush was about as conservative as you can get. On every issue. There's a reason Bush remains such a controversial president. His first term lacked legitimacy in the eyes of Democrats thanks to America's bizarre election system. Then there's him being a champion of the religious right, the military industrial complex and corporations intelligence. And then there's starting that war on bad intelligence (if you believe he wasn't outright lying) and all the corruption. Not to mention making the rich richer and the poor poorer with his tax cuts, and other super conservative fiscal policies. You've heard all this before.

My point is, Democrats had very good reasons to hate Bush. He was not just a terrible president, but embodied everything they disliked politically.

Obama on the other hand... is a milquetoast liberal who either due to incompetence, or pragmatism has adopted a number of Republican ideas.

So why this insane hatred? Gee, it's almost like there's something different about him. What could it be? Maybe it's because he's from Hawaii.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Stop acting like Obamacare is a "Republican" idea. It's not.

 

[Thundercrack85]

It is. And you know that. Obama took the Chafee bill from the 90's and tweaked it. It's practically plagiarism.

But even if you refuse to acknowledge that, he's still a damn lousy liberal. The Republican party's hatred for the man is grossly disproportionate.

 

[Schlosser85]

I think anyone who thinks race isn't a factor in all this is either really naive, or just in deep denial.

The thing is, Obama is a mediocre liberal. With the exception of gay rights – which isn't even as divisive as it once was – and possibly abortion, Obama is pretty damn centrist, if not even slightly conservative.

By comparison Bush was about as conservative as you can get. On every issue. There's a reason Bush remains such a controversial president. His first term lacked legitimacy in the eyes of Democrats thanks to America's bizarre election system. Then there's him being a champion of the religious right, the military industrial complex and corporations intelligence. And then there's starting that war on bad intelligence (if you believe he wasn't outright lying) and all the corruption. Not to mention making the rich richer and the poor poorer with his tax cuts, and other super conservative fiscal policies. You've heard all this before.

My point is, Democrats had very good reasons to hate Bush. He was not just a terrible president, but embodied everything they disliked politically.

Obama on the other hand... is a milquetoast liberal who either due to incompetence, or pragmatism has adopted a number of Republican ideas.

So why this insane hatred? Gee, it's almost like there's something different about him. What could it be? Maybe it's because he's from Hawaii.

I'm afraid I must "like" this post.

 

[hippie_hunter]

It is. And you know that. Obama took the Chafee bill from the 90's and tweaked it. It's practically plagiarism.

As much as I hate to use the term RINO and DINO, the Chafee family is as RINO as you can possibly get.

But even if you refuse to acknowledge that, he's still a damn lousy liberal.

He is a liberal. He's a pragmatic one, but still a liberal.

The Republican party's hatred for the man is grossly disproportionate.

I'll agree with you there. Even though I don't agree with Obama, there are so many times I have had to defend Obama to fellow conservatives just because they're criticizing him on things that either don't matter or just aren't true. So yes, the hatred is extremely disproportionate, but that's the age we live in.

 

[BoredGuy]

I'm gonna put it this way to you, he won both elections. Fairly and according to the rules.

Okay, allow me to clarify

"hence only earning the most votes in one of his two elections"

 

[JeetKuneDo]

Politics cracks me up.

So now Democrats are going to continue to attack Bush as an "idiot" and claim he stole an election....but still want to claim Obama is getting treated worse. Are we really expected to forget that Bush was demonized even before he took office and it never let up? "Not my President!" Don't remember that stuff?



Guys...you really gotta ease up on Bush if you want to complain that Republicans are being too mean to Obama. And that's not even factoring in the claims that Bush planned 9/11 or all the "blood for oil" things. And of course he somehow caused a global recession. The "birther" thing is mild compared to those things. Either eat that cake or have it.

This also somehow erases how Republicans constantly attacked Clinton during his last term. Obama has it easy compared to that too.

Also rewriting history on how irritated conservatives were with Bush....that's when the term "RINO" was invented after all. Heck...Bush oversaw the very first "government to the rescue" thing before he left office. That didn't get Bush a break from Democrats. Now liberals are upset that Obama isn't liberal enough to the point where they don't think Republicans should be upset with Obama? Come on...really? Political blindness here.

Those on the right and left aren't going to be happy as politicians are too "middle". I guess that's how it works now...the loudest and most extreme elements of each party want big moves.

From my Libertarian seat, Democrats get more motion in their direction though. Republicans don't ever seem to do anything to move the needle to the right...they just stop motion to the left for a while until Democrats take over again. Republicans complain about gun laws, abortion, environmental laws, taxes, and government spending...when have they ever rolled back any of the moves Democrats have made on those things over the years? The big ones for me are taxes and spending....Republicans spend just as much. Total ineffectiveness. Say what you want, but Democrats actually enact things like Healthcare reform instead of just talking about it.

To a certain extent, when it looked like Gore was going to win, it would have dissuaded a lot of Republican voters.

I remember that being a really big deal. Any Republican on the west coast really had no reason to leave the house the way it was being painted. The media really jumped the gun on that...and they even had to admit it afterward. There is no way to deny that cost Bush a lot of votes.

 

[BoredGuy]

I never said Bush cause 911 or anything like that.

but saying he's an idiot, is a fact.
no bias in that. It's science.

 

[childeroland]

The birther thing (which is essentially coded racism) is not mild at all, particularly compared with conspiracy nuts, claims about the recession, the "not-my-president" stuff, etc.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Even that isn't unprecedented. Arthur had to deal with birthers too.