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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe GOP v the Democrats - an Unwinnable War
There is no doubt that racism played a large part in the Republicans hatred of Barack Obama. And there is no doubt that the fact that he was a liberal Democrat put a target on his back from day one.
But I think there is more to it than that.
The public perception has always been that along with representing the citizenry, the president also represents his party. A Democratic or Republican POTUS is always deemed to be reflective of the best his party has to offer both politically and personally. When he speaks, he represents each one of his party members, for good or for ill.
Obama was loved the world over. He was an eloquent speaker who reached millions with his honesty, and his ability to address the most complicated challenges head-on.
He truly walked the walk when it came to adhering to his Christian faith. His policies were demonstrative of his deeply-held principles, and a sincere passion for fairness, justice, and equality.
He had personal charisma. He was as at ease playing basketball with soldiers in Iraq as he was entertaining foreign dignitaries at State dinners. He was charming, he was humble, he was often self-effacing. He was as quick to laugh as he was to show his compassion.
He was serene, he was thoughtful, and he was always the adult in the room. He approached every situation with facts-at-the-ready, and never required a baby-sitter to keep him from tweeting covfefe. He never needed surrogates to un-do the damage done by his own words; he never needed excuse-makers to reason away his lies, his pettiness, his ignorance.
He was scandal-free. He lived in accordance with the values that all Americans, regardless of political affiliation, find admirable. He took responsibility for every action he took, every statement he made, every initiative he promoted, and never resorted to blaming others for his own behaviour.
All of the above was attributed not only to the man, but to the party he came from. Due to their Presidents many qualities, Democrats by association were also seen as being eloquent, reasonable, intelligent, compassionate human beings, more than capable of being the adults in a political atmosphere littered with petulant children.
Every time Obama made a soul-stirring speech, every time he was photographed in an embrace with a victim of an act of violence or natural disaster, every time he achieved something for the betterment of the citizenry like Obamacare, every time he was greeted by cheering throngs in a foreign country, it was a victory forever associated with the Democratic party.
That is what drove Republicans crazy. That is what they truly hated him for: the fact that he made Democrats look superior to Republicans.
And now we have come full circle. What truly sticks in every Republicans craw these days is the fact that they have saddled themselves with an incompetent, lying racist who cant open his mouth without making a fool of himself, a man devoid of any personal charm, an illiterate pussy-grabber who is scorned by our allies and is the butt of jokes the world over, a man whose amazing stupidity is on display 24/7 and above all else, a man who is under investigation for colluding with our enemies in order to have been elected in the first instance.
Trump has now altered the public perception of the Republican party as a whole. They are now seen as the party of lies, cover-ups, incompetence, ever-looming scandal; the party of sympathy for white supremacists, the party of petty, vengeful tweets and as has become more then obvious of late, the party that happily elected a mentally unstable madman to the most powerful position on earth, regardless of the consequences.
It is that perception the Republicans are fighting against. It is that perception that has fuelled their already substantial hatred of Obama and of Hillary, as his obvious successor whose intelligence, integrity, and decency reflects as well on her party as Obama did.
The Republicans dont hate Obama because he was a bad president they hate him for being an exceptional president. They hate him for being everything they have failed to produce: a POTUS whose accomplishments can never be diminished, and whose legacy will never be forgotten. They hate him for being a uniter rather than a divider; they hate him for setting the standard for presidents so high, they cannot hope to meet it.
Obama Hatred Syndrome (along with Hillary Hatred Syndrome) is not a matter of hating the man or the woman it is a matter of hating the fact that they have led to the Democratic Partys brand being seen as representing lofty ideals, and the determination to pursue policies and legislation that serve ALL Americans, not just the chosen few.
This is why the GOP is so determined to un-do Obamas legacy, and why they support Trumps efforts to destroy everything Obama achieved. They simply have nothing of value to offer, and they believe that by trashing Democratic idols, they will somehow be seen as better by comparison.
Its a fools errand, of course. Obamas accomplishments cannot be erased from the collective mind of the people whose lives he made better, and his global popularity cannot be obliterated.
The Republican brand, on the other hand, is now one that represents unbridled greed, lies, scandal, Nazi sympathizers, pussy-grabbers, and pedophiles the proverbial turd that all the billionaire donor money in the world will never be able to polish.
BumRushDaShow
(129,095 posts)Gothmog
(145,313 posts)guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)The KKK would be hurt that you failed to include them in the GOP Koalition.
Hayduke Bomgarte
(1,965 posts)Well... We are.
BTW I always enjoy and look forward to your writings.
Docreed2003
(16,863 posts)SWBTATTReg
(22,133 posts)smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)steve2470
(37,457 posts)If Roy Moore gets elected in AL, we can hang that around the Republicans' necks for DECADES, and we should!
Frustratedlady
(16,254 posts)I was just thinking, last week, that to recover from the Trump Era, it will take decades. However, after reading this, I doubt we can ever climb that steep mountain of nastiness of the Republican Party that we are presently experiencing to reach the peak of the Obama Era that we enjoyed. I have lost the peace and quiet of the Obama administration forever, I fear. Trump has kept us on edge from January 20th and I don't see an end to it. I was thinking of how frightened people were that Russia would invade/attack us in the 1950s--even worked in an observation tower to identify planes flying over...can you believe that? My parents despised the Russians because they were true enemies and were infiltrating our social and political lives. For instance, they were convinced The Beatles were touring the US for the sole purpose of brainwashing the young people.
Now, the Republicans love them! Go figure!
thegoose
(3,115 posts)We had the bliss of races, sexes and nationalities blending peacefully together, but that's something the Republicans simply won't abide. I was so happy and proud when Obama was elected our president, especially when he managed to succeed against the hateful Puke odds.
Alas, now we have the extreme anti-Obama. A hateful orange piece of shit id screaming and spewing filth. Stripping the country and the world of everything that's right and true. Indeed, he's capable of destroying the world. Yet those worthless fuckers McConnell, Ryan and so many more bend over and take this carpetbagger right up into their asses.
To that I say, "Fuck you, republicans. Fuck you forever."
Rustynaerduwell
(664 posts)was to run away from him. Some refused to admit they voted for him. They never rallied around their President, and it hurt them. It hurt all of us.
NanceGreggs
(27,815 posts)Who "refused to admit" they voted for him?
Name names, provide links, cite references.
(BTW, don't you think you're being waaaay too obvious to be taken seriously?)
sheshe2
(83,790 posts)Some after the election said okay! He got it. Then left him alone to fight all alone. I wasn't here then, yet after the election I saw people saying he did not do this or that fast enough. We were doomed to become the recipients of a near depression. He fought quietly to save us and he did.
Many did not run on Obamacare. They were scared and in fact ran from him.
End all. He is/was the best President of my lifetime. He was/is loved worldwide. I miss his calm nature, his love of his country and ALL of her people.
I want my President back.
Rustynaerduwell
(664 posts)Senators that ran ads explicitly distancing themselves from President Obama: Mark Pryor highlighted his opposition to Obama's attempts at gun control, stating "No one from New York or Washington tells me what to do, I listen to Arkansas. Mary Landrieu said [T]he Administrations policies are simply wrong on oil and gas production in this nation, Mark Begich followed suit, bragging that he took on Obama to fight for oil drilling in the Arctic and voted against the presidents trillion-dollar tax increase. . Mark Udall said in a debate that he was "The last person the Obama Administration wants to see visiting the White House" Kay Hagan said Obama has not yet done enough to earn the lasting trust of our veterans" right before he visited her state. Joe Manchin ran an ad that showing him shooting climate change legislation endorsed by Obama with a gun. Even Elizabeth Warren chastised her President for his handling of the banking crisis, saying (He) protected Wall Street, not families who were losing their homes. Not people who lost their jobs. And it happened over and over and over. Only 2 campaigns in the 2014 election invited him to join them publicly and they were for incumbent Governors (in Illinois and Connecticut). And it was Alison Lundergan Grimes who famously refused to say whether she voted for Obama in 2008 or 2012, beginning the reckless idea that running away from her President was the thing to do. I don't remember any Congressional or Senatorial candidate in off year elections who ran ads or made statements saying anything like "President Obama saved our Country from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and I'm with him" Do you?
Alliepoo
(2,221 posts)You have such a beautiful way with words!
Hulk
(6,699 posts)I just wanted to point out one thing, this: "were also seen as being eloquent, reasonable, intelligent, compassionate human beings, more than capable of being the adults in a political atmosphere littered with petulant children."....the reich wingers have managed to boil down to one easy to swallow catch phrase for their minions of simple minded bots to be: "elitests".
They are masters at turning the tables on reality. Somehow we have to either effectively combat that mastery, or get down in the muddy shit-filled trenches and play "their game". This country is too ignorant, collectively, to expect any better from. Hence..AL Moore.
forgotmylogin
(7,530 posts)I feel all of this, every word, but could never express it so eloquently as Nance Greggs just did in less than 1000 words.
thegoose
(3,115 posts)And every filthy thing these corrupt bastards have done ever since then serve to continue it. Racism, greed and infinite corruption helped to spark the Deplorables to drag their toothless asses to the polls. Oh, and Russia too. A whole lot of Russia. Manipulate the idiot masses and you can win big!
All of these garbage bags that are allegedly leading that filthy party deserve a special place in hell. McConnell, Ryan, Pence...all vile, disgusting scumsuckers who seek to destroy the world, but to what end?
They can't spend burnt money.
LittleGirl
(8,287 posts)He liked that fancy mustard and wore a tan suit!
thegoose
(3,115 posts)Unlike this orange scumbag...
LittleGirl
(8,287 posts)Frustratedlady
(16,254 posts)The Repubs came unglued when that little fact became known...he was elite. Shameful.
LittleGirl
(8,287 posts)betsuni
(25,537 posts)I have never seen that clip! Thank you for the chuckle and now...the tears.
45 is awful , disgusting and embarrassing.
betsuni
(25,537 posts)Another I like:
LittleGirl
(8,287 posts)These types of clips need to be created for Alabama against Roy Moore.
erronis
(15,302 posts)They primed themselves to be a party of incompetents relying on devious tricks to stay in power. Dump may have been the turd that rose to the top of the toilet (the one that can never be flushed away) but they made the mess in the first place.
While money infests all parts of politics, just like dung beetles the 'uglicans feasted on it to the exclusion of their supposed purpose - representing the people that elected them, not just the monied or koch or russian-funded interests.
bdamomma
(63,870 posts)an exceptional person and President, and totally scandal free. I thought we turned a corner when we elected him as our President, we were growing up finally. Now look at us, we have a madman in office.......sigh.
Thank you Nance Greggs beautiful post as usual, I always agree with your sentiments
ailsagirl
(22,897 posts)defacto7
(13,485 posts)And because they can't, they don't even try. Instead they are satified with destroying the country, its people, its constitution then cut and run.
Marthe48
(16,975 posts)and yet, they prop up this mentally deranged turd.
Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)that means WE are, too!
I would NEVER vote for a man who I believe had molested, or tried to molest, any woman, much less a minor. I don't think most Dems would. Therein lies the difference.
The Wizard
(12,545 posts)and child molesters claiming the moral high ground. What fucking planet am I on?
Initech
(100,080 posts)gademocrat7
(10,659 posts)One of your best, NanceGreggs.
Response to NanceGreggs (Original post)
Name removed Message auto-removed
NanceGreggs
(27,815 posts)... on your ability to demonstrate your ignorance, your abject stupidity, and your spineless need to support the Idiot your masters have told you to worship all in one, first-time post!
Your boy is going down, sweetie - and the fact that you don't understand that reality only serves as proof of how people like you are so easily manipulated.
So put on your made-in-China MAGA hat, and keep believing that the lying jerk-off you support has the least bit interest in you or your ilk. He got your vote - and you are now expendable. You serve no other purpose.
rainin
(3,011 posts)Please Michelle, run for President so we can have you both back. You will win. We need you.