Who is MORE divisive

[This_person]

So, Obama is very arguably the most divisive politician in quite some time - even more so than Bush ever was.

This is clearly both a problem for Mr. Obama and for the country.

With all of the constant posting on these forums regarding Palin, and her high media profile, this begs the question:

Who is more divisive, Obama or Palin?

 

[Larry Gude]

Palin is not divisive at this point because she has no power.

Bush was divisive and the best way to understand this is to listen to Obama talk, listen to him explain what he's doing and look at what he is doing and note the discomfort in your stomach, the nausea and the reflexive reaction of to every thing he is saying plus the despair that he is royally screwing things up. That's how lefties viewed Bush.

So, good luck quantifying this, but, for Palin to reach the level of disdain on the left they had for Bush and many on the right have for Obama, she'll have to be in power first.

 

[This_person]

Palin is not divisive at this point because she has no power.

Bush was divisive and the best way to understand this is to listen to Obama talk, listen to him explain what he's doing and look at what he is doing and note the discomfort in your stomach, the nausea and the reflexive reaction of to every thing he is saying plus the despair that he is royally screwing things up. That's how lefties viewed Bush.

So, good luck quantifying this, but, for Palin to reach the level of disdain on the left they had for Bush and many on the right have for Obama, she'll have to be in power first.

I hear you, but....

Just talking about Palin stirs up more emotion in a lot of people than talking about Bush, or about Pelosi, etc., etc. She does have spoken views on things, and is presumed to be a candidate for Republican nomination for president.

Maybe the better question would have been if her views would be as divisive, or if she'd be viewed as being as divisive while in power - something like that.

 

[Larry Gude]

I hear you, but....

Just talking about Palin stirs up more emotion in a lot of people than talking about Bush, or about Pelosi, etc., etc. She does have spoken views on things, and is presumed to be a candidate for Republican nomination for president.

Maybe the better question would have been if her views would be as divisive, or if she'd be viewed as being as divisive while in power - something like that.

The reactions to Bush were on a deeper level because he was IN power and Kerry/Gore/Bernie Saunders was not. Reactions to Palin now are comforted, from their view, that she is not in power.

Now, it is completely possible that they do not think about this as I described and literally are more upset about her than they were about Bush.

In which case you go back to rule #1 in politics; you're not there to appeal to your implacable opponents. You're there to appeal to as many people as you can appeal to based on who you are and what you want to do.

This is the thing Bush and the GOP'ers forget all to readily and Obama doesn't seem to be remotely interested in forgetting about.

 

[Tilted]

I can think of no American politician, who has been prominent within my lifetime, who was as divisive as Barack Obama from the outset. I'd go so far as to say that it is a significant part of his political strategy - at the very least, he makes little appreciable effort to mitigate his divisive effect on the American landscape.

That is a very dangerous political strategy, but so long as you are confident that the divisiveness cuts a little bigger piece of the voting populace into a position of supporting you rather than opposing you, then it can be a very effective strategy - as it has been and continues to be for him. No one, that I can recall, ever made more political hay out of emphasizing the 'us versus them' dynamic than Obama has.


EDIT:

di·vi·sive (d-vsv) adj.
Creating dissension or discord

dis·cord (dskôrd) n.
1. a. Lack of agreement among persons, groups, or things.
b. Tension or strife resulting from a lack of agreement; dissension.

 

[This_person]

I can think of no American politician, who has been prominent within my lifetime, who was as divisive as Barack Obama from the outset. I'd go so far as to say that it is a significant part of his political strategy - at the very least, he makes little appreciable effort to mitigate his divisive effect on the American landscape.

That is a very dangerous political strategy, but so long as you are confident that the divisiveness cuts a little bigger piece of the voting populace into a position of supporting you rather than opposing you, then it can be a very effective strategy - as it has been and continues to be for him. No one, that I can recall, ever made more political hay out of emphasizing the 'us versus them' dynamic than Obama has.


EDIT:

di·vi·sive (d-vsv) adj.
Creating dissension or discord

dis·cord (dskôrd) n.
1. a. Lack of agreement among persons, groups, or things.
b. Tension or strife resulting from a lack of agreement; dissension.

Interesting to think that Obama intentionally pushes away the majority to maintain a plurality that therefore keeps more power than the (divided) majority would.

I hadn't thought any politician would intentionally try to insult and dismiss - openly - open discussion. He clealy does, and your reasoning here makes some kind of (psychotic for him) sense.

 

[vraiblonde]

Lefties hate Sarah Palin, even though she's just a Governor and can't hurt them in any way. And now she's not even a Governor.

Righties (and a lot of other people) hate Barack Obama because he CAN and IS hurting us. He is the President of the United States, and has the power to do anything he wants, especially with his majority party Congress behind him.

So, while both are divisive, at least we have a reason to fear and loathe Obama.