Obama: Uniter or divider?
Conflicting explanations for President Obama's mixed ratings
President Obama "rocketed to fame when he pledged to build a bridge between 'red' and 'blue' America," said Joe Murray in The Philadelphia Bulletin, but a new Pew Research Center poll shows that Obama is in the middle of "the greatest partisan divide in modern history." With Obama's approval rating at 27 percent among Republicans but 88 percent among Democrats, it's clear that the president's "far-reaching agenda" has only polarized the nation.
"This is not a reflection of the president," said Andrew Sullivan in The Atlantic, "but of the opposition. Republicans are historically far more hostile to presidents of the opposite party than the Democrats." Obama has reached out, but the "Fox/Limbaugh/Drudge" crowd is more interested in "near parodic outrage" than real dialogue.
Negative feelings toward the opposing party goes both ways, said Jay Cost in RealClearPolitics. Democrats and Republicans alike have more partisan views these days. Political polarization has been on the rise since before Obama was even born, but it's hard to deny that Obama's "highly partisan" governing style has something to do with the fact that the gap is now at a 40-year high—even worse than during the contentious Bill Clinton and George W. Bush years.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But Obama isn't the reason, said Eric Kleefeld in Talking Points Memo. The real explanation is that the Republican Party is shrinking —only 24 percent of the Pew respondents identified themselves as Republicans, down from 33 percent in 2004. The people who peeled away were moderates who might have been "willing to give Obama the benefit of the doubt."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
'A direct, protracted war with Israel is not something Iran is equipped to fight'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 17, 2024
Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - political anxiety, jury sorting hat, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Arid Gulf states hit with year's worth of rain
Speed Read The historic flooding in Dubai is tied to climate change
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion ban
Speed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?
Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published