Why do some Republicans hate President Obama that much?

[Sir Mohamed]

Hi guys,

there is one thing I don't understand. Why do some Republicans (of course not all!) hate President Obama that much? It's really shocking to read and hear comments like "hang the traitor" or "deport the communist Kenyan and his family". The only explaination for me is racism. Maybe some are still not over it that he was reelected, that Obamacare is enacted and actually working now, that he is admired in other countrys and that the economy drasticly improved under his watch. But the latter is just a theory of mine.

I understand that Republicans are opposed to most of his policies. Like Democrats were opposed to Bush's or Reagan's policies. I aknowledge that, that's their job. It would be boring with everyone supporting the president. Polictics are, or should be, a peaceful argument.

But where comes that deep hate from? That's something I can't understand. I, as a devoted Democrat, disagree 90-95% with the Republican policies, but I would never never demand to hang a Republican (Human dignity is or should be over partylines.). Even if it's Ted Cruz I strongly oppose his views, but he's a loving father for sure. I wouldn't hestiate to attack his policies with harsh words, but never make it that personal. I am absolutely for it that there is a Republican Party, I don't want a one-party.system like in China, even if Democrats are the only party.

[dead0man]

Dubya was hated just as much.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Because just like Hilary, he is a transformative present and Dubya was their pernament majority president, but he let the party down by Katrina and Iraq.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

The attacks on Obama are absolutely unprecedented.

[Landslide Lyndon]

Because he is a Kenyan, crypto-muslim communist baby-killer who hates America, baseball and apple pie.

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

He's a Black, you see.

[publicunofficial]

Conservatives are hateful by nature.

[Sumner 1868]

Hard to say. The right's hatred of FDR Truman JFK LBJ Carter Clinton Obama is historically unique.

[Ebsy]

Dubya was hated just as much.

Actually, during his lame duck years, he was universally despised by everyone who's brain was still connected to their eyes and ears.

[Landslide Lyndon]

Dubya was hated just as much.

Actually, during his lame duck years, he was universally despised by everyone who's brain was still connected to their eyes and ears.

It's pretty telling that no REPUBLICAN sought his endorsement during the primaries in 2012, and nobody probably will this cycle too.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Polarisation of the electrorate.

That said I hard feel it's a unique phenomenon for a leader to become utterly despised amongst one region or section of people. Ask an Albertan for their opinion on Trudeau, or somebody from Scotland/Soith Wales/the North about Thatcher. Sometimes decisions affect real people and it is very easy (and tempting) to pin all your hate upon a single figure. And Obama - urbane, mixed race, vaguely foreign, links to Chicagoland machine - is quite an easy figure to be twisted for certain types who aren't doing too well economically. From then on it's the whipping up of groupthink and hyperbole.

[Zioneer]

Polarisation of the electrorate.

That said I hard feel it's a unique phenomenon for a leader to become utterly despised amongst one region or section of people. Ask an Albertan for their opinion on Trudeau, or somebody from Scotland/Soith Wales/the North about Thatcher. Sometimes decisions affect real people and it is very easy (and tempting) to pin all your hate upon a single figure. And Obama - urbane, mixed race, vaguely foreign, links to Chicagoland machine - is quite an easy figure to be twisted for certain types who aren't doing too well economically. From then on it's the whipping up of groupthink and hyperbole.

This, plus the 24/7 news cycle.

And for Mormons (so, most Utah voters) in particular, the fact that he beat our JFK (yes, Mormons thought that Romney would transform the perception of Mormons as JFK did with Catholics, no I don't understand it either), makes the hatred even more personal.

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

He's black.

[Mister Mets]

He is a Democratic.

It also helps that in the 40 years before his election, the two Democrats who were elected President were centrist Southern Governors. He was a big-city politician with fairly liberal issue positions.

From 538 circa 2008...



He was also hawkish on Pakistan, but that's the only other issue I remember him taking a conservative position on during the presidential race.

[Zioneer]

He is a Democratic.

It also helps that in the 40 years before his election, the two Democrats who were elected President were centrist Southern Governors. He was a big-city politician with fairly liberal issue positions.

From 538 circa 2008...



He was also hawkish on Pakistan, but that's the only other issue I remember him taking a conservative position on during the presidential race.

Wow, counting LBJ, Democrats didn't have a non-Southern winning candidate since Kennedy!

[Simfan34]

Dubya was hated just as much.

[King]

Blind partisan hatred always exists. The Internet just makes it more obvious than in the past.

I do believe the Republicans cried wolf on Obama faster than the Democrats did with Bush, with many calling for his head in early 2009 before he even did anything. It was so immoral that it caused me not to trust much of anything they've had to say since. I don't think I was the only one.

[Marokai Backbeat]

I'm so tired of the "Bush was hated just as much" thing. Yeah, fine, but he was hated with much better justification. It's not debatable that foreign affairs have been handled much better under Obama, or that the economy has been on a consistently positive upturn in contrast to the economy piddling along and crashing under Bush.

It's also not debatable that Obama won both of his elections handily and fairly, while Bush won two narrow victories, one in which he lost the popular vote and won through a friendly Supreme Court intervention and a few hundred vote difference. There is no equivalence between complaining about that being fishy in a 271-266 victory and complaining ACORN stealing the election in a 365-173 victory.

This was an actual montage from Hannity's show in February 2009. Here's another one by the end of April.

People did not react to Bush in this manner.

[AggregateDemand]

Obama is a mediocre leader in a time when we need leadership most. He is a bad president, whose only claim to fame is using the executive branch to steamroll the rest of the US government and riding the QE wave.

We can find tax and spend liberals anywhere. They are a dime a dozen, if they're worth that much.

[The Dowager Mod]

Because he is a Kenyan, crypto-muslim communist baby-killer who hates America, baseball and apple pie.

This.

[Bojack Horseman]

He's black.

[Ebsy]

I always love the videos when they interview anti-Obama protesters and ask them what they're angry about. They always seems to fail to come up with any sort of reasonable answer or than the vague "Obama's a bad leader" or something about him racebaiting.

[Mr. Smith]

He's a Democrat.

Just look to Clinton...this isn't unprecedented.

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

I remember when I was 12 and he became President thinking that it was cool that we finally had a Black President.  it wasn't until I was 14 in 2010 that I began to despise him.

[Rockefeller GOP]

He's a Democrat.

Just look to Clinton...this isn't unprecedented.

Seriously, THIS.  And honestly, I think it's silly to argue about which is "worse," but if Democrats think that the liberal base was any less vile toward either Bush or Reagan ... well, we'll just have to agree to disagree (though I question how many of you were even alive then).