Being a Brit who only really started showing an interest in politics in the last year or so (just before the last British election) I admit that I don't know a lot about politics but know even less about American politics. So I was wondering if someone wouldn't mind explaining to me why, all of a sudden it seems like everybody hates Obama? What did he do (or not do) that's got everyone riled up?

....and also, why do people seem to be under the impressions that Trump is/would be infinitely better? I really cannot think of a single reason to take the guy seriously

Ps I've posted a poll just for fun/curiosity, feel free to respond

I suspect that this belongs in the American politics debate thread.

Obama has never really enjoyed massive popularity in the U.S. His approval ratings were initially around 70/30, but quickly became mired in a split between 50/50 and 40/60. The reasons:

1) U.S. politics are deeply, senselessly partisan. This applies to both Democrats and Republicans. Either side would rather see the country fail while under the stewardship of the opposing party than work together to resolve problems. And it is easier to generate negative press and negative feeling about the opposition than it is to generate positive feelings for one's own actions.
2) The U.S. economy is still floundering. Apparently, people believed the President was supposed to wave a magic wand and make the effects of two decades of bad financial practices disappear while simultaneously keeping gas artificially cheap for Americans.
3) U.S. voters are -- as a unit -- superficial. We would rather have a charming stupid leader than an aloof, intelligent one. Because the aloof one clearly thinks he's better than us.
4) OMG! He's BLACK! (The whole "birther" controversy is shameful, disgusting racism. Arnold Schwarzenegger would have faced less discrimination as a non-American than a guy whose father was from Kenya.)

Despite all of the above, I can't believe anyone -- beyond the Beckian fringe -- takes Trump seriously. He'll never survive the primaries. Heck, he might not even make it to the primaries.

Or, at least maybe in the Debate room in general, if they really want a poll. Anyway, I'd go Obama, unless someone came up from the Democratic side who can honestly take him. But I really don't think that'd happen. And I don't think Trump is going to run anyway. I seriously think he's just pulling one big stunt from out of his ass. When it comes time, he'll pull some lame excuse to drop out. But even if he did, I got to agree with Mangaroo; he'd be roasted alive right on stage.

As a Brit I find this change interesting too. But I guess people were expecting 'change' to happen sooner. But the US has become so right wing recently, especially with people trying to push bills limiting or even banning abortion through. It scares me! Why did this come about? The US has always had scarily vocal right wingers, but now they seem louder than ever.

But it's not a change, a lot of people never approved of Obama. His support from Republicans and Democrats alike have been pretty low. Very few people are taking Trump seriously.


It also works the other way around, a lot of black people voted for Obama because he's black and not as much because of his leadership ability. It's similar to how a lot of feminist groups supported Hillary Clinton because she could have been the 1st female president. Don't get me wrong, it's great that our country has changed so much in the last 50 years that we're able to do that but I think that you should vote based on their ability and not their race/gender.

Even though there's a snowball's chance in hell of a Libertarian ever making it to the presidency, I'd still prefer to vote with my political convictions. Obama is decidedly not within my political convictions. Not that the Republican party is much better. Both parties have become so extreme and polarized. The Democrats want massive socialist programs and the Republicans want their backward "morality" validated by law. It's pretty much the exact opposite of the fiscally conservative, socially liberal Libertarian stance.

The 2012 election will be the first one when I can legally vote and, unless I wake up from some coma with a completely altered personality, I'll vote for Obama. The fact is that American politics are stubbornly partisan, so a vote for someone other than Obama would bring the Republican Party to power, whom I disagree with on practically every issue, both social and economic. The Democrats are by no means perfect - hell, I have little faith in them either - but I'd vote for them over reactionaries any day.

Not necessarily. You could vote Democrat, IF a Democrat came up who could actually challenge Obama. Though, I would agree that that is very very unlikely. Depending on who gets chosen for the Republican candidate, it may really help Obama. I don't think Palin is going to run. Romney probably will have to struggle to get the Republican vote due to his health care program. Bachmann, if she goes for a run, may get the Republican vote but may also scare away independents. Etc.

Liberals don't like him now either. (I won't use the word 'hate'.) Because he ran as the anti-Bush. He said he would end the wars, close Guantanamo, get people working, no more Patriot Act, blah blah blah. As far as I can see, he's just continued the Bush policies. And if you say, 'what could he do differently -he has to work with Congress', I would just say look at the people he's appointed - Wall Street insiders - to see who's side he's on, and that would be the oligarchy and Mr. B.H. Obama, Nobel Peace(!) Prize winner.
People feel like they were suckered because he played on their genuine and sincere hopes for change after the long years under Bush.

I'm not an American but I'd love to bitch-slap that toupee off his head.

I vote Constitution Party. GOP and Dems couldn't give a rip about the Constitution; each of the "two" major parties has its own way of shredding it.

I always thought his hair was a wig, but my friend says it's just an out of control combover. (if you mean Donald Trump, that is.)

Don't really like either of them. It's not that I'm apathetic, it's just that I don't like either. Though Barack Obama is a much better choice than Donald Trump, if those are my only options. Unfortunately, that's usually the case. "Which guy do I dislike less?".

Lesser of two evils is still evil. I believe in voting pro-Constitution, not against someone.

The only choices you have in voting are always a giant douche and a turd sandwich. Guess which is which.

I'm surprised Obama's high in this poll; a national poll showed than barely more than half of the country was against Obama now. What good has he done? He's all talk. And he took all the credit for the Osama thing.
*raises shield* Ok, hit me with your angry responses to this!

Wig, Combover, Toupee. It doesn't matter. I'm just getting sick of the world being run by people who thinking being in business means that government is going to be the same.

Mangaroo, you actually cleared up a lot for me, thanks. I kinda already thought some of what you said but second-guessed myself thinking that I’m probably being too harsh on a large proportion of American voters because I didn’t understand the whole situation, being an “outsider”...perhaps not. I find American political campaigns both fascinating and disgusting at the same time. I’ve never seen anything like them in the UK (maybe they’re all like that and I just wasn’t paying attention back then), sometimes they seem more like hate campaigns than political campaigns....maybe they’re one and the same :/

I’m kinda glad to hear the responses, after seeing a lot of what I’ve seen on the news and then seeing some very trump friendly status’ on facebook by a few American friends I really was beginning to wonder if I was going mad, was I the only person on the planet who could see through him?!

I remember people saying the same in the UK last year, a lot of people were sick of Labour but didn’t think anybody other than Conservatives had a chance in hell of beating them so they voted conservatives rather than “waste a vote” on a smaller party...well, we all know how that ended

Oops, must’ve missed the American politics thread, sorry. I didn’t put it in the debate forum because although I was interested to hear opinions, I wasn’t really intending to instigate a debate/argument over it, just wanted help understanding....though I suppose it probably wouldn’t have done any harm to put it in there.

PS Sorry if it seemed like I’d abandoned my thread right after I posted it, my pc came back from the shop the next morning after being broke for 4 months so I went on a massive downloading bender and had a 3-day sims love-in ...it was good, we’re back on comfortable terms.

First of all, I really don't trust national polls anymore because most polls happen over the phone during the weekday- who's at home during the weekday?
Second, Obama is *spoiler alert* black. He got some votes because he's black. He didn't get some votes because he's black. And now he's embroiled in this birth certificate controversy because he's black. This is the most disgusting display of racism I've seen in a while. Out of all the shit he has to deal with, now he has to procure a damn birth certificate to shut these haters up. He honestly can not catch a break; one time he wore flip-flop sandals, you would've thought he threw up the middle finger while drinking a 40 and blasting gangsta rap the way people were flipping shit.
Third, people are still broke. Apparently, on Nov 5 2008, Obama money was supposed to fall from the sky like manna from heaven and jobs would crop up out of nowhere that all wanted to hire you automatically, no matter your qualifications.
Fourth, Fox news, Limbaugh, O'Reilly, other vocal haters. I can't even take it seriously anymore. I turn on the channel and burst into laughter, if only to diffuse the fires of my rage.

To be honest, being President is thankless, stressful, and at the end of the day, it doesn't even pay well. Trump as President is laughable at best, stupid at worst. I voted for the very first time in 2008, and was able to vote for both Hillary Clinton and Obama and I regret neither vote, in fact I'm quite proud of both votes. Until people realize that it's going to take more than 1 presidential term to fix the economy, gas prices, environment, taxes, school prices, immigration, end the war, have a positive relationship with China, North Korea, and Cuba, and help solve problems in the Middle East, Africa, and Haiti, (and dress well everyday, speak well all the time, and have a good relationship with your wife daughters parents dog and any flies that interrupt your interviews on top of that) people will be disappointed.