State of the Union

[hollodero]

(02-07-2018, 10:20 AM)Shake n Blake Wrote: The double standard is the media running with every cringy thing Republicans say (this happened with George Dubya a LOT as well...it's funny how similar their presidencies were viewed by the left). It's easy to impulsively run with every cringy thing a President says...especially if you didn't vote for him. Then it works out great, as Trump provides plenty of petty talking points for people who want to be petty and look at words instead of real issues or actions. But I know what he meant here, and if you were being honest, you certainly do too.

You call me dishonest - nah, it's ok of course. But you read me wrong. It was Trump bringing up treason, not a question from someone, he said it without a need to do so, so what's this "he didn't mean it that way" all about. Don't use this word to begin with. And if you do, it's not a media narrative that these are divisive words. Implying the other side might behave treasonous (that is the mildest way to put it) is divisive. His hard-core supporters eat that up without nuance and Trump knows it.

(02-07-2018, 10:20 AM)Shake n Blake Wrote: I don't have footage of every SOTU, but I'm willing to guess that some republicans stood when Obama announced objectively good news. Democrats showed nearly 100% disgust with every bit of objectively good news. I'm also going to venture a wild guess that the black caucus didn't look disgusted over good news for black people...when it was Obama bringing the news. It was sad, and yes...it was divisive. 

Isn't that nitpicking a little. As for the black caucus, I'm not so into all the numbers so forgive if I got that wrong, but as far as I know black unemployment still is way higher than overall unemployment, there is no significant amount of lesser unemployment that didn't start way before Trump, wages still don't go up so the low-paid workers could finally avoid the powerty trap, and Trump didn't implement a policy that targets black unemployment specifically.

I do understand that Dems can be criticised for not clapping (I - honestly - don't care about Dems or Reps and have no horse in that race). But with measure. Words like betraying the country or treason aren't measured by a long stretch.

(02-07-2018, 10:20 AM)Shake n Blake Wrote: Trump dividing the country is just a lazy left narrative that their base is gobbling right up

No it isn't. As soon as you start with lock her up chants and call Obama a sick guy (after claiming for years he might have forged his birth certificate and whatnot), go after the FBI and make a bigger fuzz about Antifa then white supremacists marches etc., you are divisive. One can agree with Trump or not, but the notion that the guy who does all that (and lashes out against anyone on twitter etc. etc.) is an uniter isn't convincing to me.

(02-07-2018, 10:20 AM)Shake n Blake Wrote: , despite all the evidence (and reality) that this country was reaching critical mass while Obama was in office and Trump was just some rich guy mulling running for President. BLM, the media reporting every shooting as racially motivated before the facts were all in (jumping the gun, pun intended), and Colin Kaepernick are what divided this country.

Ah... I agree halfway, but only because I guess that the whole racism cries are way exaggerated, something the "not-right" (can't call it "left") tends to do, I see it the same way generally. But speaking of lazy, it's a bit simple to blame all division on Obama. Only thing he did, as far as I know, was implementing or aiming for policies the right didn't like.
On the other hand, I remember McConnell and others flatout saying they want Obama to be a one-time presidént ant that there's no chance in hell Republicans would ever work with him, fundamental opposition was declared, and well that contributes to a climate as well. I couldn't paint that as black and white.
Same for Kaepernick. He did what he did for a reason, and Trump picked up the fight and had plenty of oil to pour in the flames, so the escalation is not on Colin Kaepernick alone.
 

(02-07-2018, 10:20 AM)Shake n Blake Wrote: That all happened before Trump, and not to go off on a tangent, but the one thing I hated about Obama's presidency the most (I actually respected his ideas on health care - just not the execution) - was that as the first black President, he could've done so much to quell the division in this country, but he did nothing. Probably out of fear of losing voters. Sad.

Like what?
Working with the GOP wasn't an option, and that one, as far as I can tell, was not on him. You still might have a point, I just don't know the point yet.