And this is what is so sad--the irrationality of those who both blindly support and despise Trump. Whether it's an inability to fairly criticize the President or give credit where it's due, I just don't understand the irrationality.
I don't either as it is a fairly new phenomenon. Polarization, mega partisanship, putting party over country, loss of a proper perspective among the two parties. Perhaps due to both major parties shrinking, both parties driving out middle America, the center, center left and center right, the more moderate out of their parties leaving only the hard core ideologues.
Take a look at the opposing party approval numbers for several presidents for their first sixteen month and the range.
Trump 7-9% approval from Democrats. Unheard of low numbers. Democrats never gave Trump a chance to govern. As I stated many times, the Democrats set out to destroy Trump the day after the election and if they also destroy the country, that okay with them as long as they get Trump.
Obama 14-41% approval from Republicans. Republicans were will to give Obama a chance at the beginning of his presidency at 41%. It was the ACA that drove Republican approval numbers down from 41% to 14% in May of 2010.
G.W. Bush Not a good example because of 9-11. His range among Democrats 26-82%. But the 82% was the few days after 9-11. Still Bush had a 33% approval rating when he first took office from Democrats even after the Florida recounts. A third were willing to give Bush a chance. Not so with Trump or even close.
Bill Clinton 14-33% among Republicans. Again like Bush, Republicans gave Clinton a 33% approval rating when he took office. After dropping to 14% in August of 1993, by May of 1994, sixteen months in office, Republicans were giving Bill a 26% approval rating. Even Republicans were going up and down with Bill.
G.H.W. Bush 25-80% among Democrats. Desert Storm brought the 80% approval for Bush. 38% of Democrats approved of the elder Bush when he took office.
Reagan 24-47% among Democrats. 39% when Reagan took office, falling to 24% in May of 1982 among Democrats.
From Reagan through Obama, the opposing party from 33-41% approved of the president. Meaning at least a third of the opposing party were willing to give the president a chance and would fluctuate, go up and down depending on what the president was doing and events taking place. Not so with Trump. No chance from the Democrats given, no honeymoon as give other presidents, no quarter so to speak. I'm no fan of Trump, but the Democrats down right hatred of him is unprecedented and that began the day after the election. No chance given at all. Polarization, hyper partisanship, pure hatred for Hillary's loss. The problem with all of that as I pointed out numerous times, it was Hillary herself who lost the election. The numbers prove that. But when you nominate someone as disliked and unwanted as Trump was, what do you expect. Don't blame Trump for Hillary's loss, look in the mirror. It was the decisions, choices, actions taken by the two major parties in 2016 that lead to a President Trump.
This whole thing is 100% pure asinine.
