Obama Hasn't Been Divisive? You Can't Be Serious

I was on Sean Hannity's show the other night, and the question was whether Obama's statement denying his divisiveness is defensible. It's not.

Obama said, "I don't think you or anybody who's been watching the campaign would say that in any way we have tried to divide the country. We've always tried to bring the country together."

If this weren't such a serious subject, his statement would be laughable. Let's just say it's ludicrous -- and disingenuous.

A Gallup poll showed that at the end of Obama's second year in office, 81 percent of Democrats approved, while 13 percent of Republicans did. This represents a 68 percent gap, the widest of any president in his second year since such polls have been conducted.

Obama has intermittently talked a good game about bringing us together. Indeed, much of his 2008 campaign pitch was centered on his promise to be a post-partisan, post-racial president who would usher in a new kind of politics. But his performance in office in this regard can at best be described as cynical.

It's one thing to earnestly try but fail to bring the two sides together. Though Democrats will deny it, that was the case with George W. Bush. On many issues, Bush didn't say, "It's my way or the highway." He poured more federal money into education than even any Democrat had ever done.

With Obama, it's always, "I want us to sit down and work on this." But as soon as a Republican tries to offer his input, he says, "I'm the president" or "You can't count the time I speak against the Democrats' allotted time in this bipartisan health care summit because, ahem, I'm the president" or "I don't want you to do a lot of talking."

Obama hasn't been divisive just because his policies are so unpopular, though that's a large part of it. He has intentionally engaged in identity politics, trying to pit groups of people against each other on the basis of race, gender, religion, economic earnings and sexual orientation. He has pitted labor against management, creating an adversarial and litigious climate. He has demonized private jet owners, domestic energy producers (oil, natural gas, coal and nuclear energy), corporations, the Chamber of Commerce, businesses, executives, financial institutions, insurance companies, doctors, tea partiers, small town inhabitants (bitter-clingers), immigration enforcement advocates and the so-called 1 percenters.

Indeed, there is not enough space in a column to chronicle all of Obama's polarizing conduct even as an abridged list, but let me give you a flavor of it. In addition to the foregoing, he and his team:

--Called American businesses soft and lazy and said they'd lost their ambition; they didn't build that; they need to up their game.

--Baselessly accused the Chamber of Commerce of accepting foreign contributions and said it had the burden of proving it did not.

--Stepped on the conscience protections of people of faith and attacked a Lutheran school's right to hire and fire on religious grounds.

--Use "gay rights" as a wedge issue and depict opponents of same-sex marriage as bigots.

--Say Republicans want dirty air and dirty water and rejoice when people lose their insurance coverage, that they want a smaller America and don't believe in rebuilding roads and bridges, that they are hostage takers and Slurpee sippers. He says they created this mess, and they should sit in the backseat of the car. We'll have hand-to-hand combat with them on Capitol Hill, and if they bring a knife, we'll bring a gun.

--Continue to scare seniors, the "middle class" and the "poor" into believing Republicans want to destroy Medicare.

--Lawlessly rewrote loans in the GM and Chrysler restructurings to favor unions and cheat secured creditors; and in Solyndra, to subordinate taxpayers to private investors.

--Exploited race and minority relations for political purposes and for ideological reasons, including Eric Holder calling the nation cowards on race, racializing voter intimidation laws and saying the GOP was after him on Fast and Furious because he, like Obama, is an African American; appealing to Hispanics and blacks to vote as a bloc for Democrats because Democrats are their friends and Republicans their enemies; and accusing the GOP of supporting voter ID laws to suppress the minority vote and immigration laws for racial reasons.

The following puts Barack Obama into perspective:

Profile of the Sociopath
This website summarizes some of the common features of descriptions of the behavior of sociopaths (http://www.mcafee.cc/Bin/sb.html).

Glibness and Superficial Charm

Manipulative and Conning
They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.

Grandiose Sense of Self
Feels entitled to certain things as “their right.”

Pathological Lying
Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and even able to pass lie detector tests.

Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt
A deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.

Shallow Emotions
When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.

Incapacity for Love

Need for Stimulation
Living on the edge. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal. Promiscuity and gambling are common.

Callousness/Lack of Empathy
Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others’ feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.

Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature
Rage and abuse, alternating with small expressions of love and approval produce an addictive cycle for abuser and abused, as well as creating hopelessness in the victim. Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others.

Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency
Usually has a history of behavioral and academic difficulties, yet “gets by” by conning others. Problems in making and keeping friends; aberrant behaviors such as cruelty to people or animals, stealing, etc.

Irresponsibility/Unreliability
Not concerned about wrecking others’ lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed.

Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity
Promiscuity, child sexual abuse, rape and sexual acting out of all sorts.

Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle
Tends to move around a lot or makes all encompassing promises for the future, poor work ethic but exploits others effectively.

Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility
Changes their image as needed to avoid prosecution. Changes life story readily.

Other Related Qualities:
Contemptuous of those who seek to understand them
Does not perceive that anything is wrong with them
Authoritarian
Secretive
Paranoid
Only rarely in difficulty with the law, but seeks out situations where their tyrannical behavior will be tolerated, condoned, or admired
Conventional appearance
Goal of enslavement of their victim(s)
Exercises despotic control over every aspect of the victim’s life
Has an emotional need to justify their crimes and therefore needs their victim’s affirmation (respect, gratitude and love)
Ultimate goal is the creation of a willing victim
Incapable of real human attachment to another
Unable to feel remorse or guilt
Extreme narcissism and grandiose
May state readily that their goal is to rule the world

(The above traits are based on the psychopathy checklists of H. Cleckley and R. Hare.)

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