I see a much stronger parallel between Obama and James Buchanan. Buchanan was the most divisive president in the first two centuries of our history. Obama may top Buchanan. I’m hoping that objective historians will rank Obama higher than James Buchanan - a lofty goal that would require Obama to improve dramatically in the next four years.
I don’t know where you’re getting your history from. Buchanan was not our most divisive president back when. States may have seceded during his term, but quite obviously it was because of Lincoln’s election, not him.