But I Thought Obama Was a Uniter

Back during the Long March of Obama to the presidency, we heard again and again that The Chosen One was a uniter, not a divider.

Well, the latest Rasmussen Poll shows Obama does indeed excel . . . as a divider. Now, 52% still approve of Obama’s performance. But what is eye-opening (and isn’t getting much attention) is that 37% “strongly disapprove” of his performance (i. e not just “somewhat disapprove” or “somewhat approve”) And that number is rising.

That is a high number six months into a presidency. And it reveals he and his radicalism is far from uniting. Instead he is a polarizing and divisive figure.

Now being polarizing is not necessarily bad. There have been polarizing leaders through the years I greatly respect. Sometimes the simple act of standing up for what is right can be polarizing.

But so can standing for what is wrong. Guess which of the two I think Obama is doing.

But regardless of what I think, to have such high “strongly disapprove” numbers this early in a presidency is remarkable and politically significant. For one thing, those who strongly disapprove of an officeholder are more likely to do something about it and vote. This statistic bears watching.