Obama haters vs. Trump haters (chart)

Why do so many people (still) hate President Barack Obama?

Why do so many people hate President Donald Trump?

Instead of droning on about the various reasons, I have created a table, below, titled "Obama Haters vs. Trump Haters."

Obama Haters vs. Trump Haters
Why people hate(d) Obama	Why people hate Trump
He’s black±.	He’s abused (groped) women (against their will) and wants to take away/limit women’s rights.**
He’s a Muslim*.	He’s biased against African Americans, Hispanics, and Muslims; wants to limit their rights.**
He’s not really American (wasn’t born here)*.	He wants to ban Muslims from entering the United States, except the ones he’s doing business or wants to do business with.**
He thinks he’s so smart (like he’s way smarter than me***).	He wants to deport millions of Hispanics. **
He wants to raise my taxes*.	He’s for dismantling environmental regulations, allowing companies to pollute more, threatening the health of millions of Americans.**
He wants to take away my guns*.	He’s for dismantling healthcare protections, making it more expensive/harder for millions of Americans to receive healthcare.**
He’s anti-family* (supports abortion and gay people marrying).	He’s incited anti-Semitism – and death threats against Jewish community centers and houses of worship.**
	He doesn’t support education.**
	He and his family are personally costing/will cost taxpayers millions (perhaps billions) of dollars, far more than any previous president.**
	He and his family are personally profiting from his presidency.**
	He refuses to share his tax returns, which could reveal ties with Russia and other foreign powers (most notably China).**
	He is threatening America’s security by proposing to decrease funding for the TSA and the Coast Guard in order to pay for multibillion-dollar border wall with Mexico (which experts say won’t stop illegal immigration or make America safer)**
	He and many of his advisors have disturbing ties to Russia – and it’s been proven that Russia influenced the election/favored Trump.**
±Though technically he’s 50% white. *Not true, i.e., false. **True. ***Probably.	He is irrational, unable to distinguish fact from fiction; constantly lies.**

As you will notice, most of the reasons people cite for hating Obama (e.g., his not being born in America or taking away people's guns) were/are false. Whereas the reasons people dislike or hate Trump are true. Also, many of the things people didn't like about Obama didn't directly affect their well being, as in their health or pocket books, whereas many of the reasons people dislike or hate Trump do or will.

The comic stylings of Joe Biden (post-election meme)

They say laughter is the best medicine (especially when you can't afford medicine). So as a bit of comic relief to our post-election nightmare I give you my favorite Joe Biden - Barack Obama transition-of-power memes (aka imagined pranks on president-elect Donald J. Trump).

[For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about -- i.e., people who do not have a Facebook or Twitter account and/or do not regularly peruse BoredPanda and/or BuzzFeed -- Hi Mom! -- several clever folks have been taking photos of Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama, aka BROTUS, huddled together, and creating imaginary conversations between the two, with Biden telling Obama about pranks he plans to play on the next White House tenant -- and posting these humorous images, or memes, on social media.]

President Obama, Standup Comedian in Chief

In case you missed President Barack Obama's set at last night's White House Correspondents Dinner (aka The Nerd Prom), here you go.



You may not agree with Obama's politics or policies, but the guy knows how to deliver -- a joke.

[Control yourselves Republican readers.]

Among my (and Newt Gingrich's) favorite lines (this totally cracked up the Newtster; Callista tried to laugh, but her face began to crack):

I know Republicans are still sorting out what happened in 2012, but one thing they all agree on is they need to do a better job reaching out to minorities.  And look, call me self-centered, but I can think of one minority they could start with.  (Laughter.)  Hello?  Think of me as a trial run, you know?  (Laughter.)  See how it goes.  (Laughter.)

I also liked his line about proposing a toast -- and it dying in committee.

Among the other big laugh lines, Obama remembering when "when BuzzFeed was just something I did in college around 2:00 a.m." And his response to people pestering him to have a drink with Congressman Mitch McConnell: "Really? Why don’t you get a drink with Mitch McConnell?" (That line slayed the crowd. Make that Politico Nerd Prom.)

You can read all of President Obama's remarks at the 2013 White House Correspondents Dinner here.

Romney handed binder full of jokes

Last night was the 67th Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, which is sponsored by the Archdiocese of New York and raises money for various healthcare-related causes*. Named for Al Smith, the first Roman Catholic candidate for president, the dinner has become a must-attend event for presidents and presidential candidates (both Barack Obama and John McCain attended in 2008), who entertain the crowd of political, media, and religious luminaries with jokes poking fun at themselves and their opponents (but not in a cruel or vicious way, supposedly).

Last night, the keynote speakers at the annual Al Smith dinner were former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and President of the United States Barack Obama.

Here is what Mitt Romney, who had been handed a binder full of jokes earlier in the week, had to say those assembled in the ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York.



And here is what President Barack Obama had to say:



Republicans will no doubt say Mitt Romney was way funnier; Democrats that Barack Obama was. (Yes, even humor is partisan, folks.) Obama seemed more comfortable, relaxed, getting his funny on than Romney but Romney did a good job delivering his lines, though he spent more time poking "fun" (often sneeringly) at his Democratic opponent than at himself (or Obama did of Romney).

More about the 67th Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner here.

*Which will come in handy if Romney is elected president.

The Comedian in Chief?

Earlier this week, President Barack Obama slow jammed the news with Jimmy Fallon. Then last night he yucked it up with the likes of Jimmy Kimmel at the 2012 White House Correspondents' dinner.



Which left me thinking, if this whole "president" thing doesn't work out for Barack Obama, maybe he could persuade HBO or Comedy Central to give him his own stand-up or comedy or variety show. (I can totally see Barry and Michelle as the next Sonny and Cher.)

Jimmy and the POTUS slow jam the news

Jimmy Fallon and President Barack Obama slow jam the news about student loans (at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill).

Pell yeah!



Am amazed the Prezie of the United Stezie (aka the POTUS with the mostest) kept a straight face -- and bummed he didn't sing with The Roots...



So when is Mitt Romney slow jammin' the news with Jimmy Fallon?

DJ Obama gets funky wit da Congress

Apparently I missed this version of the State of the Union address. Though I much prefer it.

Anyway, if you haven't seen it already, check out this totally fresh version of the Iyaz song "Replay," sung by our Rapper in Chief, Barack Obama.



For the record, I have long suspected the Prez had some funk in him.

White House bans topless photos

Of the President. Killjoys.

This makes zero sense to me. Unless President Obama (like the rest of us) isn't looking as good as he did a couple of years ago (when the infamous pic to the right was snapped). And this is a clever way of hiding the fact that the only six-pack on him these days has a "Budweiser" label.

Still a ban on taking shirtless photos of President Obama while he's on vacation in Hawaii seems a bit extreme.

What's wrong with showing a little Presidential skin? Does he now have to wear a shirt when he goes swimming?

I think a buff Commander in Chief is a good thing.

So what do you all think? Do you think photographers should be banned from taking pictures of President Obama in swimming trunks (and nothing else)? Even if it's on a beach in Hawaii? Playing with his kids in the ocean? I mean, it's not like he's entertaining heads of state in the Oval Office in board shorts.

JibJab's annual review of the year that was ("So Long to Ya, 2010")

Another year, another JibJab year in review.

"So Long to Ya, 2010!"

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Note: to see how JibJab's 2010 Year in Review video, "So Long to Ya, 2010," was made, click here.

And now a song from the President

Was reading The Huffington Post the other day when I came across an article featuring this brilliant modern version of Gilbert and Sullivan's "Major-General's Song" (from The Pirates of Penzance). Instead of the Major-General, however, the song is sung by the very model of a modern U.S. President, President Barack Obama (as portrayed by actor/comedian Ronnie Butler, Jr.).

And now I give you"Obama! A Modern U.S. President," presented by the Light Opera of Los Angeles:

And in other news...

Though you might not realize it watching NBC (and its cable affiliates), there have been other big news stories this week besides the Olympics. In cased you missed them, here are a few that caught my eye, though may not have caught yours.

If Tiger Woods ran the Olympics.... Apparently the International Pole Dancing Fitness Association, professional pole dancers, and "supporters" of the "sport," have been petitioning the International Olympic Committee to make pole dancing (which, contrary to what some of you may be thinking, does not involve Polish athletes doing a traditional folk dance) an Olympic sport by the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio (which seems a more appropriate venue than London). And according to this article from the Associated Press, the petition to make pole dancing an Olympic sport has a lot of support. I bet it does.

They're called "killer" whales for a reason.... On Wednesday, while petting Orca Tilikum during the midday Shamu Show at SeaWorld in Orlando, trainer Dawn Brancheau was grabbed by the killer whale and taken for an unscheduled swim around the pool, drowning in the process, despite efforts to get the whale to release her. I cannot imagine how horrifying this must have been for Brancheau, her fellow trainers, and all those watching. The mere thought of it makes me sick. Almost equally horrifying is the fact that this whale was still at SeaWorld, as this was not the first time Tilikum had mauled someone to death, and the whale was considered so unstable or ornery that trainers had been repeatedly told to not get in the water with or near him. Yet another senseless, avoidable death, caused by man's need to tame and master nature at all costs.

Scientists discover Dick Cheney has a heart.... For those who hadn't heard, Dick Cheney was just released from a Washington hospital after suffering his fifth heart attack in just over 30 years. Cheney would have been released sooner, said a spokesman, but it took doctors days to realize the small, hard coal-like object on the left side of his chest was actually his heart.

New eligibility requirement being considered for President.... If newly elected Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown gets his way, there will soon be a new eligibility requirement for President of the United States: must have good jump shot. In what many are haling as a preview of the 2012 Presidential Election, Senator Brown has challenged President Barack Obama to a two-on-two hoops match at the White House, with Brown's daughter (former American Idol semi-finalist and Boston College guard) Ayla standing in for former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his second.

JibJab reveals Barack Obama's secret identity (video)

During the campaign, Barack Obama was frequently portrayed as Superman, fighting for truth, justice, and change. More recently, after the notorious White House fly incident, some in the press have been comparing the President of the United States to Spider-Man.

But after checking out the latest JibJab video, titled "He's Barack Obama," maybe a modern, hipper (and, okay, bigger-eared) version of Captain America is more appropriate.

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

[H/T to my sister-in-law, who not only told me about the clip but got me the Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter for Father's Day. Thanks JudgeJ.!]

While I think the JibJab video is cute, I don't think it's a great idea to portray politicians (even the President of the United States) as superheroes. They have big enough egos. Ditto athletes.

Just because someone is good at what he does doesn't make him a hero.

Though if Obama does manage to fix the financial mess, help create jobs, get us out of Iraq and Afghanistan safely -- and doesn't get us embroiled in a war with Iran or North Korea, make health care affordable for everyone while keeping the quality of care high, get kids to stay in school, find a cure for baldness, and doesn't bankrupt the country, I will absolutely consider him a hero -- or make sure someone at least names a sandwich after him.

Barack Obama, killer of flies, promoter of truancy

For those of you who have noted (or been irked) that President Barack Obama is not easily bugged, take note. Yesterday, during an interview with CNBC's John Harwood, President Obama momentarily lost his cool when he discovered he was being bugged, by a very large house -- or in this case, White House -- fly.

Using his superhero lightning reflexes, though, the POTUS quickly put an end to the interloper, who was not on the approved visitor list.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

In other Presidential News, while Barack Obama says it is vital to provide our children with a good education, so they can successfully compete in a global economy/marketplace, his actions say otherwise.

Just last week at a presidential town hall meeting in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the President went out of his way to write an impressionable 10-year-old girl who was playing hooky from school a note excusing her absence. While some may say the girl's father, who had been selected to ask the President a question at the meeting, was at fault here, having allowed his fourth-grade daughter to miss a day of school so she could attend the meeting with him, we know who is ultimately to blame...



Barack Obama, promoter of truancy.

What President Obama needs is an Easy button; Plus my picks for Car Czar

As President Barack Obama is fond of saying, he only gets the messy problems. "If it was easy, someone else would have solved it."

But I say, just give the man a Staples easy button.

Seriously, have you seen what those things can do?



So just imagine what an easy button could do for President Obama!

Need to organize the budget?

[Presses easy button.]

That was easy!

Need to solve the health care problem?

[Presses the button.]

That was easy!

Need to clean up that financial mess?

[Presses the button.]

That was easy!

Need to help the Detroit automakers come up with a bailout plan?

[You get the picture.]

And speaking of Detroit, I have the PERFECT candidates for Car Czar: Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers (aka Tom and Ray Magliozzi) of Car Talk fame.

Seriously, think about it. NO ONE knows as much about fixing automotive messes like these guys. And think of the press conferences and radio addresses! It would give Car Talk whole new meaning!

I guess growing and/or selling marijuana was not the kind of "green" job President Obama was talking about

Once again, President Barack Obama is answering the big questions facing this country, like whether we should legalize marijuana.

Indeed, many pundits and journalists have been wondering for days whether the President would take the time to address what I like to refer to as "the Spicoli question" during today's digital/live town hall meeting at the White House. And they were not disappointed.

About halfway into the proceedings, President Obama stopped the regular questioning to address the two (albeit related) questions that thousands of concerned, eco-minded citizens had given high marks to in the Jobs category:

Popular questions:

"Should our government decriminilize [sic] marijuana, so that millions of new green jobs can be created, such as building fuel-efficient vehicles, and supplying pharmaceuticals for needy medical marijuana patients, and etc.?"
Green Machine, Winchester,Va

"I'm not a fan of smoking; however, I think legalizing marijuana could be good for our economy. Not only would it create lots of jobs for the public, it could help to boost the economy and get it going again. Could this be a possibility of the future?"
Shades of Grey, Tampa, Florida

"Help boost the economy"? Really? Well, at least junk food manufacturers and the Girl Scouts would see an uptick in sales.

"I don't know what that says about the online audience," Obama joked. But the answer, he said, was "no, I don't think that's a good strategy to grow our economy."

Duuuuuuude.

President Barack Obama could learn a thing or two from the trainers at SeaWorld

After all, if one can train a killer whale to roll over and jump through the air, how hard can it be to get a Republican to roll over and jump on the economic recovery bandwagon?

All you need is the right bait and some positive reinforcement and pretty soon you'll have those ornery Congresspeople and Senators falling in line.

Don't believe me? Then read writer Amy Sutherland's article, "What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage," about how she used tips gleaned from exotic animals trainers to successfully get her husband, Scott, to modify undesirable, unproductive behaviors. (Sutherland also wrote a whole book on the subject, Kicked, Bitten, and Scratched: Life and Lessons at the World's Premier School for Exotic Animal Trainers, which is being made into a movie starring Naomi Watts.)

Just think, President Obama, if an average woman can get her alpha male husband of over 12 years to start picking up his dirty laundry and stop hovering around her and second-guessing her, what you (no average man) could do with John Boehner and Mitch McConnell!

You just need to learn how to reward the behaviors you like and ignore the behaviors you don't, according to Sutherland and the exotic animal trainers. (And after all, aren't all politicians exotic animals?) Oh, and whatever you do, don't nag or sound self-righteous. "After all, you don't get a sea lion to balance a ball on the end of its nose [or Congress to pass major legislation] by nagging," noted Sutherland.

So may I suggest that for your next vacation, President Obama, you take the family to SeaWorld and spend a few days with the trainers there?

I am sure if you do that you will have those cats in Washington, D.C., toeing the line in no time...

And practically jumping for joy to pass key legislation.

Obama signs order to turn water into wine, may get to have a PDA after all

Okay, okay. The executive orders President Barack Obama signed earlier today banned coercive interrogation methods, got rid of CIA "secret prisons" (though if they were a secret, how did Obama know about them?) and ordered the Guantánamo Bay detention camp in Cuba to be closed within a year. But the way his Apostles hovered around him, you'd have thought President Obama (doesn't that sound great, President Obama?) was promising to turn water into wine. And closing Guantánamo Bay may prove to be just as difficult.

Photo by Doug Mills of The New York Times

If you missed the live coverage, you can watch and listen to President Obama signing the three executive orders here:

Btw, that constant clicking or whirring noise in the background is the sound of hundreds of photos being snapped, including the one above.

In other Obama -- excuse me, President Obama news, while President Obama may not get to keep his beloved BlackBerry, it looks as though he might get the next best thing, a new spy-proof smartphone, at least for personal messages, according to a report in the London Guardian's online edition.

"If the president is emailing his wife about what time he'll be home for dinner, or checking on when the girls' play is… those are not constitutional and statutory business of the president," said Sharon Fawcett, director of presidential libraries at the National Archives, last week. So they would be permissible. (No word yet on whether checking box scores would fall under the Presidential Records Act.)

IMPORTANT 6:33 PM BLACKBERRY UPDATE/CORRECTION: As noted by blog commenter "Crackberryite," and in this Wall Street Journal article, which JUST came out, "The new president has worked out a deal with unspecified security personnel to keep his BlackBerry for limited professional and personal use, chief spokesman Robert Gibbs said Thursday."

I think I shall call this "The Miracle of the BlackBerry." President Obama and RIM be praised!

Watching the Inauguration of Barack Obama... with a Cat

Today, it feels good to say, "I am an American."

Today, I am so happy and so proud of my country.

Today, we have a new President, Barack Hussein Obama. And a new First Lady, Michelle Obama. And a new First Family.

And I have only one word to describe the feeling: JOY.

So consider this blog post my Ode to Joy -- with Black Cat.




And as much as I love Felix, this picture may be my favorite image of the inauguration:


Let us hope that today marks the beginning of many new and wonderful firsts for this country -- and the world.

God Bless America. And God bless Barack Obama and his family and his administration and keep them and us safe.

Who will be the First Bitch?

I'm talking dog, people. Really. The thoughts that go through your minds...

For those who haven't heard, the Obamas have narrowed down their dog selection to a labradoodle or a Portuguese water dog. And per the President Elect's promise, they are going to look for the First Pooch-to-Be in a shelter. (Good luck with that.)

Personally, I am rooting for the Portuguese water dog. I think it is in many ways the perfect dog for Barack Obama, his family, and the Nation.

Like Obama, the Portuguese water dog is somewhat exotic and rare, independent, intelligent, and a hard worker and herder of Congresspeople -- I mean sheep. I mean... Oh never mind.

In any case, the dog sounds like a good choice to me.

On the other hand, the labradoodle.... Go on. Say "labradoodle." Labradoodle. Is this any dog for the President of the United States? Also labradoodles are not necessarily hypoallergenic.

So I say, just say "no" to designer dogs, Mr. President Elect, and go with the Portuguese water dog (if those are your only two choices).

To read more about the quest for the First Dog, check out this short, funny post from yesterday's The Caucus, the New York Times' political blog, from Sharon Otterman. (Hmm. I wonder if she is partial to Otterhounds....)

Obama may be losing his BlackBerry, but he's gained a mother-in-law

No word yet if President-Elect Barack Obama will get to keep his BlackBerry, but one important presence in his life will be coming with him to the White House on January 20, his mother-in-law. As The Caucus recently reported, Marian Robinson, Michelle Obama's mother, will be living with the First Family come inauguration day, at least temporarily.



No word yet on the first dog.