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.

Are Trump and his followers demented?

So here's a medical question I've been pondering for a while now*: Is there some gene or something about some people's brains that makes them unable to discern or recognize lies or separate fact from fiction?

And guess what? There is!

According to a recent study conducted by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, an inability to detect lies -- and sarcasm -- may well be the result of damage to (or something affecting) the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. It even has a name, frontotemporal dementia, and the condition affects adults at a younger age (typically 40 - 70) than other forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer's.

Another sign of frontotemporal dementia? Socially inappropriate and/or compulsive behavior.

Sound like anyone orange you know (or any of his supporters)?

Pretty sure dementia would fall under the list of reasons to enact Section 4. of the 25th Amendment of the Constitution. And an MRI, which, when I last checked, was nonpartisan, would determine if Trump (or anyone else) suffered from this form of dementia.

Sadly, there is no cure for this disease... until 2020.

UPDATED: A big THANK YOU to my mother for sending me this New Yorker article titled "Why Facts Don't Change Our Minds," which scientifically explains the Trump phenomenon -- and why our species may be doomed.

*But especially since Trump secured the Republican nomination for president.

The Madness of King Donald the Trump

Many (most?) of us who have observed Trump over the last year have questioned whether he is mentally fit to be president. However, after watching Trump's recent interview with ABC's David Muir, where he (Trump) told one whopper after another, there can be no doubt that Trump is unhinged. Deranged. Nuts. Psycho. Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.

I could go on, but you get my drift. 

As a student of history, Trump's performance brought to mind another deranged ruler of this country, one who likewise lost the goodwill of most of his subjects here -- and caused a political crisis.

Who was this mad man? For those of you who have forgotten your U.S. History, or haven't seen Hamilton, I am, of course, referring to King George III, whose madness was captured in a brilliant 1994 film titled, appropriately, The Madness of King George.*



The similarities between Donald the First (and hopefully the last) and George the Third are striking, from the eccentric, disturbing behavior, to the grabbing of women, to the political tensions caused by his erratic behavior.

The only question is, will Americans rise up against Donald the Trump and kick him out as they did George the Third some two-hundred forty years ago?


*And yes, all you Hamilton lovers, in Hamilton, too. Though I'm pretty sure we won't be back, re-electing Trump... if we survive that long. 

Nothing to laugh about

I started this blog, nearly eight years ago, as a way to amuse myself and, hopefully, some of my friends and family members. I had some funny stories to tell -- and I wanted to share my thoughts (and, okay, snark) about the 2008 presidential election and American Idol.

 Despite the financial crisis and other bad things going on in the world, I remember feeling hopeful -- and was excited to share my thoughts (about politics, books, bikinis, and sports, among other things) and hear (or read) yours.

And while the economy is technically no longer in crisis, and we don't have daily terror alerts, I no longer feel hopeful. And I find little to laugh about.

I am sick and tired of and depressed about living in a world that glorifies people like the Kardashians, and makes celebrities out of people who are willing to do all sorts of horrible or ridiculous or crazy things for 15 minutes of fame or a million dollars -- and that there are millions of people who eat this stuff up and cheer them on. 

I am sick and tired of and depressed by the fact that you can go broke being sick and tired and depressed in this country.

I am sick and tired of and depressed by all the gun violence and our inability to pass reasonable gun control laws.

I am sick and tired of and depressed by the Republicans in Congress who are so consumed by hatred for Barack Obama (and the Democrats) that they refuse to pass legislation that could help millions of Americans, including their constituents.

I am sick and tired of and depressed by all the lies Conservative talk show hosts and politicians spew, and that so many people so readily believe them.

I am sick and tired of and depressed by the fact that women have to choose between having a career and having a family -- or being "a good mother."

I am sick and tired of and depressed by the high cost of college.

I am sick and tired of and depressed by what has happened to journalism, or what now passes for journalism, and the decline (or elimination) of fact checking. 

I am sick and tired of and depressed by all the narcissism and self absorption in our society.

And I am depressed by the lack of civil discourse in this country -- and knowing that soon after I publish this post someone, probably someone I know, is going to leave an anonymous comment ranting and raving about Obama and the Democrats, and/or defending Americans' right to own hundreds of guns (which is not what I wrote), and spewing all kinds of hate and inaccuracies.