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And they flat out denied Biden.

Fox News gave Trump the platform to push the "Muslim not born in America BS" do they not remember this?

My high school and early college was during the W. Bush years. I hated him, and around that time is when I got political, active, and told my (Republican) parents that I was a proud Libertarian! (Look, I've learned a lot over the years, and Libertarians used to pretend to be a little more progressive.)

My parents hated that, and constantly gave me the "you may not like him but he's your president too and you have to respect the office!" The first time he complained about Obama (hours after the election), I broke that one out and turned it around. And they ~~realized their hypocrisy immediately becoming gay communists~~ decided that the rule was stupid, actually, and that it turns out you don't have to respect the office when you dont want to!

What bothers me so much more than their stated political views is the realization that they never actually had reasoned, considered views to begin with. They emotionally select things that seem directly beneficial to themselves. And then lie about their beliefs because they know they're selfish and indefensible.

They're still republicans but I'm an anarchist who no longer respects any presidents! Funny where a difference in fundamental values will lead you.

Feb 2009: "I hope he fails" - Rush Limbaugh

Also Feb 2009: Every single Republican member of the House votes against Obama's stimulus package

Sept 2009: Republican member of the House Joe Wilson is sanctioned for shouting "you lie" during Obama speech to Congress

Oct 2010: Republicans pledge no compromise with Obama in their takeover of the House

Nov 2010: Mitch McConnell's goal is to make Obama a 1-term President

Shall I continue?

"We" as in Republicans? Absolutely not true.

In my circle, the outspoken Republicans were absolutely convinced that "Hussein Obama" was a radical, socialist, communist, muslim foreigner who had illegally become president because he was the anti-Christ. He was here to kill the babies and white people and he destroyed the country. Practically everything was Obama's fault such that it sparked the "Thanks, Obama" sarcastic meme. He couldn't do anything right. Employment numbers down? Obama did it. Employment numbers up? Obama is lying about it, they're actually down. Osama Bin Laden killed? That makes everything worse, but also, there's no proof it was actually him.

R×publicans literally called Obama the anti-christ and tried to make everything he did into a scandal (remember the tan suit?).

Wait, what?

They actually have the gall to say they stood behind Obama?

Obama's presidency was the exact point at which toxicity and hate became the overt centerpieces of Republican identity - when they stopped even pretending to be motivated by "fiscal conservatism" and instead gave themselves up entirely to just sowing division and spewing hatred.

Hell - virtually the first thing they did was co-opt the formerly libertarian Tea Party movement, which started out, under Bush, as a series of protests against the Wall Street bailouts - and converted it into a traveling right- wing carnival of hate. That became the entire point of it - after the Republicans took it over, the bailouts were never even mentioned again - all it was was an opportunity for right-wingers to congratulate themselves on how much they hated the left, and especially how much they hated Obama.

It's not too much of a stretch to say that everything MAGA has become - all of the division and all of the hatred and all of the lies - traces back specifically to how the hateful bigots among the Republicans reacted to Obama's presidency and the influence they came to hold over the rest of the party.

I told a story about how one of the only time I stood up to my awful mother was about this very thing.

I spent time complaining about Bush, and my mother would always whine that you "have" to support the president.

The minute Obama won, she came to me parroting some sort of Fox nonsense, and I engaged her for a while before realizing, "You have to support the president!" She pointed out that I didn't blindly support Bush, and I answered that I believe it's the job of all citizens to question their government (as I openly criticized Obama many times), but she believed you have to "support the president," so when she didn't, she was a hypocrite.

One of the few times I pushed back, and one of the few times she was actually silenced by logic. A memory I hold dear.

I live on the opposite side of the world and even I remember when Obama wore a fucking tan suit once more than 10 years ago because Republicans threw such a big tantrum over it.

I'd like to stand directly behind Trump. Especially if he was near a cliff.