Key moments in the politics of anger

Key moments in recent U.S. history when political divisiveness reached high-water marks

Getting ‘Borked’

Robert Bork’s 1987 U.S. Supreme Court nomination was so divisive it inspired a new verb: “To bork.” The meaning? To “obstruct (someone, especially a candidate for public office) by systematically defaming or vilifying them,” according to the Oxford Dictionary.

Bork’s nomination failed – 42-58 – at the hands of progressives who said the conservative would trample the rights of women and minorities, and impose religious rule on public schools.

Hanging chads

The 2000 presidential election among Republican George W. Bush, Democrat Al Gore and others was so close it came down to a recount of Florida ballots. Images of the recount showed an elections official holding a magnifying glass up to a punch-card ballot, trying to determine the voter’s intent. (If a punched-out chad didn’t fully detach, a computer might not record it as a vote.)

After legal wrangling by the Bush and Gore teams, the U.S. Supreme Court intervened and declared – by a 5-4 vote – that Bush was the winner.

‘Weapons of mass destruction’

The Bush Administration justified invading Iraq by saying Saddam Hussein was hiding “weapons of mass destruction.” Later, following a report that Iraq destroyed its stockpile of illicit weapons a decade earlier, Bush was accused of lying to push the U.S. into war. Anti-war protestors chanted: “Bush Lied, People Died.” (It rhymed but was discredited.)

‘You lie!’

In September 2009, U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, a Republican from South Carolina’s 2nd District, interrupted a speech to Congress by Democratic President Barack Obama by shouting “You lie!” Wilson was reprimanded by the House, and re-elected by the voters in his heavily GOP district in 2010, 2012, 2014 and, most recently, 2016.

Obamacare

The Affordable Care Act – featuring an idea from the conservative Heritage Foundation: requiring citizens to buy insurance – passed Congress in 2010 with zero GOP votes. Reeling from losing the White House and both chambers of Congress, the GOP found its cause, vowing to repeal and replace the health care law, known derisively and affectionately as “Obamacare.” Now back in control, Republicans are trying to fulfill their promise.

A ‘one-term president’

Trump supporters have criticized the president’s opponents for refusing to unify behind him after his victory. Not long ago, Republicans took a similar stand against Obama. Shortly before the 2010 election, then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said “the single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.”

Garland in purgatory

Last year, Republicans out-borked Obama’s Supreme Court nominee. U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Merrick Garland was Obama’s pick to succeed the late U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. But Republicans vowed to block Obama’s pick until he was no longer president. They did.

The Donald

He began his presidential campaign by calling immigrants rapists, went on to mock a crippled reporter, called one of his GOP opponents “Little Marco,” led chants of “lock her up” and was forced to apologize for bragging about grabbing women’s private parts. And there was more. Since taking office, President Trump regularly has lambasted anyone who questioned him or his actions.

This story was originally published March 6, 2017 at 12:44 PM with the headline "Key moments in the politics of anger."