I don't mean shouting in this thread. Or even on this website in particular, though it's known to happen (textually), and even without the shouting there are some pretty hurtful things said at times by both sides of ye olde fence. And I didn't even necessarily mean literal shouting, but the figurative sort as well. But I mean in the American political landscape in general, particularly the parts that make the news. The news, whichever way it leans, loves to show people who are upset about something.

I remember reading (in a Canadian news magazine) a few years ago about how much of Bush's legislation was quite moderate. It was an interesting read, given the general opinions a person hears.

I don't think the Obama election was a backlash against moderates. Accurately or not, Obama played the let's-stop-fighting-with-each-other card, and promised to try to work with Republicans. It seems to me that he set himself up against the popular opinion about Bush, regardless of the actual facts behind that opinion. I also believe that there was a bit of a popular reaction against the ongoing wars, and a desire for optimism in the face of the financial crisis, all of which played into Obama's favour.

But things certainly seemed to be growing further apart even before that election. That's part of the reason why I supported Obama at the time, and would have voted for him if I was American. Even though McCain had a record for being moderate, his campaign was not making him seem that way, because he had to play to the growing elements in his party that didn't want moderate. In that election campaign, Obama seemed by far to be the more moderate of the two, at least to this non-American observer.

(As a Canadian, I also supported the idea of universal health care. I know several Canadians who would not be able to have a good life if they had been born Americans, because of the health care system, even though their conditions are no fault of their own. Caring for themselves would drain every last financial resource they could muster, and then some.)