Trump, Obama Tied for Honor of 2019’s ‘Most Respected Man’

There are nearly infinite ways in which we can tell that our nation is hotly divided, but many of us are too blinded by our own partisan politicking to recognize them.

We have spent so much time and so many resources attempting to catalog every little issue in America as either a right thing or a left thing that our political system more closely resembles a sports rivalry than it does a functioning democracy.  We cannot find compromise because we’ve been led to believe that thing have to fit into the boxes labeled “R” and “D”, with nothing left on the table to be shared.

Now, a recent poll shows just how evenly split the nation is, especially when it comes to the last two Presidents.

Eighteen percent of Americans name Trump as the most admired living man in 2019, up from 13 percent in 2018 and 14 percent in 2017. Obama also earns 18 percent as the most admired man.

The results are based on a Gallup poll taken from December 2-15 of a random sample of 1,025 adults living in the United States.

Predictably, 41 percent of Democrats name Obama, while 45 percent of Republicans choose Trump. Independents are divided, as 12 percent select Obama and ten percent choose Trump.

Of course, both of these are just mortal men, capable of mistakes and malfeasance as well as greatness and success.  To see that the partisan divide is still so pointed is disheartening, to say the least, especially at a time in which our nation should be coming together to confront the challenges that lie ahead.