It's not all him but, in my humble opinion, Trump was the one who changed the game.
Like you I lament the times when people could debate and shake hands but who do you think enabled that complete change? Was it Obama? Biden? Or the guy who came in and tore up the rule book, had a demeaning nickname for all of his opponents and reacted badly to any kind of criticisim? I think I know which guy I would suggest.
As I say, I think is lot of the bad stuff we've seen from the other side has been in response to Trump. I mean, even by your own admission Trump does these inflammatory things precisely to get a reaction from Dems that they, as you say, keep gladly obliging Trump on. Whose fault is that? Who's strategy, by your own admission, is to create annamosity on both sides and stoke division?
I think we agree 99% here...
Trump did change the game, he spurned Democrats, and then spent an entire election cycle naively navigating being called racist, sexist, and homophobic by a lot of people he was friends with, some who handed him awards and praised him for his work with minorities. I think Democrats became vengeful of him, and he in turn became vengeful of them.
I have never seen a reaction from an establishment machine like we saw in 2016 election cycle, every single element of politics, media, celebrity, and creator went after every single element of him. At every step he was mocked, ridiculed and had every shitty thing he ever did used in public to destroy him, I remember arguing with a very lefty friend, who I believed we aligned on most issues, and I said if they were that aggressive from the off, they feared something! He literally called me a nazi a few days later because I didnt agree Trump was a nazi lol.
Where I think we differ, is that i think Trump is original, in his distasteful actions, name calling, memes, behaviours etc, and now in his 2nd term his no holds barred actions, but democrat reaction to him has absolutely bolstered his political career.
The Russian hooker urine stories, the spying on his campaign, their behaviour to Sanders, and promoting Clinton, and their strategy to destroy Trump by any means necesary has created a toxic culture, I honestly dont think Trump wins 2016 against a thoughtful logical Sanders. I think their strategy in 2020 of hiding Biden in the basement was cracking, let Trump hang himself, let those in the middle who decide the president see him for what he is, why in God's name they installed Harris, instead of allowing a primary, where basically anyone beats Trump 2024 ill never know.
Trump is our problem because of democrat hysteria and will to destroy, they arent left, they arent liberal, they are just anti Trump since 2016s humiliation, and its why I have some respect for Sanders and AOC who are at least offering a pathway, I mean its not going to win anything, but they show principles in their stance (even if they are anti Trump too).
My major concern is a Trump legacy, and a generation of conservative rule, that spills into UK politics with the likes of Farage, and lets be honest we are witnessing it, which is far more likely than any of the hysteria about authoritarianism, or Naziism.
