| − | The riots during the Obama Administration were a series of racially motivated conflagrations that erupted nationwide in the last half of [[President Barack Obama]]'s second term. Initially elected as America's first "post-racial" president,<ref>[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18489466 A New, 'Post-Racial' Political Era in America] [[NPR]]</ref> many African-Americans became increasingly disillusioned as Obama's presidency progressed.<ref>http://www.people-press.org/2014/12/08/sharp-racial-divisions-in-reactions-to-brown-garner-decisions/12-8-2014_08/</ref> Critics charged Obama personally inflamed the rioters and lawless elements responsible for the destruction of property, businesses, and jobs in several American cities.<ref>http://blog.blackbusiness.org/2014/08/black-businesses-in-ferguson-missouri-recovering-from-looting.html#.VWPqLzY4nTb</ref><ref>[http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2015/04/protests-baltimore Protests in Baltimore It's chaos] [[The Economist]]</ref> [[Pat Caddell]] and [[Doug Schoen]] noted early on in the [[Wall Street Journal]], "Rather than being a unifier, Mr. Obama has divided America on the basis of race, class and partisanship." Caddell and Schoen further stated, "President Obama's divisive approach to governance has weakened us as a people and paralyzed our political culture."<ref>Caddell, P.H. & Schoen, D.E. (2010, July 28). [http://online.wsj.com/article/NA_WSJ_PUB:SB10001424052748703700904575391553798363586.html Our Divisive President]. ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]''.</ref> | + | The riots during the Obama Administration were a series of racially motivated conflagrations that erupted nationwide in the last half of [[President Barack Obama]]'s second term. Initially elected as America's first "post-racial" president,<ref>[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18489466 A New, 'Post-Racial' Political Era in America] [[NPR]]</ref> many African-Americans became increasingly disillusioned as Obama's presidency progressed.<ref>http://www.people-press.org/2014/12/08/sharp-racial-divisions-in-reactions-to-brown-garner-decisions/12-8-2014_08/</ref> Critics charged Obama personally inflamed the rioters and lawless elements responsible for the destruction of property, businesses, and jobs in several American cities.<ref>http://blog.blackbusiness.org/2014/08/black-businesses-in-ferguson-missouri-recovering-from-looting.html#.VWPqLzY4nTb</ref><ref>[http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2015/04/protests-baltimore Protests in Baltimore It's chaos] [[The Economist]]</ref> [[Pat Caddell]] and Doug Schoen noted early on in the [[Wall Street Journal]], "Rather than being a unifier, Mr. Obama has divided America on the basis of race, class and partisanship." Caddell and Schoen further stated, "President Obama's divisive approach to governance has weakened us as a people and paralyzed our political culture."<ref>Caddell, P.H. & Schoen, D.E. (2010, July 28). [http://online.wsj.com/article/NA_WSJ_PUB:SB10001424052748703700904575391553798363586.html Our Divisive President]. ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]''.</ref> |