The contrast between the cool, cerebral Obama and the Wizard of Id could scarcely be more stark. That gives rise to the question, did the electorate choose Trump because they wanted to go in a completely opposite direction? Or, to be more crude, did Obama cause Trump?
In my opinion, no. Swagger has always been a huge part of the DNA of the GOP. Obama’s favorability ratings are much higher than Trump’s. Mitt Romney, who resembles Obama far more than Trump, was the GOP candidate just four years ago. Trump’s victory ultimately was a product of the lack of consensus among the leaders of the Republican Party and Clinton’s weaknesses as a candidate; it was not a rejection of Obama’s personality or a seismic change in the opinions of the electorate.