Thought experiment: after 9/11, GWB approval rating went to 90%. That's not because all the liberals left the country and so weren't counted; it's because liberals and democrats understood this was no time for partisan politics. It was time to line up behind the President and present a united front.
GWB Approval Rating
Now, let's imagine that 9/11 happened, instead, in Obama's first year. Would the republicans have lined up with him? Would they have put country over politics? Would they have given him leeway to engineer the response? What about Fox? Would they have covered things differently?
It isn't too hard to imagine how things would have played out. While he was responding to the event, Obama would also have to fend off rabid attacks from the right and probably calls for impeachment and resignation. They would be only too happy to tear the nation apart when we most needed to unite. Much like they are doing now.
There are now two Americas. One for everyone, and one for conservatives only. It's getting more insane every day. In fact, insanity is a prerequisite for the republican nomination. If you don't appeal to the fever dreams of the right wing base, you won't make it past the first round. I'm actually scared. We have a lot of work to do, but we can't get any of it done while republicans are lighting everything on fire and screaming that democrats aren't putting them out fast enough.