Remember, we just elected a black man who was the head of the Harvard Law Review. Whatever you think about him, he did not succeed because of know-nothingism. We have bifurcated in some ways, but there's still a lot to be excited about!
I can count on one hand the number of political positions Barack Obama has held with which I agree, but you're right on this count. Obama was successful because he's probably the greatest campaigner in my lifetime. That skill includes the ability to build, manage, and inspire a large organization. His campaign "machine" will have an impact on American politics for decades to come.
> We have bifurcated in some ways, but there's still a lot to be excited about!
I agree, but I would also like to point out that the bifurcation is not along party lines. It's obvious to me that there are not-insubstantial factions of both major parties who simply do not care about the policies of their party's candidates. They identify with the tribe, see them as the "good guys", and therefore the opposing party are the "bad guys".
Also, on that note, I thought this was interesting: http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/01/donald-trump-...
Basically, the "Trump tribe" is identified by their embrace of authoritarianism.
Personally, I'm as anti-authoritarian as can be, to the point of considering myself an anarchist. My childhood was spent around conservatives though, so I guess you could say that I'm "culturally Republican". I noticed early on that Trump's support within the GOP was predominately among those who had no problems with using the power of government to shape society to their own notions.