To some extent I agree with you. Everything seems to be hyperbole and an attempt to get your blood pressure up. That is why I consume most of my content from sources like NPR and The Economist who don't seem to exist to get me all riled up. All the same, the current stories, even when told in a dry, flat tone with no hype, are scary enough to have me worried.
I remember back when Bush Jr. was elected and getting us into the Iraq war how me and my young and idealistic friends were all up in arms (figuratively). He was a very reviled president in my circles but I can see that while most of his positions were opposite of mine, he was a fairly run-of-the-mill politician, though less well-spoken than most. His policies did do some damage, such as getting us mired in a long armed conflict in the middle east that still seems to have no end in sight.
People got hysterically upset about Obama ("he's a Muslim!"; not true. "he's coming to take our guns!"; no, he never even mentioned anything like that. "He's going to implement Sharia law!"; not the slightest whiff of a hint of anything even close to it.) for things that he never remotely suggested. People don't seem to pay much attention to what I think are legitimate issues with his policies such as the massive increase in deportations or the fact that we are still mired in the middle east while people die and are displaced.
I feel like He Who Must Not Be Named is a different story though. Fundamentally I am afraid because he is not a decent person. I disagreed mightily with Bush, but I can see that he was a friendly, respectable, family man who I imagine did what he thought was best, even if those decisions weren't actually supported by facts. The current president has demonstrated that he is a liar, a cheater, a sexual predator, and I am afraid that he will actually implement the policies he has campaigned on. It is also concerning that he seems to have no internal backbone (he has been quoted as supporting both sides of many issues over the years) which means he highly persuadable by the people he has surrounded himself with, who appear to be deeply un-curious ideologues who are actively suppressing science and fact.
Current changes that have been implemented in the last few days include trying to defund NPR (when studies have shown
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2011/11/21/fox-news-viewers-uninformed-npr-listeners-not-poll-suggests/#21d2cb06189c that NPR listeners are more informed about current events than those who get news from more partisan sources. The recent gag rule ("Mexico City Policy) on global organizations providing healthcare and contraceptives to poor women has been shown in the past to increase rates of abortion, the opposite of the supposed intention, reduce the use of modern contraceptives, and increasing unsafe abortion (which can lead to death).
http://kff.org/global-health-policy/fact-sheet/mexico-city-policy-explainer/ Other negative changes include climate denialism, banning the national parks and EPA from tweeting facts, removal of all mention of LGBT protections and rights from the White House website, and more. This is just in the first week. To me, this is scary for that it portends for the 4 years to come.
Personally, I am fairly insulated from this as a white, educated, high-earning, healthy, resourceful person living in California. The biggest thing I am personally scared about right now is if ACA is repealed with no equivalent replacement, my FIRE plans are seriously messed up because I will not take the chance of us being without insurance in the future. If that means I play my wild card and move to England, so be it. However, I cry internally thinking about the millions of people who don't have those options. As usual, when heartless policies like this are implemented, it is the poorest and the most vulnerable who are hit hardest. CA may well come up with its own Obamacare or even universal healthcare policy. As they say, "As goes California, so goes the nation". However, what about the poor, disadvantaged folks in red states that are already struggling? They already deal with fewer resources, little or no medical coverage (with the prospect of even less without ACA), fewer job opportunities, greatly depressed chances of economic mobility. Adding an education secretary who is ignorant and anti-education isn't going to help that. Adding an EPA secretary who is actively anti climate science isn't going to clean up the water in Flint or protect the vulnerable from the next self-made environmental crisis.
So much gloom. I need some help gaining perspective and finding things to be positive about.