America in microcosm: Several years ago, a local restaurant owner put out a sign advertising something with bacon. A local Muslim woman wrote a letter to the local newspaper saying that it was discriminatory toward Muslims. While the claim was ridiculous, the owner of the restaurant said he didn't want to offend anyone in the community and voluntarily took the sign down. THEN, all the mouthbreathers went nuts and started threatening the owner and calling for a boycott of his restaurant because he had apparently kowtowed to a Muslim (an unforgivable sin. What's next? Sharia Law???)
I think this situation could be generalized to all of American politics.