10 years ago the following issues were topical: the Tea Party wave had just crested, Obamacare, rabid birtherism and Obama's "Terrorist fist jab". It was the same polarization we're seeing today, only less intense as social media hadn't quite amassed the critical mass it has today.

edit - I looked it up and the "Terrorist fist jab" comment was made in 2008 - so 13 years ago