Vis a vis the relationship between the leader of a country (assuming for the nonce that the executive branch, as head of state, is perceived to be such) and the general climate of interaction: no matter how firmly politically opposed someone is to the present executive, if their way in the world is characterized by the same crass pursuit of wealth and private advantage, it is a contiguous spiritual phenomenon. Their stated political opposition to him is merely the relationship to the scapegoat, and ultimately the nature and intensity of that opposition makes the scapegoat more prominent and popular.
The second-most-important job in any government is that of its chief critic. The specific nature of the opposition to the present executive over the last decade might stand some scrutiny, given the specific actions that ended up characterizing his presidency.