Rachel Maddow had an interesting rant last night. She noted that, in response to a question during the Democratic debate, Hillary Clinton had identified “Republicans” as the enemy she is most proud to have.

Rachel examined President Obama’s failed efforts to work with Republicans during his first term and concluded that Republicans are, indeed, Hillary’s – and any Democratic president’s – greatest foes.

At least, that was the impression I got from listening to her on MSNBC last night. And that’s certainly what I think.

In my opinion, President Obama’s great mistake was believing the Republicans in the House and Senate would cooperate with him as he pursued America’s best interests. It turned out that the Republican Party set out from the beginning of the Obama presidency to obstruct any effort he would make to bring about the changes he planned, even changes they, themselves, had earlier proposed.

Their goal, as they later admitted, was to bring him down – in Mitch McConnell’s words, to ensure he would be a one-term president.

And Americans have no reason to expect any better from the Republicans if Hillary is elected. Indeed, from the vicious way in which they are already attacking her, I am afraid they would be even more ferocious.

This is a hopelessly divided country. The Democrats are moving left, returning to their liberal roots, and the Republicans are moving ever farther to the right.

I see today’s Republican Party as the political arm of America’s worst elements – racists, xenophobes, Luddites, con artists, economic ignoramuses, religious bigots, sexists, polluters, plunderers, looters, fascists…

The party’s leaders have abandoned any pretense of enlightened thought. They are openly proclaiming the right to be superstitious, illiterate and regressive, rejecting the findings of science and economics, denying the just rights of women and minorities, and citing the disproved notions of centuries past as justification for their heresies.

Hillary would be naïve indeed to expect politicians such as these to cooperate with her for the good of their country. I fear that what she can expect is sabotage and skullduggery, lying, cheating, betrayal and “dirty tricks.”

She is already getting a prelude to the blatantly unfair attacks she can expect if she makes it to the White House. The Republicans who dominate Congress, who are so at odds with one another that they can get no legislation passed, are united in their obsession over what computer she used for her emails and in their determination to indict her for the Benghazi tragedy.

By identifying the Republican leadership as her enemy, Hillary Clinton is simply facing the facts. And I hope it means she won’t make the same mistake as President Obama. To be forewarned is to be forearmed, as the saying goes.