I think politics has always been combative, at least since I've been following it, but now it seems that 'enemies' who are trying to damage us, real or invented, are required, often in place of positive ideas, even in liberal democracies. They are a complete necessity in totalitarian states. Here I assume this is to scare people, a bit of behavioural manipulation to get them voting in the 'right' way. Because when people are scared, or angry because they think they are being bullied or threatened, they turn to people who offer them 'strength', however fake this is. Plus of course it gives the politicians something to blame other than themselves when they don't deliver on their promises. I think it's more of the latter in the case of the Tories at the moment, though to be fair the Junckers leak kicked this unedifying crap off. It's like a watered down version of some of the Ingsoc tactics in 1984. And it's not just confined to the current Brexit Tory party, some of the Remain campaign in the referendum strayed into the same territory.
I haven't watched Question Time because it makes me feel ill, and also there was a great programme including new material on one of my true heroes, the genius Peter Cook, on BBC4. Which has cheered me up no end.