I'll chime in my pick for why Obama ruined television
You couldn't make fun of him
SNL would run sketches by the white house staff before airing them
Jon Stewart would get talking points directly and always end up with "Congressman Sisterfucker foolishly objected to our smart president's legislation because he hates poor people and women"

I lived through the TV constantly shitting on Bush and Clinton
I saw before my time that Reagan and Carter got it just as bad and Nixon got it worse
It was fucking surreal to have eight years where you can't laugh at the president