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If you are any public figure, especially a politician, ESPECIALLY during an election, it's open season on you for criticism and vitriol. Better have or grow thick skin quickly. Of course Obama never had it or believed he'd be immune to it all. Just because.
All those guys like Rush Love the guy. Really. Four more years of nasty diatribe and high ratings. More money in the bank.
I saw the "Romnesia" comment on the homepage today. Election banter is starting to get a little "below the belt." This won't change the way I will vote, but I can't wait until this is over. This election has pitted so many people against each other, including friends and family members. I know it's getting down to the wire.
What do you think of these "nicknames" and "wordsmithing?" Is this a standard in Presidential campaigning? Other examples?
No matter who does it, it is childish and unnecessary.
Probably the brightest political moment for me was when McCain called Obama, his opponent, a decent man. He no doubt incensed his base and was doomed by his party from that day on. I guess you are supposed to get your base to hate your opponent by insulting everything about him.
Without politics and religion we would have to face the fact that we all are inherently hateful. Politics and religion gives us a platform for our inherent hate so we choose some nebulous reason to eat other.
Last edited by thriftylefty; 12-29-2013 at 06:14 AM..
I think it's childish, but I have more of an issue with people using rude nicknames or slurs for the president than for a candidate.
I didn't approve of the obscene caricatures critics created for Bush, and I don't approve of the obscene caricatures critics have created for Obama. To me, the president of the United States is worthy of more respect than that. I mean, you can disagree with someone without making fun of them.
I could not possibly care less if someone else does it. And really, it is just a convenient revelation into the mentality and emotional stunting of such people. It gives me a warning that they're probably not capable of adult discourse.
I quit speaking that way when I was a teenager. Why? I grew up.
When I speak about someone, if I chose to use some juvenile nickname it would say nothing at all about that person. They will never see what I write, and if they've made it far enough in politics to even be competitive in a Presidential primary/caucus, much less win some of them or even win the nomination itself, they've already heard it all and have long since learned to completely disregard such petulant idiocies.
But it would say volumes about me. And I have more self-respect to do such things.
[And in response to the logically-bereft rebuttal of "But! But! The 'other side' does it!", I will simply say that my standard for behavior is not to lower myself to the embarrassingly depths of the more childish elements of any side]
Nicknames are bound to happen. No one every called Ike Dwight except his mother and his wife, and even Jimmy Carter's wife and mom didn't call him James.
The same is true with every President who has ever used his nickname.
Slurs will always be used as well. We are nowhere as good or creative at making them than our ancestors were. As long as both strengthen tribal identity, neither will disappear. And since tribalism rules our politics these days, I don't expect to see any change much at a time when being civil is seen as being a traitor or conceding defeat to the other side.
Romney used the term "Obamacare" in the first debate, apparently hoping to get a rise out of Obama. Instead, O. laughed it off.
president o is not laughing it off now though
is he??? shoot he is running from it LOL
I would sat Romney was prophetic LOL
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