How would you characterize calling Barack Obama, "Barack Osama"?

[The Doctor.]

Poll question: How would you characterize calling Barack Obama, "Barack Osama"?

It's been suggested that namecalling is indicative of 'hatred', so I'd just like to ask how many people agree.

Please do not respond to the poll without including some explanation, no matter how brief. I'd like this poll to be validated.


Thanks!

[bikesein]

1. Brief Explanation

Hateful with stupid a strong second. I don't think name calling is indicative of 'hatred', but seems like it is in this case.

[Breeze54]

2. It's an obvious slur on him, a low blow, an insult... an attempt to 'scare' idiots

who believe everything they read and are told by the rethugs.

Do we really need a poll to figure that out? On second thought, maybe GD-P does.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

3. I went with irrational

It's either a wingnut who thinks that anyone who is brown with a funny name is a Muslim extremist. Or it's a Hillary concern troll on DU who is "just trying to prepare us for what the GOP will throw out", while honestly believing that they are fooling anybody.

In either case, you are dealing with a very irrational person.

[Catherina]

Hateful in a deliberate attempt to link him to terrorism

which is coincidentally one of the HRC supporters memes right now.

[goddess40]

4. Childish, hateful and stupid

They are afraid because they know deep down they don't have any real things to use against him. Name calling is a childish way of tormenting others.

[StevieM]

5. I would never call him that. Instead I just point out how reprehensible his conduct has been and

what a terrible president he would be.

Steve

[The Doctor.]

15. Can you give an example of that 'reprehensible' conduct?

[StevieM]

43. Saying that Hillary will say or do anything to win is a personal attack. He has repeatedly

impugned her character. He talks about the so-called "corrupt" Clinton years (usually through his surrogates, of course).

Steve

[The Doctor.]

49. So the words of his "surrogates" are, in fact, his? Then we must apply that

across the board, mustn't we?

[StevieM]

53. First of all, I gave an example of what he said himself. Second,

When something is said again and again in the same language THEN you can say it is coming from the campaign. Like when his supporters say Hillary should think about someone other then herself and drop out of the race, if she cares about the party. The only interpretation there is that if she stays in the race then she is a bad person, because someone who only thinks of themselves is a bad person.

Well, if Hillary is a bad person, then I must be a bad person too, since I am supporting her. So I'm sure that the great Barack Obama, if he gets the nomination, wouldn't want to win with the vote of an awful human being like myself. And he might not get it.

Obama needs to stop treating our fine former First Lady, and her supporters, like dirt and show us some respect. Right now he thinks he is entitled to our votes. But chances are he'll lose 30% of us, which makes him unelectable, especially since he's dropping like a rock amongst independents.

Steve

[The Doctor.]

54. So it's 'reprehensible' to point out that she'll 'do anything to win', but it's fine if

she stoops to lying and undermining her own party in the course of 'doing anything to win'?

Maybe if she didn't do such things then people wouldn't accuse her of doing such things.

Am I now 'reprehensible' for pointing out that she's gone over the line? It's the meme I keep seeing with Hillary people; If you criticize her, you must hate her, let's forget that there may be good cause for the criticism. :eyes:

[StevieM]

55. But it's not true that she'll say or do anything to win. She is an honorable woman who has tried

to make the campaign about the issues. Obama can't win on the issues, so instead he smears her.

I don't agree that Hillary has in any way gone over the line.

Steve

[The Doctor.]

56. Right, but your disagreement doesn't make those who criticise her actions wrong.

YOU may not think that promoting the Republican opponent's qualifications over your fellow Democrat's is wrong, but there are plenty of people who do. If you can't see why that is, then everything you hear about your perfect candidate will seem 'unjust'.

The "smears" you're talking about are valid political criticisms. A "smear" is usually based on something untrue eg; the Swiftboating of John Kerry.

But when you say someone is lying because they're lying, that's not a 'smear'. Neither is proclaiming that someone will 'do anything' after they've undermined their own party.

The only way that you can call Obama's behavior 'reprehensible' is if you are insensate to the reasons he says what he does.

You can accept that she's promoted McCain over a fellow candidate. That's fine, that's your right. But when someone objects to it, the adult thing to do is recognize their point of grievance and address it responsibly.

Calling someone 'reprehensible' for criticising Clinton's inappropriate behavior is not so far removed from Bush-Bots saying that criticism of Bush is "irrational".

They also do not find offensive that for which he is criticised.

[Yes We Did]

16. Examples of his "reprehensible" behavior?

Just wondering if it's just another sound bite or if you have some proof. And by proof, I mean a source that doesn't have Hillary or Clinton in the url.

[sniffa]

18. Ignored never has anything to back that up

[stellanoir]

6. Small minded and devoid of a global cultural awareness.

My kid has a peculiar name as well.

I've never been that impressed by the John Smiths of the world. Though I'm sure there are plenty of good ones.

[Johnny__Motown]

7. Hateful and Irrational.... Hateful toward his Muslim heritage and Irrational for the "Fear" factor

Not that it isn't also stupid.....

[msongs]

8. why are you calling him that? nt

[The Doctor.]

31. Hahaha...

[MoonRiver]

9. It's hateful, but it WILL happen, if he gets the nomination.

I'm sure he's expecting it.

[walldude]

17. I hope it does...

People aren't falling for that shit.

[Mme. Defarge]

10. It is not so much hateful or irrational

as a calculated, manipulative politival maneuver. It is less about passion and more about a means to an end. From that standpoint, it is highly rational. And very cold-blooded.

[mikelewis]

11. We should introduce a better one... "Warlock Obama" ... Be like..."Yeah, Barak Osama? ...

How about Montauk Obama... If you know what I'm sayin" And nod like they should get it... possibly wink a bit.

Or "Shamrock Ah llama"...

How about "Be bop oh mama..." Oh... No, Barak Osama is much funnier... Fucking idiots.

On edit... this nation is chock full of assholes... but God bless those ignorant hateful motherfuckers anyway.

[PylesMalfunction]

50. hee!

Thanks for the laugh. Now I'm sitting here with my boyfriend and we're thinking of things to rhyme it with. How about a song?
Osama-sama-sama-sama Ding Dong! :D

[Devlzown]

12. Isn't it "Barack Hussein Osama?"

I'm sure they'll throw that in as well.:shrug:

[Mooney]

14. It's "Dracula Stalin Hitler O.J. Sauron Waterworld." n/t

[Mooney]

13. Stupid.

It's self-explanatory.

[TexanDem]

20. I voted stupid - add immature -- childish -- but also hateful

[Mooney]

23. Don't forget xenophobic! n/t

[The Doctor.]

48. Ooooh! G1 !

[redqueen]

19. It's childish namecalling... when it's toward him or Clinton.

If it's about McSame, I think I might have a different viewpoint, though. :P

[backscatter712]

21. It's a hateful slur.

It's designed to conflate him with terrorism, and provoke ethnic hatred of blacks and Muslims.

[Blue-Jay]

22. It's called "douchebaggery".

Hillbot
Obamatron
Hilly
BO
Clintonista
Messiah, cultist, blah blah blah...

Those are also examples of Douchebaggery.

[Jed Dilligan]

24. All three, plus "worthy of Goebbels"

And Skinner ought to give a granite cookie to everyone who voted "perfectly reasonable."

[mckeown1128]

25. It's a scare tactic... used to play on bigot's fears...

of muslims... it's meant get people thinking Obama is a muslim who might sympathise with Al Qaeda. It's all BS.

[LWolf]

26. It's ugly.

As ugly as the attacks against HRC from the Obama camp.

No side is blameless. No side is clean.

[tammywammy]

27. Stupid, Childish, Hateful and Immature

[madrchsod]

28. i like "barry"...

from the most surreal thread in the gd:p forum to date

[The Doctor.]

29. 27 poll responses to 40 thread responses... not too bad.

There's a specific reason that I asked this question. I'll mention it in a minute.

[Berry Cool]

30. I think it's hateful because you won't do it unless you deliberately want other people to equate

Barack Obama with America's biggest, worst, most hated bogeyman of today.

It's like the freepers who call Hillary "Hitlery." Yes, it's childish, stupid, etc., as in being a really puerile joke. But aside from that, there is only one reason to refer to Obama as "Barack Hussein Osama," or Hillary Clinton as "Hitlery Clinton," over and over again--because obviously, even if one thinks of such crap as amusing, no "joke" is funny after being told once.

The reason it is used over and over again is to imprint the equivalency in the minds of OTHERS, one's audience: Obama = Osama. Hillary = Hitler.

It's pure evil, pure hatred.

Edit: I should elaborate to say that what's evil about attempting to equate Obama or Clinton in the eyes of others with Osama or Hitler is that it is a blatant attempt to get OTHERS to condemn Obama and Clinton without thinking seriously about who they are or what they represent, or what kind of president either of them would make. The use of the names "Osama" or "Hitler" is intended to shut down all rational thought processes about these two individuals, and to cause the audience to proceed directly to condemning them, no further questions asked.

[The Doctor.]

35. Someone hit the nail on the head!

The reason I asked this of Obama was because Hillary supporters deemed "Hitlery" "irrationally hateful".

Personally, I find it hateful as well, but only irrational if it is used to actually equate her to Hitler, rather than to merely suggest that she is fascist-like.

Even then I would disagree, but the usage becomes marginally rational if the user has valid cause.

So far, the consensus is that it's more 'hateful' than 'irrational'... even when used regarding Obama.

[stillcool]

32. Be afraid, be very afraid...

December 10, 2007
Third Clinton Volunteer Knew Of Smear E-Mail
A third volunteer for Hillary Clinton's campaign was aware of a propaganda e-mail alleging that Barack Obama is a Muslim who plans on "destroying the U.S. from the inside out. "Let us all remain alert concerning Obama's expected presidential Candidacy," the email reads. "Please forward to everyone you know. The Muslims have said they Plan on destroying the U.S. from the inside out, what better way to start than at The highest level."

Two Clinton volunteers, Linda Olson and Judy Rose, have already been asked to resign from the campaign for their roles in forwarding the e-mail. The AP reported yesterday that Olson, a volunteer coordinator in Iowa County, sent a version of the e-mail to 11 people, including Ben Young, a regional field director for Chris Dodd's campaign. Young passed it on to the AP.
http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2007/12/third_clinton_v.html

Kerrey Apologizes to Obama Over Remark
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=4031436
Kerrey's mention of Obama's middle name and his Muslim roots raised eyebrows because they are also used as part of a smear campaign on the Internet that falsely suggests Obama is a Muslim who wants to bring jihad to the United States.
Obama is a Christian.
The Clinton campaign has already fired two volunteer county coordinators in Iowa for forwarding hoax e-mails with the debunked claim. Last week, a national Clinton campaign co-chairman resigned for raising questions about whether Obama's teenage drug use could be used against him, so Kerrey's comments raised questions about whether the Clinton campaign might be using another high-profile surrogate to smear Obama.

[H2O Man]

33. Other.

Hatred plus ignorance. As Voltaire said, ignorance is the mother of all cruelty.

[Sparkly]

34. I say Hateful, no explanation needed.

:shrug:

[TahitiNut]

36. Other: "I see Paris! I see France! I see someone's underpants!"

Some folks just never grow beyond that grade school playground. :shrug:

[The Doctor.]

38. AH! I forgot 'childish'.... I meant to put it in there. Thanks!

[Alexander]

37. It's hateful and stupid. I picked stupid...

because you'd have to be a total knuckle-dragger to see any similarity between him and Osama bin Laden.

[SeattleGirl]

39. Hateful.

As hateful as calling Hilary "Hitlery".

That kind of crap has no business being uttered by anyone who calls themselves a Democrat.

[depakid]

40. Inevitable

[Arkansas Granny]

I find this poll just as hateful as the one you have up about "Hitlery".

[The Doctor.]

44. Are you ok? It appears you completely misunderstand... and know nothing

about me.

Try asking questions before making ignorant assumptions.

Thanks!

[Arkansas Granny]

46. I was referring to your poll and not to you.

And you might try to be a little less condescending in your replies.

Thanks!

[The Doctor.]

47. Never... condescension is just my 'thing'.

So how is the 'poll hateful' if I am not? Saying the 'poll is hateful' really is tantamount to claiming that I am hateful for posting it. The poll is just a fact-finding tool, you shouldn't be so mean to it.

[musicblind]

41. I picked stupid AND hateful because it is a combination of both.

[The Doctor.]

45. I can agree with that. I should have thrown "childish" up there too. nt

[RichardRay]

42. Desperate? Repetitive? n/t

[Tresalisa]

51. Other. Childish and just plain stupid.

[Melinda]

52. Combination of childish, unreasonable, irrational, hateful, and just plain stupid.

I also believe that said language is primarily the work of trolls and disruptors, and no0t the work of progressive liberals or other long-time DUers.

[quakerboy]

57. umm

Hatefull(x)
Stupid(x)
Irrational(x)

Hateful seems obvious. Who do you know who would try to associate someone with OBL, with good intentions and positive connotations?
Stupid seems equally obvious. Why would you try to associate someone who, at least here, is in your own party, and a driving member thereof at this time, with OBL? No matter what, thats gonna leave a mark in the long run. Plus the "how does it reflect on the namecaller" angle. and the personal soul and integrity of that person would also seem likely to take a beating on that one eventualy, and thats pretty stupid
Irrational seems, again, obvious, at least for those here. Why would you try to make that association against your own parties likely nominee?

[Lisa0825]

58. Hateful, stupid, irrational, and ignorant.

Same as Hitlery.