# ACA vs. "Obamacare" **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 4, 2012, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aca-vs-obamacare/636681 "2012-10-04T13:02:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aca-vs-obamacare/636681/1 "2012-10-04T13:02:51Z")
We’ve had plenty of threads about the merits of the Affordable Care Act, and about its constitutionality, its wisdom, its costs, and its morality. This thread (hopefuily) is limited to its nomenclature. At least one thread in the past has suggested that anyone using the term “Obamacare” was dismiss-able, instantly, as a moron. (I hesitate to mention that here; it was a Pit thread, and referenced here only for the context). I tended to agree, at the time. I have never liked these little cutesy passive-aggressive naming attacks, and had shelved “Obamacare” in with Mittens, Shrub, Barack Hussein Obama, and Obama bin Laden. In last night’s debate, however, the President seemed to genuinely accept and appreciate “Obamacare.” Maybe I read his reaction wrongly, but it seemed to me that he had no real problem with his legacy legislation actually being called “Obamacare.” So – in light of this, is “Obamacare” rehabilitated? I’ll almost certainly keep calling it the ACA, but could a reasonable rhetor now use “Obamacare?” ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aca-vs-obamacare/636681/2 "2012-10-04T13:19:19Z")
I’ve never had a problem with “Obamacare”, so it’s fine with me. I realize there are those who think it is somehow a slam, but I’ve never really understood that. Well, OK, I understand the nutbag rightwingers, who think it’s a slam because obviously anything to do with the Kenyan Muslim is evil, but y’know, whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aca-vs-obamacare/636681/3 "2012-10-04T13:23:49Z")
The administration has embraced it publicly since [March](http://www.pri.org/stories/politics-society/government/president-embraces-obamacare-9146.html). So, yes, I’d say a reasonable rhetor can use it. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aca-vs-obamacare/636681/4 "2012-10-04T13:24:41Z")
As I noted in the debate thread, Obama and his team have been embracing this term for some time now, so this is nothing new. ObamaCare is the name now, whether anyone likes it or not. And MA’s plan is RomneyCare. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aca-vs-obamacare/636681/5 "2012-10-04T13:28:04Z")
I don’t think Obamacare is a pejorative. I do wonder how long the name will stick around, however, once it is finally implemented and people find out it isn’t really a huge change to our health care system. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aca-vs-obamacare/636681/6 "2012-10-04T13:32:37Z")
I just posted in the debate thread that I think Obama made a mistake by embracing the term “Obamacare” because the less official sounding name makes it easier to criticize. Put a funny name on it and people won’t take it seriously. Apparently he has become fond of the term, but I don’t think it would have been unreasonable for him to request that ACA be referred to by its official name. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aca-vs-obamacare/636681/7 "2012-10-04T13:32:38Z")
Never has been a particular issue for me and still isn’t. Republican refusal to call the legislation by its real name is, frankly, a bit silly, but "freedom fries and “Democrat Party” are both sillier. What I found considerably more obnoxious was Romney’s trotting out the old, utterly discredited “government takeover” and “death panels” memes in regard to the ACA. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aca-vs-obamacare/636681/8 "2012-10-04T13:43:58Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > We’ve had plenty of threads about the merits of the Affordable Care Act… > > I’ll almost certainly keep calling it the ACA, but could a reasonable rhetor now use “Obamacare?” The actual name is “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act”. PPACA, which I always see as “Pee-Packah”. I think ObamaCare sounds better. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aca-vs-obamacare/636681/9 "2012-10-04T13:46:22Z")
The full name is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which isn’t catchy and doesn’t spell anything, and I didn’t really see people start calling it ACA until recently. All of which means there was no real competition to Obamacare as a nickname, so that’s what stuck and it lost most or all of its sting as a pejorative. Of course over time mainstream antipathy to the law has also decreased a lot even though conservatives still hate it. I prefer ACA in actual discussions of the law but you can’t tell that someone is a rabid opponent of the law just because they call it Obamacare. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aca-vs-obamacare/636681/10 "2012-10-04T13:47:18Z")
I see this thread has been moved to Elections, which I suppose is understandable, but since the Act will (presumably) survive at least some time after the election, and more likely than not survive for years to come, i didn’t believe this was an “Elections” topic. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aca-vs-obamacare/636681/11 "2012-10-04T13:50:57Z")
I prefer ACA, but that ship seems to have sailed. It was pretty clearly pejorative initially, but if the “target” of a pejorative nickname embraces it I’m not sure supporters of the “target” have much ground to object to its use. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aca-vs-obamacare/636681/12 "2012-10-04T14:04:20Z")
I was watching Martin Bashir on MSNBC a couple of weeks ago. On the show, one of his guest dared uttered the word “Obamacare” Martin then gets all snippy and tells the guy to NOT call it Obamacare on _his_ show. I couldn’t help but to roll my eyes at that one. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aca-vs-obamacare/636681/13 "2012-10-04T14:05:55Z")
I quite like the name “Obamacare”. I can’t see a negative outcome for letting that name stand: If the project fails horribly, Obama’s only going to be President for another 1-5 years, after which his career has basically ended. It’ll quickly be replaced by some new plan, or not, at which point it’ll become history… and history books will refer to it as the Affordable Care Act, since that’s the official name. If the project succeeds, his name is on it forever. Republicans won’t be able to turn around and claim credit for it. Healthercare is such a big part of our lives, and that will forever be linked to a Democratic Party President. It’s basically win-meh. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aca-vs-obamacare/636681/14 "2012-10-04T14:09:33Z")
I agree that it was pejorative at first, but not anymore. Ever since the administration started using it, I’ve had no problems with it at all. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aca-vs-obamacare/636681/15 "2012-10-04T14:13:36Z")
I never saw why it would be considered pejorative. It’s Obama’s idea, he pushed it thru, it was what he pushed as his agenda during the elections - it’s Obamacare. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![NetTrekker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nettrekker/32/2909_2.png) [@NetTrekker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NetTrekker)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aca-vs-obamacare/636681/16 "2012-10-04T14:13:56Z")
Of course ‘Obamacare’ is meant to be derisive by its opponents, who view government involvement in health care to be overreaching and ‘nannying’. Same thing in the 90’s when it was ‘Hillarycare’. If the Republicans are unable to repeal it and it becomes apparently permanent, the Obamacare moniker will fade away (and especially once B.O. is out of office). Until then, for B.O. to protest the name Obamacare would make it appear that he is trying to distance himself from that which he created and give the opponents plenty of political fodder against him and the Act. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aca-vs-obamacare/636681/17 "2012-10-04T14:20:27Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > I never saw why it would be considered pejorative. It’s Obama’s idea, he pushed it thru, it was what he pushed as his agenda during the elections - it’s Obamacare. Because it was meant as pejorative by the people who originally started using it. As I’m sure you’re aware. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aca-vs-obamacare/636681/18 "2012-10-04T14:21:02Z")
It’s not pejorative unless you pronounce it right: “O-_BA_-ma-care,” with an overt sneer of disgust in the “BA.” ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aca-vs-obamacare/636681/19 "2012-10-04T14:24:52Z")
I don’t know that I’d go so far as to call it a pejorative, but in its practical usage among people in my social circles, it often revealed an ignorance of what the PPACA actually does. Conservatives know that it’s not a single payer system, but that doesn’t fit into the reality they want to create, which is that Obama is a socialist who’s socializing everything. So the PPACA, which is a collection of reforms that keeps private insurance companies well entrenched in our health care system, becomes ObamaCare, which sounds like we’ll all be covered under a single monolithic health care plan. So there are people who use the term ObamaCare under the mistaken belief that they’re going to lose their private insurance soon, and there are people who know full well what the PPACA is but prefer to call it ObamaCare anyway just to reinforce the mistaken beliefs of the first group. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aca-vs-obamacare/636681/20 "2012-10-04T14:26:04Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > In last night’s debate, however, the President seemed to genuinely accept and appreciate “Obamacare.” Maybe I read his reaction wrongly, but it seemed to me that he had no real problem with his legacy legislation actually being called “Obamacare.” Whether or not he genuinely likes it, it’s a good strategy to try to defuse its utiilty as a pejorative. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aca-vs-obamacare/636681.md?page=2)