# Did Santorum almost call Obama the N word? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 30, 2012, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-santorum-almost-call-obama-the-n-word/617299 "2012-03-30T17:03:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-santorum-almost-call-obama-the-n-word/617299/61 "2012-03-31T02:46:32Z")
I vote for “anti-war, government blah people”, only this time he had the good sense to not start saying the word black, he started saying the last half of “reneg”. Being anti- war is a bad thing? Is Little Ricky pro-war? I don’t recall that he served. Not that you have to serve in the military to be a war-monger. Like Cheney. Once again, he caught himself in time. But inside he was screaming the “n” word. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-santorum-almost-call-obama-the-n-word/617299/62 "2012-03-31T02:49:31Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Is Little Ricky pro-war? Of course he is. He thinks the people he’s opposed to are against it, which means he has to be for it. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-santorum-almost-call-obama-the-n-word/617299/63 "2012-03-31T02:50:25Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > You actually did say he was unaccustomed to public speaking. Uh . . . no Kaio did not say that. 😕 > [@Kaio](#): > > I suspect he is in fact quite bad at public speaking, as it requires a level of self-censorship that he’s not accustomed to and he’s having a hard time acclimating to. I’ve given up on trying to determine what the hell Santorum is trying to say. He just seems like a fumbly speaker sometimes. But, I think it would be interesting to listen to the entirety of several of his speeches and pick out all of the times when he is possibly saying a word in a stuttery, jacked-up fashion. It would be interesting to see what percent of the time the word it sounds like he’s about to say is completely innocuous (versus being racist, like “black people” and “government nigger”). It would also be interesting to subject other politicians, such as Obama, to this same analysis. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-santorum-almost-call-obama-the-n-word/617299/64 "2012-03-31T02:50:54Z")
I don’t think he _intended_ to say nigger. I think it was a Freudian slip because he was thinking about Obama and talking out loud, describing him. And he started to say what was on his mind and caught himself halfway. I think it’s a hundred times more likely that the word he mentally associates with Obama is “nigger”- not “governmentnik”, which, lets face it, is not even a word. Nothing Santorum has ever said or done earns him the benefit of the doubt from me. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-santorum-almost-call-obama-the-n-word/617299/65 "2012-03-31T02:56:28Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > Nothing Santorum has ever said or done earns him the benefit of the doubt from me. And I’m sure that very thought is why Santorum will cry himself to sleep tonight. “Oh, dear Merneith, why has thou forsaken me!!” ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-santorum-almost-call-obama-the-n-word/617299/66 "2012-03-31T02:59:30Z")
I don’t know if Santorum is racist, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he was. I don’t know if Santorum casually drops the N-word in his everyday speech, but I wouldn’t be stunned to find out he does. However, I strongly doubt that a politician with hopes of the presidency would freely drop the N-word in a public speech before a microphone. That is a level of stupid even politicians wouldn’t reach. I can’t believe Santorum is that stupid. Someone doesn’t get to that level of prominence with that kind of stupidity. That said, it sure sounds like that’s what he said. “Governmentnik”…really? I’m not sure about that. ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-santorum-almost-call-obama-the-n-word/617299/67 "2012-03-31T03:08:00Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Regardless, in this instance he’s not doing anything he isn’t used to. Nationally televised debates were new and things like addressing a conventional hall might be new. What he’s doing here is speaking to voters in a small town in Wisconsin, and it’s no different from hundreds or maybe thousands of settings he has spoken in before. Previously his small town rallies didn’t end up on the national news and the blogosphere. That’s different. I imagine it adds a certain amount of pressure. > [@Merneith](#): > > I don’t think he _intended_ to say nigger. I think it was a Freudian slip because he was thinking about Obama and talking out loud, describing him. And he started to say what was on his mind and caught himself halfway. I think it’s a hundred times more likely that the word he mentally associates with Obama is “nigger”- not “governmentnik”, which, lets face it, is not even a word. Yeah, this is my suspicion. Previously his casual racism/sexism didn’t affect him much because he was speaking to people who shared his views in a setting very unlikely to get a lot of notice outside the four walls it was housed in. Now he’s got to catch himself every time it starts to creep in. I’m sure his handlers are having shit fits trying to keep him pristinely on-message. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-santorum-almost-call-obama-the-n-word/617299/68 "2012-03-31T03:12:29Z")
> [@Kaio](#): > > Previously his small town rallies didn’t end up on the national news and the blogosphere. That’s different. I imagine it adds a certain amount of pressure. He declared his candidacy nine months ago and he’s been considered a contender since last winter. He’s used to it. > [@](#): > > Previously his casual racism/sexism didn’t affect him much because he was speaking to people who shared his views We’re talking about the guy who became famous for comparing relations between gay couples to man-on-dog sex. ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-santorum-almost-call-obama-the-n-word/617299/69 "2012-03-31T03:17:55Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > We’re talking about the guy who became famous for comparing relations between gay couples to man-on-dog sex. Which I personally would view as further evidence that he’s really not good at this stuff. He lets his mouth run away with him. That’s not good technique for public speaking, especially where the national stage is involved. Actually, I’m no longer sure what point you’re making. Are you saying he’s actually good at public speaking, or that the fact that he’s bad at it has nothing to do with his difficulty self-censoring? ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-santorum-almost-call-obama-the-n-word/617299/70 "2012-03-31T03:52:23Z")
I don’t know what he was trying to say. Santorum doesn’t strike me as the sort of guy who would use the N-word so casually (and I wouldn’t piss on the guy if he were on fire). What I _do_ know is that Government Nigger is the best band name I’ve heard in a while. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-santorum-almost-call-obama-the-n-word/617299/71 "2012-03-31T04:12:06Z")
The guy said horrible things about gay people without (AFAIK) saying “fag” or “queer.” I don’t think he’s going to dis a black guy’s politics and say “nigger.” He doesn’t seem like the sort of asshole who holds stuff back. He also doesn’t seem like the sort of guy who says words like “penis,” “vagina,” “boobs,” “shit,” “fuck” or “nigger.” I did not have fun typing any of that. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-santorum-almost-call-obama-the-n-word/617299/72 "2012-03-31T12:51:44Z")
“The President is a nig…BONG!” “What did he say?” “Ah the President is near!” ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-santorum-almost-call-obama-the-n-word/617299/73 "2012-03-31T15:39:34Z")
> [@Kaio](#): > > Which I personally would view as further evidence that he’s really not good at this stuff. He lets his mouth run away with him. That’s not good technique for public speaking, especially where the national stage is involved. > > Actually, I’m no longer sure what point you’re making. Are you saying he’s actually good at public speaking, or that the fact that he’s bad at it has nothing to do with his difficulty self-censoring? This is something I find interesting about Santorum. To me he is not as glib as one would expect for him to be as successful as he has been at this level. I discount his past electoral success, statewide politics just does not require the skills at presentation that the national stage does. There are plenty of Senators and Congress members who are not ready for prime time. It does seem that he frequently stutters and trips over his words. IMHO this indicates a underlying cognitive failure of connecting his thoughts to his utterances (oh get over it, I said IMHO, no I don’t have a “cite” of peer reviewed research on brain science and linguistics). But, on the other hand W was famous for his “endearing” communication style, perhaps Santorum’s stumble-speech is winning him voters? ---
**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:** [March 31, 2012, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-santorum-almost-call-obama-the-n-word/617299/74 "2012-03-31T15:49:03Z")
The audio clip sounds tampered with to me. It doesn’t sound natural at all. And I think Santorum is much too straight laced to have “nigger” as part of his vocabulary. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-santorum-almost-call-obama-the-n-word/617299/75 "2012-03-31T16:54:05Z")
I hear “nick”. I don’t know what he was going for, but then most of what Santorum says is nonsensical as far as I am concerned. “Governmentnik”? Why not? That’s no stupider than most of what comes out of his mouth. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-santorum-almost-call-obama-the-n-word/617299/76 "2012-03-31T16:59:33Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > The term “[House Nig\*\*\*](http://www.blacknla.com/news/Articles/DJInthehouse.asp)” was used back in the days of slavery to refer to slaves who turned against the other slaves (or “Field Nig\*\*\*s”) to gain favor from their masters. I’m actually surprised there are people who are saying “Gosh, ‘government nigger’ just doesn’t make any sense!” It’s not like Obama’s never been called a “(White) House nigger” before; Santorum’s little slip up (if that’s what it was) might have been a play on that. ---
**Author:** ![Feyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/fbc32d/32.png) [@Feyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feyrat)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-santorum-almost-call-obama-the-n-word/617299/77 "2012-03-31T17:12:22Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > I sort of assumed “government-n\*gger” meant something like that he was a slave to big government. Idk. I suppose I haven’t put terribly much thought into it, but upon first hearing the clip, that’s what popped into my head. That’s exactly what I thought, too. And I went into that clip when I saw it yesterday totally expecting that other people were overreacting and that wasn’t what he was saying. After viewing the clip four or five times, I’m pretty sure he was. I was half-raised by a charming old couple from Alabama (both parents worked, so my brother and I stayed with the old folks down the street every day til they came home, along with most of the neighborhood kids) and they would use the word n_gger in a way which, I’m sure, to them, wasn’t intended in a racist way. And yes, I know it WAS racist to use it, but they would use it to mean someone was either hardworking or servile. "He works like a n_gger," and “he’s a government n\*gger” would both make complete sense coming from them in a conversation. I think Santorum probably used it the same way that I use the word “retarded,” which I am trying really hard to cut out of my vocabulary, but every time I use it in public I cringe a little and hope there’s no one with a special needs relative in earshot that I just hurt a bit. Which actually makes me think he’s a WORSE shot for president than if he was a simple racist - it means he can’t control his damn mouth in public. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-santorum-almost-call-obama-the-n-word/617299/78 "2012-03-31T18:23:09Z")
Whether he meant to say it or not, I predict he’s going to lose the black vote to Obama as a result. Does anybody think that any of Santorum’s core followers would abandon him if he _had_ called Obama a “nigger”? I seriously doubt it would make a percentage point of difference and in fact would probably gain him more of Gingrich’s followers (once he withdraws) than it would lose him of his own. ---
**Author:** ![Chicagojeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@Chicagojeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicagojeff)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-santorum-almost-call-obama-the-n-word/617299/79 "2012-03-31T18:53:59Z")
As much as I despise Senator Santorum’s worldview… I just don’t perceive him as the kind of guy who throws around the "N’ word. He’s of the age that he went to school and was probably even taught by blacks… I’m not saying that’s a definite in anyone… but “Not Slick” Rick just doesn’t give me that vibe… I think if me and the missus stumbled into his catholic parish he and the missus would be that overly nice white couple who tries to make you comfortable to the point of annoying… Jesse Helms for example… my ex-father in-law told me that when you had a meeting with him and he didn’t know you were black he used the code word “fred”… as in ‘What’s that Fred doing in my office?’… Jesse let you know where you stood… holding his umbrella and getting the door… ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-santorum-almost-call-obama-the-n-word/617299/80 "2012-03-31T19:15:40Z")
I’m sure Santorum is a severe racist, but he’s not an uneducated redneck who has ‘nigger’ just ready to roll off the end of his tongue when he’s not monitoring himself. My best guess is that he was just riffing through a standard list of right-wing invective, and landed on something like “negotiates-with-terrorists” when he realized his mouth was outrunning his brain and he’d better take a breath. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-santorum-almost-call-obama-the-n-word/617299.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-santorum-almost-call-obama-the-n-word/617299.md?page=5)