# FYI: A message for you Obama haters **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 21, 2013, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-a-message-for-you-obama-haters/661598 "2013-06-21T23:03:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-a-message-for-you-obama-haters/661598/1 "2013-06-21T23:03:10Z")
Facebook memes notwithstanding, Obama DID NOT order flags to be flown at half-staff after Whitney Houston’s death. Republican New Jersey governor Chris Christie only recommended it for New Jersey residents, and he’s doing the same thing in tribute to James Gandolfini. Just thought I’d warn ya. :smack: ---
**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:** [June 22, 2013, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-a-message-for-you-obama-haters/661598/2 "2013-06-22T00:41:50Z")
Half mast. ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-a-message-for-you-obama-haters/661598/3 "2013-06-22T00:45:09Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Half mast. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-a-message-for-you-obama-haters/661598/4 "2013-06-22T00:53:51Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Obama DID NOT order flags to be flown at half-staff after Whitney Houston’s death. I’m sure the Obama-haters will thank you profusely for clearing that up. ---
**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:** [June 22, 2013, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-a-message-for-you-obama-haters/661598/5 "2013-06-22T01:17:02Z")
> [@C3](#): > > :dubious: 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-a-message-for-you-obama-haters/661598/6 "2013-06-22T01:21:27Z")
> **[Half-mast](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-mast)** > > Half-mast or half-staff (American English) refers to a flag flying below the summit of a ship mast, a pole on land, or a pole on a building. In many countries this is seen as a symbol of respect, mourning, distress, or, in some cases, a salute. > The tradition of flying the flag at half-mast began in the 17th century. According to some sources, the flag is lowered to make room for an "invisible flag of death" flying above. However, there is disagreement about where on a flagpole a flag should b... > [@](#): > > Half mast, also known as half-staff, is the term describing flying a flag below the summit of the flagpole (mast). This is done in many countries as a symbol of respect, mourning, or distress. Yeah, I know, a wiki cite. I’m a lazy fuck. Blow me. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-a-message-for-you-obama-haters/661598/7 "2013-06-22T02:07:19Z")
What, Obama ordered the nation’s flags to fly at half staff to honor a guy who played a GANGSTER? You can take a guy out of Chicago but you can’t take the Chicago out of the guy. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-a-message-for-you-obama-haters/661598/8 "2013-06-22T02:14:17Z")
The tempo is also important, a slow and somber lowering shows special respect, whereas a quick perfunctory lowering is less dignified and implies less significance. These would best be described as “half-fast”. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-a-message-for-you-obama-haters/661598/9 "2013-06-22T02:14:22Z")
> [@Belowjob2.0](#): > > [Half-mast - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-mast) I think you’ve been whooshed. It’s a long running pet peeve of some dopers to call it “half-mast” when the flag is not being flown on a ship. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-a-message-for-you-obama-haters/661598/10 "2013-06-22T02:15:28Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Half mast. no u The great thing about this is that, regardless of which form the other person picks, you can always throw the other one in their face; _everyone else is always wrong!_ It’s the ultimate kind of trolling material. It’s like accusing someone of using the passive voice: The people who really care about _never_ using it are the ones who have absolutely no idea what it _is_, so they’re the most insecure about the whole mess. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-a-message-for-you-obama-haters/661598/11 "2013-06-22T02:19:54Z")
R, me hearties, R! We’ll hang this landlubber Christie by the yard arm! Fetch the heavy-duty rope! R! R! ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-a-message-for-you-obama-haters/661598/12 "2013-06-22T02:59:51Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > R, me hearties, R! We’ll hang this landlubber Christie by the yard arm! Fetch the heavy-duty rope! R! R! We’re gonna need a bigger boat. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-a-message-for-you-obama-haters/661598/13 "2013-06-22T03:03:35Z")
He’d make a very good chum. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-a-message-for-you-obama-haters/661598/14 "2013-06-22T03:06:49Z")
**elucidator** , you’re a real cut-up. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-a-message-for-you-obama-haters/661598/15 "2013-06-22T03:27:00Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > What, Obama ordered the nation’s flags to fly at half staff to honor a guy who played a GANGSTER? You can take a guy out of Chicago but you can’t take the Chicago out of the guy. :mad: You don’t have to answer this if you don’t want to, but I gotta know. Did Obama ever meet John Gotti? ---
**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:** [June 22, 2013, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-a-message-for-you-obama-haters/661598/16 "2013-06-22T04:03:25Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > no u > > The great thing about this is that, regardless of which form the other person picks, you can always throw the other one in their face; _everyone else is always wrong!_ It’s the ultimate kind of trolling material. > > It’s like accusing someone of using the passive voice: The people who really care about _never_ using it are the ones who have absolutely no idea what it _is_, so they’re the most insecure about the whole mess. You guys are all missing the meta on this. It was about as appropriate a response to the OP as I could think of. Irregardless of how unique that term “half mast is”, that was the only ting I got out of the OP. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-a-message-for-you-obama-haters/661598/17 "2013-06-22T04:29:52Z")
Could someone call **John** a cab? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-a-message-for-you-obama-haters/661598/18 "2013-06-22T04:37:11Z")
Well, OK, but he’s a lot more like a mini-van. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-a-message-for-you-obama-haters/661598/19 "2013-06-22T04:52:48Z")
Quick! Someone tell **Condescending Robot** that everyone in this thread has drunk the cool-aid and refuses to condemn “the messiah!” for yet another thing he didn’t actually do! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-a-message-for-you-obama-haters/661598/20 "2013-06-22T05:41:42Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Well, OK, but he’s a lot more like a mini-van. That’s silly. He’s never even been to Miniva. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-a-message-for-you-obama-haters/661598.md?page=2)