# I will be working to defeat Ilhan Omar in her next election, if she's still around
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-be-working-to-defeat-ilhan-omar-in-her-next-election-if-shes-still-around/830818
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [March 9, 2019, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-be-working-to-defeat-ilhan-omar-in-her-next-election-if-shes-still-around/830818 "2019-03-09T04:52:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2019, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-be-working-to-defeat-ilhan-omar-in-her-next-election-if-shes-still-around/830818/42 "2019-03-09T19:22:05Z")
> [@CarnalK](#):
>
> That’s because you aren’t interpreting- you’re just making stuff up. Tell me what part of that story led you to think that she meant “even a talented and well meaning politician like Obama was unable to overcome its brokenness.”? Because I don’t see anything in that politico article that could be considered such a compliment.
That she’s praised Obama on numerous occasions. I try take all of a speaker’s statements that I’m aware of into account when trying to interpret nuanced statements on complicated topics.
---
### Author:  [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2019, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-be-working-to-defeat-ilhan-omar-in-her-next-election-if-shes-still-around/830818/43 "2019-03-09T21:44:49Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#):
>
> She’s not attacking Obama, she’s making a nuanced criticism of our political system in general - saying that there’s something inherently broken on it, such that even a talented and well meaning politician like Obama was unable to overcome its brokenness.
Or, she’s about as good of a politician as Jill Stein. I’m gonna stick with that theory for now.
---
### Author:  [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2019, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-be-working-to-defeat-ilhan-omar-in-her-next-election-if-shes-still-around/830818/44 "2019-03-09T22:08:12Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#):
>
> That she’s praised Obama on numerous occasions. I try take all of a speaker’s statements that I’m aware of into account when trying to interpret nuanced statements on complicated topics.
I guess I’ll take your word for it. She did praise Obama in this interview after all – she said he was polished and had a pretty face.
---
### Author:  [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2019, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-be-working-to-defeat-ilhan-omar-in-her-next-election-if-shes-still-around/830818/45 "2019-03-09T22:08:17Z")
Jill Stein! Slowly, I turned…
---
### Author:  [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2019, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-be-working-to-defeat-ilhan-omar-in-her-next-election-if-shes-still-around/830818/46 "2019-03-09T22:34:02Z")
> [@CarnalK](#):
>
> I guess I’ll take your word for it. She did praise Obama in this interview after all – she said he was polished and had a pretty face.
I don’t think the “pretty face” was about Obama at all, but rather a throwaway line about vapid politicians.
---
### Author:  [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2019, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-be-working-to-defeat-ilhan-omar-in-her-next-election-if-shes-still-around/830818/47 "2019-03-09T22:50:31Z")
> [@CarnalK](#):
>
> Didn’t you read iiiandyiii’s explanation? She’s not talking about Obama really. You see, Obama didn’t order drone strikes, the system did. Obama didn’t have bad policies, the system did. Even a super talented and well meaning person like Obama couldn’t stop the system from drone striking all over the place. That’s what she meant when she said “hope and change” was a mirage.
I still think her comments are being blown out of proportion, but wasn’t Obama fairly directly involved in drone strikes? Like, staying up late personally overseeing them involved?
The system may have a lot baked into it, but the drones weren’t running on auto AFAIK.
---
### Author:  [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2019, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-be-working-to-defeat-ilhan-omar-in-her-next-election-if-shes-still-around/830818/48 "2019-03-09T22:50:36Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#):
>
> I don’t think the “pretty face” was about Obama at all, but rather a throwaway line about vapid politicians.
Was this not about Obama, either?
“I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy”?
---
### Author:  [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2019, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-be-working-to-defeat-ilhan-omar-in-her-next-election-if-shes-still-around/830818/49 "2019-03-09T22:56:25Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#):
>
> Was this not about Obama, either?
>
> “I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy”?
Huh? What are you talking about? Is this an attempt at a hijack?
---
### Author:  [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2019, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-be-working-to-defeat-ilhan-omar-in-her-next-election-if-shes-still-around/830818/50 "2019-03-09T23:05:32Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#):
>
> I don’t think the “pretty face” was about Obama at all, but rather a throwaway line about vapid politicians.
Here is her statement in the original source (the Politico interview):
> [@](#):
>
> “We can’t be only upset with Trump. … His policies are bad, but many of the people who came before him also had really bad policies. They just were more polished than he was. And that’s not what we should be looking for anymore. We don’t want anybody to get away with murder because they are polished. We want to recognize the actual policies that are behind the pretty face and the smile.”
[ellipsis is in original article]
[https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/03/08/ilhan-omar-dean-phillips-minnesota-democratic-party-225696](https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/03/08/ilhan-omar-dean-phillips-minnesota-democratic-party-225696)
“The people who came before him” doesn’t seem to be a reference to politicians in general, but to Presidents. I don’t see how you can argue otherwise.
And “get away with murder because they are polished,” again, refers to “the people who came before him”—and she is explicitly saying that some of those “people” literally got away with murder. Not figurative murder, but actual murder.
…I don’t have a problem with Democrats criticizing previous Democratic presidents.
I do question Omar’s clear choice to practice Whataboutism here. She is saying ‘Trump is bad, but other Presidents were bad, too.’ How does that help?
---
### Author:  [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2019, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-be-working-to-defeat-ilhan-omar-in-her-next-election-if-shes-still-around/830818/51 "2019-03-09T23:17:37Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#):
>
> I don’t think the “pretty face” was about Obama at all, but rather a throwaway line about vapid politicians.
I think you’re working real hard to give her the benefit of the doubt. In the actual quote, it’s not a throwaway line and is basically making an equivalence between “polished” and “pretty face”. Here’s the bit:
> [@](#):
>
> “We can’t be only upset with Trump. … His policies are bad, but many of the people who came before him also had really bad policies. They just were more polished than he was,” Omar says. “And that’s not what we should be looking for anymore. We don’t want anybody to get away with murder because they are polished. We want to recognize the actual policies that are behind the pretty face and the smile.”
They flow together. They got away with it because they’re more polished but we shouldn’t let them get away with it because of their pretty face. And since no one would accuse Bush of being polished, there’s only a couple of suspects as to whom she’s talking about.
---
### Author:  [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2019, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-be-working-to-defeat-ilhan-omar-in-her-next-election-if-shes-still-around/830818/52 "2019-03-09T23:26:21Z")
Not that big of a deal. I can’t figure out why people are going nuts over what appears clearly to me to be a relatively reasonable and innocuous criticism of the endless war and mistreatment of migrants, except that folks seem to be incredibly on edge for every single syllable of what AOC, Omar, and a few others say.
And since she clarified later that she wasn’t intending to attack Obama, then it seems to me the matter is closed.
---
### Author:  [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2019, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-be-working-to-defeat-ilhan-omar-in-her-next-election-if-shes-still-around/830818/53 "2019-03-09T23:56:22Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#):
>
> And since she clarified later that she wasn’t intending to attack Obama, then it seems to me the matter is closed.
Well, it’s not a big deal but she undeniably criticized Obama in a “part of the problem, not the solution” way and that his campaign slogan was an illusion. To deny that is to deny what words mean.
But the real funny thing for me is the OP here SlackerInc. In a bunch of threads he’s railed against purity ponies but here he is vowing to help defeat some Congresswoman that’s not even his district because she doesn’t love Obama enough. Lol.
---
### Author:  [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2019, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-be-working-to-defeat-ilhan-omar-in-her-next-election-if-shes-still-around/830818/54 "2019-03-10T00:23:38Z")
> [@CarnalK](#):
>
> Well, it’s not a big deal but she undeniably criticized Obama in a “part of the problem, not the solution” way and that his campaign slogan was an illusion. To deny that is to deny what words mean.
Or maybe we just disagree.
---
### Author:  [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2019, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-be-working-to-defeat-ilhan-omar-in-her-next-election-if-shes-still-around/830818/55 "2019-03-10T00:27:06Z")
No. You’re undeniably wrong. Like I said, words have meaning.
---
### Author:  [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2019, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-be-working-to-defeat-ilhan-omar-in-her-next-election-if-shes-still-around/830818/56 "2019-03-10T00:41:14Z")
I think she’s criticizing Obama– **in exactly the way that a leftist criticizes Obama**. It’s really dumb to object to people criticizing Obama based on policy, which is what she did, especially if you’re unwilling to engage with her on those specific policies with which she disagrees.
Oh wait, lemme guess–your unwillingness to address policy issues is what makes your political commentary superior, right?
---
### Author:  [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2019, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-be-working-to-defeat-ilhan-omar-in-her-next-election-if-shes-still-around/830818/57 "2019-03-10T00:46:43Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#):
>
> I have no expertise in that particular district and cannot say whether a successful primary challenge is feasible or not. But I would bet that Nancy Pelosi and many other pillars of the moderate Democratic wing are going to be spending quite a bit of time trying to find any way that Omar can be removed from office. Tlaib and AOC as well, probably.
Only if they want a complete intra-Party revolt on their hands.
---
### Author:  [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2019, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-be-working-to-defeat-ilhan-omar-in-her-next-election-if-shes-still-around/830818/58 "2019-03-10T00:47:33Z")
@LHoD: That wasn’t addressed to me, was it?
---
### Author:  [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2019, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-be-working-to-defeat-ilhan-omar-in-her-next-election-if-shes-still-around/830818/59 "2019-03-10T01:18:17Z")
> [@CarnalK](#):
>
> @LHoD: That wasn’t addressed to me, was it?
No.
---
### Author:  [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2019, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-be-working-to-defeat-ilhan-omar-in-her-next-election-if-shes-still-around/830818/60 "2019-03-10T02:11:09Z")
> [@CarnalK](#):
>
> No. You’re undeniably wrong. Like I said, words have meaning.
The meaning of those words is telling me something different than what it’s telling you. It’s okay. Disagreement isn’t the end of the world. It really is possible to see things differently sometimes.
---
### Author:  [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2019, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-be-working-to-defeat-ilhan-omar-in-her-next-election-if-shes-still-around/830818/61 "2019-03-10T06:51:41Z")
…says Andy, after repeatedly insisting upthread that any other interpretation is idiotic. :dubious:
> [@CarnalK](#):
>
> But the real funny thing for me is the OP here SlackerInc. In a bunch of threads he’s railed against purity ponies but here he is vowing to help defeat some Congresswoman that’s not even his district because she doesn’t love Obama enough. Lol.
The “purity ponies” (I like that) I have railed against are trying to insist Democrats take a position that is out of the comfort zone of the middle of the electorate. Sometimes they insist otherwise (usually based on cherrypicking polls); other times they shrug and help me fill my Leftist Bingo card by throwing out “Overton Window” like it’s the magic incantation that protects them from any consequences. What we’re supposed to do about all the bad shit Republicans do during the years we are slowly moving that window and they’re racking up win after win, I’m not quite sure. :rolleyes:
I don’t actually think there are no principles we should declare sacrosanct. I don’t think you can be a Democrat in 2018 and argue for a constitutional amendment to once again ban gay marriage. Or that we need to abolish the minimum wage, repeal the Lily Ledbetter Act, etc.
So my issue with the “purity ponies” is the nature of the issues they want to “purify” the party on, not some general principle that you can’t have “purity” on anything.
> [@iiandyiiii](#):
>
> And since she clarified later that she wasn’t intending to attack Obama, then it seems to me the matter is closed.
:smack: This is your standard? If a politician says something offensive, they can get off scot free by simply releasing a damage control PR statement that they didn’t intend to offend anyone? Weak.
[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-be-working-to-defeat-ilhan-omar-in-her-next-election-if-shes-still-around/830818.md?page=2)
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-will-be-working-to-defeat-ilhan-omar-in-her-next-election-if-shes-still-around/830818.md?page=4)